Use of Composted Waste Materials for Enhanced Ca Migration and Exchange in Sodic Soils and Acidic Minespoils

Abstract

Restoration of degraded lands and the development of beneficial uses for waste products are important challenges facing our society. In addition there is a need to find useful and environmentally friendly applications for the organic fractions of municipal and other solid waste. Recent studies have shown that composted wastes combined with gypsum or gypsum-containing flue gas desulfurization by-products enhance restoration of sodic soils and acidic minespoils. The mechanism by which this synergistic effect occurs in systems at opposite pH extremes appears to involve enhanced Ca migration and exchange. Our original research objectives were to (1) identify and quantify the active compost components involved in Ca transport, (2) determine the relative affinity of the compost components for Ca and competing metals in the two soil/spoil systems, (3) determine the efficacy of the compost components in Ca transport to subjacent soil and subsequent exchange with native soil cations, and (4) assess the impacts of compost enhanced Ca transport on soil properties and plant growth. Acidic mine spoils: During the course of the project the focus for objective (1) and (2) shifted more towards developing and evaluating methods to appropriately quantify Ca2+ and Al3+ binding to compost derived dissolved organic matter (DOM). It could be shown that calcium complexation by sewage sludge compost derived DOM did not significantly change during the composting process. A method for studying Al3+ binding to DOM was successfully developed and should allow future insight into DOM-Al3+ interactions in general. Laboratory column experiments as well as greenhouse experiments showed that in very acidic mine spoil material mineral dissolution controls solution Al3+ concentration as opposed to exchange with Ca2+. Therefore compost appeared to have no effect on Al3+ and Ca2+ mobility and did not affect subsoil acidity. Sodic alkaline soils: Batch experiments with Na+ saturated cation exchange resins as a model for sodic soils showed that compost home cations exchanged readily with Na+. Unlike filtered compost extracts, unfiltered compost suspensions also significantly increased Ca2+ release from CaCO3. Soil lysimeter experiments demonstrated a clear impact of compost on structural improvement in sodic alkaline soils. Young compost had faster, clearer and longer lasting effects on soil physical and chemical properties than mature compost. Even after 2 growing seasons differences could still be observed. Compost increased Ca2+ concentration in soil solution and solubility of pedogenic CaCO3 that is highly insoluble under alkaline conditions. The solubilized Ca2+ efficiently exchanged Na+ in the compost treated soils and thus greatly improved the soil structure.