Journal
SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT
Volume 24, Issue 4, Pages 350-356Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-2743.2008.00173.x
Keywords
Orchardgrass; mine soils; polyacrylate polymers; remediation; soil quality; enzymatic activities
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Funding
- Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [PPCDT/AMB/57586/2004]
- FCT [SFRH/BD/21430/2005]
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/21430/2005] Funding Source: FCT
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We investigated the effects of different application rates of insoluble hydrophilic polyacrylate polymers on plant growth and soil quality from a Pb-contaminated mine soil. The polymer increased the water-holding capacity of the soil from about 250 g/kg in unamended soil to almost 1000 g/kg in soil with 0.6% polymer. However, the capacity of the polymer to retain water decreased progressively, presumably as the polymer sorbed Pb. Growth of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L. cv. Amba) was stimulated in the polymer-amended soil. The greatest accumulated biomass over four cuts was obtained in soil amended with 0.4% of polymer. After orchardgrass had been growing for 101 days, the amounts of CaCl2-extractable Pb present in the polymer-amended soil were 15-66% of those in the unamended soil, depending on polymer application rate. The number of bacteria culturable on agar enriched with 'Nutrient' and yeast extract, and the activities of dehydrogenase, phosphatase, beta-glucosidase, protease and cellulase increased following polymer application. In contrast, urease activity was impaired by polymer application, presumably due to the presence of ammonium as a counter ion. Principal component analysis was used to compare the effects of the different rates of polymer application. Overall, the application of 0.2 or 0.4% polymer resulted in closer values for the indicators of soil quality used than the treatment with 0.6% polymer.
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