Copper, nickel and zinc accumulations in lettuce grown in soil amended with contaminated cattle manure vermicompost after sequential cultivations

• Published in: Environmental technology Vol. 34; no. 6; pp. 765 - 777
• Main Authors: Jordão, Cláudio P., de Andrade, Renato P., Cotta, Aloísio J.B., Cecon, Paulo R., Neves, Júlio C.L., Fontes, Mauricio P.F., Fernandes, Raphael B.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis 01.03.2013; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Agriculture, rearing and food industries wastes; Animal wastes; Applied sciences; Decontamination. Miscellaneous; Exact sciences and technology; heavy metal; Lactuca - chemistry; Lactuca sativa; Lettuce; Manure - analysis; Manure - parasitology; Manures; Metals, Heavy - chemistry; Plant Roots - chemistry; Pollution; sequential extraction procedure; Soil - parasitology; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil Pollutants - chemistry; soil pollution; vermicompost; Wastes; Zinc; British Isles; sequential extraction procedure; Pollutant behavior; Toxicity; Sequential extraction; Metallurgical industry; Plant leaf; Farmyard manure; Soil pollution; Zinc; Heavy metal; Lettuce; Health and environment; vermicompost; Electrodeposition; Nickel; Agricultural waste; Copper; Animal waste; Cattle manure; Public health; Speciation
• ISSN: 0959-3330; 1479-487X
• DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2012.715759

The Cu, Ni and Zn accumulations in leaves and roots of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) grown in soil amended with natural and contaminated cattle manure vermicompost were evaluated. The vermicompost residues containing relatively high metal concentrations used in this work were obtained from a previous experiment, in which vermicompost was applied to removing metals from electroplating wastes. Sequential lettuce cultivations were conducted in pots containing the residual substrates from the first cultivation by adding metal-enriched vermicompost residues. In general, the Cu, Ni and Zn concentrations in leaves and roots of lettuce plants grown in vermicompost enriched with these metals were higher than in the treatment using the natural vermicompost. The metal concentrations in leaves from treatments with natural vermicompost were below the critical concentrations of toxicity to plants. However, the metal concentrations in leaves of the third cultivation in which metal-enriched vermicompost was applied were greater than the upper limit that causes plant toxicity, but no visual damage was observed in the plants. Treatment with Zn-enriched vermicompost resulted in toxicity symptoms, but plant damage did not result in the death of the plant. The chemical fractionation of Cu, Ni and Zn in residues from lettuce cultivation was evaluated by using a sequential extraction procedure and metal concentrations were increased in the different chemical fractions according to the increase of vermicompost dose.