Project Number: WVA00397
CRIS Number: 0177055
BIOREMEDIATION OF PESTICIDE CONTAMINATED MEDIA
Investigators: Diener, R. G., Collins, A., Bearce, B., Bissonnette, G.
Performing Department: Resource Management -- 8485
Start Date: 12/01/1997
Termination Date: 12/31/2001
Reporting period: 12/01/1997 to 12/31/2001
Termination Report:
This project resulted in a M.S. Thesis entitled, "Heavy Metal Redistribution in Soils Using Compost as a Soil Amendment". The abstract from this thesis is as follows: Organic soil amendments such as compost can reduce the availability of heavy metal contaminated soil. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the efficiency of compost as an soil amendment within heavy metal contaminated soil 2) to determine the hypoaccumulation of heavy metals in the stem, shoot, and root systems of white clover and wheat 3) to identify movement of heavy metals within the soil 3) to evaluate the differences of nodule formation in Trifolim repens. Three volumes of compost were added to a heavy metal contaminated soil (additions of zero, 10, and 40 percent compost, by volume). Zinc, Cd, and Pb contamination were analyzed in soil fractions and the roots and shoots of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and white clover (Trifolim repens). The increased addition of compost was found to alleviate the toxic effects that heavy metal have on plant health; while redistributing metals to a less available form. An increase of nodule formation and nitrification resulted with the addition of compost to heavy metal contaminated soil.
Publications: (No publications.)
Impact:
The expected impact of this project concerns documentation of the beneficial effects of compost on reducing the toxicity of heavy metals on plant growth. This finding is of importance to remediation of soils on disturbed lands where metal toxicity presents a problem for plant growth.