Elemental composition of barley and ryegrass grown on acid soils amended with scrubber sludge

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1980.00472425000900010008x· OSTI ID:5644427

Walker, W J; Dowdy, R H

A greenhouse study assessed barley (Hordeuni vulgare L.) and ryegrass (Secale cereale L.) growth on two acid soils amended with scrubber sludge from a coal-fired, power-generating plant. The scrubber sludge was the residue from flue gas desulfurization, which included unburned airborne particulates (fly ash). The feasibility of using this material as a soil amendment was investigated since both the source, low-sulfur western coal, and the process by which this material was generated differ markedly from fly ashes used in many reported studies. Of particular interest were the effects of scrubber sludge applications on boron and selenium concentrations of barley and ryegrass. Soils used were a coarse sand, Typic Hapludalf (pH = 4.8), and a silt loam, Udorthentic Haploboroll (pH = 5.7). Scrubber sludge application rates ranged from 0 to 100 g sludge/kg soil. Dry matter production for 6 weeks of growth was depressed for barley and ryegrass when applications exceeded 12.5 g sludge/kg soil. Soil pH increased from 4.8 to 7.2 in the coarse sand and from 5.7 to 7.6 in the silt loam by applications of 100 g sludge/kg soil. Yield reductions for barley and ryegrass were attributed to high concentrations of tissue B, which ranged from 12 ..mu..g/g on control treatments to 150 and 2000 ..mu..g/g on soils receiving 6.25 and 100 g sludge/kg soil, respectively. Tissue Se increased with added sludge, while Mn and Zn contents decreased, without reaching toxic or deficiency levels, respectively. Tissue Cd, Cu, P, and Pb levels fluctuated from soil to soil and crop to crop without approaching deficiency or toxicity levels.

• Research Organization: Minnesota Agriculture Experimental Station, St. Paul
• OSTI ID: 5644427
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 9:1; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
553000* -- Agriculture & Food Technology
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
AEROSOL WASTES
BARLEY
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BORON
BUILDINGS
CADMIUM
CEREALS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COPPER
DATA
DATA FORMS
DESULFURIZATION
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLUE GAS
FLY ASH
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
GASEOUS WASTES
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
GREENHOUSES
GROWTH
INFORMATION
LEAD
MANGANESE
METALS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PH VALUE
PHOSPHORUS
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
POWER PLANTS
PRODUCTIVITY
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RYE
SCRUBBERS
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SLUDGES
SOILS
TABLES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES
ZINC