Characterizing plant uptake of Cd and Zn from soils treated with sewage sludge

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:6110334

Mullins, G L

Field and labortory studies were conducted to characterize the uptake of Cd and Zn by corn (Zea mays L.) seedlings grown in soils treated with sewage sludge. Kinetic parameters describing uptake of Cd and Zn were determined for intact corn seedlings grown for 15 and 22 days in nutrient solutions containing levels of Cd and Zn representative of those found in soil solutions. Sewage sludge had been applied to provide 19 kg Cd and 340 kg Zn ha/sup -1/. Based on growth chamber studies sludge addition increased plant uptake of Cd and Zn but it did not affect shoot or root weight, root length, or other root properties of corn seedlings grown in the untreated and sludge treated soils for 16 and 22 days. The addition of sludge increased the adsorbed Cd and Zn and the concentration of Cd and Zn in the soil solution of all 4 soils. There was no effect of sludge on diffusion coefficients (De) for Cd or Zn, but there was an inverse relationship between Cd for Zn and soil pH. A mechanistic uptake model gas a reasonable prediction of Cd (r = 0.81) and Zn (r = 0.91) uptake by corn seedlings growing in the untreated and sludge treated soils. Sensitivity analyses conducted with the model showed that plant factors having the greatest influence on Cd and Zn uptake include tha root growth constants, average root radius and water influx rate while the effect of influx kinetics and half distance between roots was small.

• Research Organization: Purdue Univ., Lafayette, IN (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6110334
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
550500 -- Metabolism
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CADMIUM
CEREALS
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
GRASS
GROUND DISPOSAL
GROWTH
MAIZE
MANAGEMENT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
PH VALUE
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
SEEDLINGS
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SLUDGES
SOILS
UPTAKE
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
ZINC