Influence of pH, phosphorus, cadmium, sewage sludge, and incubation time on the solubility and plant uptake of cadmium

Journal Article · · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1978.00472425000700020027x· OSTI ID:6432174

Street, J J; Sabey, B R; Lindsay, W L

Corn (Zea mays L.) Pioneer-3932A was grown in the greenhouse on a loamy sand amended with cadmium, cadmium-spiked sewage sludge, and sewage sludge. Soil pH was adjusted to approximately 5.7, 6.7, 7.8, and phosphorus was applied at 0, 200, and 400 ..mu..g/g soil. Soil treatments were applied 0, 8, and 16 weeks prior to planting, and the plants were grown for 5 weeks. Increasing the pH of the soil amended with inorganic cadmium (CdSO/sub 4/) decreased the Cd concentration of corn seedlings by approximately 67%. The Cd concentration was reduced approximately 47% for a similar increase in pH on soil amended with Cd-spiked sludge. The Cd concentration of corn seedlings was significantly reduced by the addition of P. Increasing incubation time decreased the availability of added inorganic Cd, but increased the availability of Cd applied with sewage sludge. Increasing the amount of Cd added to the soils increased the Cd concentration of the corn seedlings regardless of the form of Cd used. Cadmium concentrations in the corn seedlings were significantly correlated with DTPA-extractable soil Cd. Solubility measurements of Cd in the acidified soils showed undersaturation with respect to all known Cd minerals, whereas in soils above pH 7.25 the Cd solubility was limited by CdCO/sub 3/ at a CO/sub 2/ level of 0.003 atm or higher and showed the expected hundredfold decrease in solubility for each unit increase in pH. The minerals Cd/sub 3/(PO/sub 4/)/sub 2/ and Cd(OH)/sub 2/ are much too soluble to account for the precipitation of Cd in these soils. 25 references, 8 figures, 1 table.

• Research Organization: Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins
• OSTI ID: 6432174
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 7:2; ISSN JEVQA
• 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
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CADMIUM
CEREALS
DATA
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GRASS
GROUND DISPOSAL
INFORMATION
MAIZE
MANAGEMENT
METALS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PH VALUE
PHOSPHORUS
PLANTS
RECYCLING
SEEDLINGS
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SLUDGES
SOILS
SOLUBILITY
UPTAKE
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES