HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Brown, S. Articles by Henry, C. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Brown, S. Articles by Henry, C. Agricola Articles by Brown, S. Articles by Henry, C. Related Collections Ecosystem Restoration Field-Scale Studies Remediation Soil pH Heavy Metals

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Restoration of High Zinc and Lead Tailings with Municipal Biosolids and Lime: A Field Study

^a Box 352100, Univ. of Washington, Seattle WA 98195
^b Herrera Environmental Consultants, 2200 6th Ave #100, Seattle, WA 98121

^* Corresponding author (slb{at}u.washington.edu).

Received for publication February 26, 2008. A field study was conducted to test the ability of biosolids (BS) and different types of lime to increase soil pH, neutralize subsoil acidity, and restore a vegetative cover to alluvial mine tailings in Leadville, CO. The tailings had soil pH of 5.2 and total Cd, Pb, and Zn of 75 ± 20, 2600 ± 1100, and 6700 ± 1900 mg kg^–1. Types of lime included agricultural lime (AL), sugar beet lime (SBL), and lime kiln dust (LKD) applied at 224 Mg ha^–1 calcium carbonate equivalent. Plots were established in 2000 and monitored intermittently through 2007. All amendments increased pH in surface and subsurface depths, with LKD, LKD+BS, and SBL+BS being the most effective. Amendments also reduced 0.01 mol L^–1 Ca(NO₃)₂ extractable Zn and Cd compared to the control. Plant growth was sparse on all treatments with limited yield for three of four harvests. Poor growth may have been related to elevated electrical conductivity (EC). All amendments except LKD alone (5.79 dS m^–1) increased EC compared to the control treatment (5.28 dS m^–1). Electrical conductivity was highest in 2002 which had the lowest summer rainfall. In 2005 EC in all treatments except the SBL+BS was similar in the surface soil. Aboveground plant tissue concentrations of Zn and Cd were also elevated. Limited precipitation and high electrical conductivity may be responsible for poor plant growth. Higher rainfall for the last sampling period resulted in significant growth in the LKD+BS, SBL+BS, and LKD alone treatments.

Abbreviations: AL, agricultural lime • BS, biosolids • CL, coarse lime • FL, fine lime • LKD, lime kiln dust • SBL, sugar beet lime