64. The effect of organic amendments on uptake of heavy metals in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Pot experiments were carried out to evaluate effects of organic soil amendments (peat, compost and vermicompost) on uptake of heavy metals (Pb, Cd and Zn) in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Soils used in this experiment were sampled from the vicinity of the Non-Ferrous-Metal Works near Plovdlv, Bulgaria. The soils were amended or not with 5, 7.5, 10 or 15% of peat, compost and vermicompost.
Peat, compost and vermicompost application led to effective immobilization of Pb, Zn and Cd phytoaccessible forms in soils. There was correlation found between the quantity of the mobile forms and the uptake of Pb, Zn, and Cd by the barley
Organic amendments significantly reduced heavy metals concentration in barley grain, but the effect differed among them. Also, there was a dose effect for amendments. The peat treatments had only slight effects on the uptake of heavy metals. Thus, there was little benefit of peat treatments for phytoremediation purposes at these sites.
The compost and vermicompost treatments had significant effects on the uptake of heavy metals. The 7.5% compost and vermicompost treatments led to the maximal reduction of Cd, Zn and Pb in barley grain (64%, 53% and 47%, respectively).