Impact of pyrometallurgical slags on sunflower growth, metal accumulation and rhizosphere microbial communities

FOURDRIN, C.; HUGUENOT, D.; AGNELLO, A.C.; CHAUHAN, P.S.; POTYSZ, A.

CHEMOSPHERE

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD

Año: 2018 vol. 208 p. 626 - 639

0045-6535

Metallurgical exploitation originates metal-rich by-products termed slags, which are often disposed in the environment being a source of heavy metal pollution. Despite the environmental risk that this may pose for living organisms, little is known about the impact of slags on biotic components of the ecosystem like plants and rhizosphere microbial communities.In this study, metal-rich (Cu, Pb, Zn) granulated slags (GS) derived from Cu production process, were used for a leaching test in the presence of the soil pore solution, showing that soil solution enhanced the release of Cu from GS. A pot experiment was conducted using as growing substrate for sunflower (Helianthus annuus) a 50% w/w mix of an agricultural soil and GS. Bioavailability of metals in soil was, in increasing order: Pb