Soil pollution with trace elements has been of great concern in the last years due to the increase in contaminated areas, which calls for a better understanding of trace element availability and environmental remediation. This study evaluated the performance of an aluminum industry by-product as soil amendment in Cd- and Pb-contaminated soils. Samples of a sandy (50 g kg-1 clay) and a clayey (540 g kg-1 clay) soil were mixed with polluted soil (15 %) with high Cd and Pb […]

A major limitation for using sewage sludge in agriculture is the risk of soil contamination with heavy metals and their possible transference to humans via food chain. The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil content of Cd, Cr, Pb, and Zn by two digestion methods (HNO3 + H2O2 + HCl and HClO4 + HF) in maize plants grown on a Typic Eutrorthox soil treated with sewage sludge for nine consecutive years, and the effects on dry matter […]

A greenhouse experiment was carried out to evaluate: (a) the soil Cd and Zn availability to maize plants with and without liming, using the DTPA, EDTA, Mehlich-1, and Mehlich-3 extractants; (b) The effect of Cd and Zn doses on plant growth and metal accumulation in maize; and (c) toxicity symptoms and anatomical changes in leaves and roots exposed to Cd and zinc. Maize was grown for 30 days in soil contaminated with either Cd (0, 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 […]

In view of the toxicity of As for man and animals and the possibility of existence of a great number of contaminated areas it is imperative to know the total As content in soils considered uncontaminated and about As sorption processes in soils of variable charge. The objective of this work was to determine the total content and maximum capacity of As adsorption (CMADSAs) in Oxisols. The total content was determined by the USEPA 3051A method. The cmADSAs was determined by […]

The pollution effect of trace elements in the environment depends mainly on the capacity of soil colloids to sorb and maintain them in high energy bonds. This study evaluated the adsorption of Cd, Cu, and Pb in A-horizon samples of Red Latosol and Red-Yellow Latosol (Udox), with similar texture and contrasting mineralogy. For this purpose, isotherms of adsorption, monoelement and multielement were built, based on the soil sample reaction in 5 mmol L-1 Ca(NO3)2 solution adjusted to pH 5.5, with […]

Before recommending biosolids at large scale for forest plantations it is necessary to have an ample understanding of its effects on soil and plant. Thus, it was evaluated the soil fertility, nutritional status and growth of a Eucalyptus grandis plantation fertilized with biosolid (bios). The trial was established at the Experimental Station of Forest Sciences of Itatinga – ESALQ/USP (São Paulo State, Brazil). The experimental design was in complete randomized blocks, with 4 replicates. There were nine treatments, namely: (1) control; […]

The occurrence of iron-manganese concretions, which vary in diameter and shape, are common in limestone-derived soils from northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Normally, they tend to increase their size with depth in Cambisols (Inceptisols) and Vertisols, and to remain small in Latosols (Oxisols), where they are smoother and more rounded. Aiming to study them, concretions in the B horizons of Red Latosols, B and BC horizons of Cambisols and C horizons of Vertisols were collected and grouped according to their average […]