An investigation into the growth of lolium perenne L. and soil properties following soil amendment with phosphorus-saturated bauxite residue
Cusack, Patricia B. Healy, Mark G. Callery, Oisín Di Carlo, Elisa Ujaczki, Éva Courtney, Ronan
Cusack, Patricia B.
Healy, Mark G.
Callery, Oisín
Di Carlo, Elisa
Ujaczki, Éva
Courtney, Ronan
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Publication Date
2022-04-07
Type
Article
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Cusack, Patricia B., Healy, Mark G., Callery, Oisín, Di Carlo, Elisa, Ujaczki, Éva, & Courtney, Ronan. (2022). An Investigation into the Growth of Lolium perenne L. and Soil Properties Following Soil Amendment with Phosphorus-Saturated Bauxite Residue. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 109(1), 13-19. doi:10.1007/s00128-022-03514-6
Abstract
Industrial by-products, such as bauxite residue, may be used to treat phosphorus (P)-enriched water and wastewater. Once fully saturated, they may be reused as P fertilisers. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of P-saturated bauxite residue on biomass yield of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), identify any adverse effects on soil fauna such as Eisenia fetida L. using choice tests, and quantify any phytotoxic effects on the germination of seeds, root growth, and plant elemental uptake. Two types of spent P-saturated bauxite residue were examined: P-saturated bauxite residue, which had been modified with gypsum at a rate of 8% w/w and chemically amended bauxite residue. There was a comparable biomass yield between the plants grown on the bauxite residue nutrient source and those receiving superphosphate, indicating that there were no phytotoxic effects on the growth of L. perenne L. When examining the effect of the treatments on the soil fauna, the E. fetida L. showed a significant preference in the choice of soil treatment, the largest percentage (58± 2.1 %) of E. fetida L. favoured the control soil over the amended soils. Overall, the bauxite residue was comparable to the superphosphate fertiliser in terms of the biomass yield obtained, indicating the potential recycling of P from wastewaters using bauxite residue as a low-cost adsorbent. No phytotoxic effects on the growth of L. perenne L. were found using germination and plant uptake bioassays.
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Publisher
Springer
Publisher DOI
10.1007/s00128-022-03514-6
Rights
CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IE