Recycling of bottom sediment to agriculture: effects on plant growth and soil properties

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The use of bottom sediments in agriculture reduces the storage of excavated material and allows the nutrients it contains to be applied for soil fertilisation and improvement. However, the direct application of sediments to soil may cause numerous problems. Therefore, the addition of other waste materials may be a promising and useful method in the production of bottom-sediment-based growing media. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of growing media prepared on the basis of bottom sediments and various waste materials on the properties of soil as well as on the yield and chemical composition of courgette biomass. Methods The growing media were prepared with substrates in the form of mixtures with bottom sediments taken from the Rożnów reservoir. The effect of mixtures on plant growth was determined in a laboratory pot experiment. Air-dry mixtures (M1—bottom sediment with water treatment sludge (BS + SW); M2—bottom sediment with biomass ash (BS + BA); M3—bottom sediment with coffee hulls (BS + CH)) were mixed with soil (S) in the following proportions: combination I—25%, combination II—50%, combination III—75%, and combination IV—100% mixture. Results The media did not have harmful effects on the plant or the soil environment. They had deacidifying properties; high contents of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus; low total trace element content; and posed little risk of metal mobility. Heterocypris incongruens was the organism most sensitive to the substances contained in the studied media. The use of bottom-sediment-based media reduced the biomass of the test plant and, at the same time, limited the accumulation of trace elements in its aboveground parts. Conclusion Most of the analysed media were low-toxic to the test organisms and can potentially be used in agriculture, horticulture, or the reclamation of degraded land.