Assessing the Influence of Compost and Biochar Amendments on the Mobility and Uptake of Heavy Metals by Green Leafy Vegetables

Abstract

Municipal green-waste compost and wheat straw biochar amendments were assessed for their assistance in regulating the mobility of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr and Ni and the uptake of these metals by five commonly grown green leafy vegetables (radish, lettuce, dill, spinach and parsley). The amendments were applied alone or combination of both in 5% and 10% (v/w) doses to soil contaminated with heavy metals. Vegetables were grown for eight weeks under greenhouse conditions, and in collected samples plant uptake and metal speciation in soil after sequential extraction procedure (BCR) were analyzed by Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer (MP-AES). The results of our study show that organic amendments noticeably reduced the uptake of heavy metals by various leafy vegetables, with the best result of reduced leaf accumulation for single biochar and biochar–compost mix application at higher dose. Single application of green-waste municipal compost may have adverse effects on heavy metal uptake, increasing the risk of vegetable contamination with Zn, Pb and Cr. This study recommends careful selection of vegetables for cultivation when organic fertilizers are applied to soil with elevated contents of trace elements or co-application of compost in mix with biochar to mitigate possible negative effects and human health risk.