The Influence of a Practical Remediation Medium on the Relationship of Exchange Reaction in Soil to Hazardous Lead and Inorganic Forms of Nitrogen

Abstract

The objective of this research was to analyse soil and garden compost as a remediation medium at the foothill´s locality of the Tribeč Mountains, Southwestern Slovakia, to determine the pH/KCl, Pb, NO3 −-N, NH4 +-N contents in soil and soil affected by compost (the ratio 1 : 1), to evaluate the statistical significance of pH/KCl in relation to Pb and inorganic forms of nitrogen, and to find whether garden compost affects the monitored parameters. The analyses were carried out using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, and Colorimetric and Potentiometric methods. Ascertained values of exchange reactions in soil ranged from 5.74 to 6.83 and exchange reactions in soil affected by garden compost ranged from 6.78 to 7.98. According to the calculated indices of dependencies, the development of pH/KCl values can be evaluated as moderately dynamic. The obtained results were evaluated statistically using the SAS 9.4 software method by the Spearman‘s correlation coefficient. The results in the observed three-year period showed that NO3 −-N contents in soil had reached 14.73 mg.kg−1, NH4 +-N 9.50 mg.kg−1, Nin 23.05 mg.kg−1, Pb 67.38 mg.kg−1, soil affecting by remediation medium – garden compost (the ratio 1 : 1) showed that NO3 −-N contents had reached 23.93 mg.kg−1, NH4 +-N 26.42 mg.kg−1, Nin 42.63 mg.kg−1, Pb 64.71 mg.kg−1 dry matter. Statistical dependence was high (P <0.01), which was demonstrated for soil pH : soil + compost Pb, soil + compost pH : soil + compost Pb. The garden compost influenced pH/KCl, reduced Pb levels, and increased the proportion of inorganic forms of nitrogen in soil.