The role of selected tree species in industrial sewage sludge/flotation tailing management

Abstract

The aim of the study was to estimate the ability of ten tree and bush species to tolerate and accumulate Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and As species [As(III), As(V), and total organic arsenic] in industrial sewage sludge extremely contaminated with arsenic (almost 27.5 g kg(-1)) in a pot experiment. The premise being that it will then be possible to select the most promising tree/bush species, able to grow in the vicinity of dams where sewage sludge/flotation tailings are used as landfill. Six of the ten tested tree species were able to grow on the sludge. The highest content of total As was observed in Betula pendula roots (30.0 ± 1.3 mg kg(-1) DW), where the dominant As species was the toxic As(V). The highest biomass of Quercus Q1 robur (77.3 § 2.6 g) and Acer platanoides (76.0 § 4.9 g) was observed. A proper planting of selected tree species that are able to thrive on sewage sludge/flotation tailings could be an interesting and promising way to protect dams. By utilizing differences in their root systems and water needs, we will be able to reduce the risk of fatal environmental disasters.

Phytoextraction of potentially toxic elements by six tree species growing on hazardous mining sludge

“…However, the higher content of Pb in B. pendula stems rather than leaves described by Evangelou et al ( 2013 ) or the efficiency in As and Cd phytoextraction in leaves observed by Alagić et al ( 2013 ) were not observed in our studies. Data presented in the present manuscript support our earlier conclusion (Mleczek et al 2016 , 2017 ) that the ability of tree species to target metal phytoextraction depends not only on plant extraction ability but also on substrate characteristics.…”

“…All seedlings were obtained from the forest nursery of the Pniewy Forest Division (52° 29′ 4″ N, 16° 15′ 28″ E). The soil where the plants were grown had the following characteristics: pH 4.6–7.4, P content 2.60–4.63 g kg −1 , K 5.57–6.62 g kg −1 , total N 0.19–0.29%, total C 2.2–3.2%, and organic matter 3.8–5.6%, depending on the tree species and the specific requirements (e.g., pH of soil) indispensable for their proper development (Mleczek et al 2016 ).…”

“…The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of these six tree species to adapt to new growth conditions, their biomass production, and their potential for effective phytoextraction of six potentially toxic elements. This manuscript is a development of our previous paper (Mleczek et al 2016 ), where we studied the same tree species growing under controlled conditions in a similar mining sludge. However, in this study, we focused on the analysis of selected element contents in studied plant organs and on how these trees respond during phytoextraction in an open air experiment.…”

The chemistry and toxicity of discharge waters from copper mine tailing impoundment in the valley of the Apuseni Mountains in Romania

“…The key issues in decreasing the impact of mining on environmental and human health include (i) mitigation of acid mine drainage effects by preventing oxidation, neutralizing the acid, or collecting the runoff (Akcil and Koldas 2006 ) and (ii) appropriate management and disposal of tailings (Mleczek et al 2016 ). Most conventional impoundment methods involve the construction of surface ponds with raised embankments in which tailings and mine water are systematically deposited downstream, upstream, or centerline (Vick 1990 ), although methods such as sub-marine disposal or disposal of dewatered tailings as backfill are also in use (Berkun 2005 ; Fall et al 2010 ).…”

Arsenic forms in phytoextraction of this metalloid in organs of 2-year-old Acer platanoides seedlings

“…and Betula pendula Roth. were found to be the most promising for phytoextraction of As or biomass crop (Mleczek et al 2016 ). The mean biomass of the plants used in the experiment was 106.8 ± 8.6 g. A. platanoides seedlings were grown in cylindrical pots filled with unpolluted soil with pH 1M KCL = 7.3.…”