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Potentially Toxic Effects of Phosphogypsum on Palexerults in Western Spain
Author(s) -
Mariscal-Sancho I.,
Espejo R.,
Peregrina F.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj2007.0394
Subject(s) - phosphogypsum , gypsum , zoology , chemistry , biomass (ecology) , environmental chemistry , mineralogy , agronomy , biology , raw material , paleontology , organic chemistry
We studied effects of phosphogypsum (PG) rates ranging from 1.4 to 84.2 Mg ha −1 applied to the Ap horizon of a plinthic Palexerult on the ionic composition of the soil solution, as well as their impact on biomass production in wheat [ Triticum aestivum (L.), cv. Jabato]. Similar soil samples were treated with highly pure gypsum (G) or the industrial byproduct red gypsum (RG) at rates equivalent to PG applications of 4.2 and 33.7 Mg ha −1 for comparison with the action of PG. All treatments increased the Ca, Mg, K, Na, and SO 4 concentrations to the same extent; however, RG at high rates (30.6 Mg ha −1 ) raised the Na and Mg concentrations more markedly than did the other two amendments. Phosphogypsum provided the greatest increases in F, Al, and Si, the last two as a result of the corrosive effects of F on soil silicates; the increases were all proportional to the applied PG rate, and as a result, the higher PG rates increased the activities of all Al ionic species relative to G, RG, and the control. Application of G and RG at rates equivalent to PG applications of 4.2 and 33.7 Mg ha −1 increased biomass production compared with the control. Phosphogypsum increased biomass production at lower rates (0–16.8 Mg.ha −1 ), but biomass was virtually zero at rates above 67.3 Mg ha −1 The highest PG rates increased plant Al and F contents, the last reaching toxic levels for cattle.