ARS | Publication request: Effects of byproducts amended lead contaminated urban soils on collard yield

Submitted to: Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 26, 2011
Publication Date: February 11, 2011
Citation: Codling, E.E., Wooten, A. 2011. Effects of byproducts amended lead contaminated urban soils on collard yield. Meeting Abstract. p. 22.

Technical Abstract: Lead (Pb) has been used to produce materials and manufactured products for many years. In urban areas and industrial centers atmospheric lead deposition could be very high. Urban environments in general received high deposition of lead due to leaded gasoline use, industrial activity and abandoned resident lots with history of lead paint use. There is concern of possible human Pb toxicity from consuming crops grown in urban gardens. Lead will impair psychological and neurobehavioral functions in humans. Remediation of lead contaminated soils by conventional methods is expensive. Use of low cost environmentally safe amendments for in situ fixation of lead contaminated soil would be less expensive. In situ lead fixation does not reduce the total concentration of soil lead but changes its speciation, thus rendering it less toxic and bioavailable in the eco-system. In our study, four by-products; poultry litter ash; water treatment residual; steel slag high and leaf compost that were high in phosphate, aluminum, iron, magnesium and organic matter were used. Soils used were collected from three urban locations: Ft. DuPont National Park, Washington, DC, and Baltimore City, with averaged total lead of 38, 1099 and 1088 mg kg-1 respectively. By-products and soils were mixed at three rates and incubated for 58 days. Collard were planted and grown for 60 days. Averaged over byproducts and rates, collard grown on the Baltimore soil had the highest yield followed by D C and Ft DuPont respectively. Averaged over soils, collard grown on the water treatment residual had the highest yield.