| Organic soil amendments such as compost can reduce the availability of heavy metal contaminated soil. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the efficiency of compost as an soil amendment within heavy metal contaminated soil; (2) to determine the hypoaccumulation of heavy metals in the stem, shoot, and root systems of white clover and wheat; (3) to identify movement of heavy metals within the soil; (4) to evaluate the differences of nodule formation in Trifolim repens. Three volumes of compost were added to a heavy metal contaminated soil (additions of zero, 10, and 40 percent compost, by volume). Zinc, Cd, and Pb contamination was analyzed in soil fractions and the roots and shoots of wheat ( Triticum aestivum) and white clover (Trifolim repens). The increased addition of compost was found to alleviate the toxic effects that heavy metal have on plant health; while redistributing metals to a less available form. An increase of nodule formation and nitrification resulted with the addition of compost to heavy metal contaminated soil. |
