Agricultural soils spiked with copper mine wastes and copper concentrate: Implications for copper bioavailability and bioaccumulation

Abstract

A better understanding of exposure to and effects of copper-rich pollutants in soils is required for accurate environmental risk assessment of copper. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study copper bioavailability and bioaccumulation in agricultural soils spiked with different types of copper-rich mine solid wastes (copper ore, tailing sand, smelter dust, and smelter slag) and copper concentrate. A copper salt (copper sulfate, CuSO4) that frequently is used to assess soil copper bioavailability and phytotoxicity also was included for comparison. Results showed that smelter dust, tailing sand, and CuSO4 are more likely to be bioavailable and, thus, toxic to plants compared with smelter slag, concentrate, and ore at equivalent total copper concentrations. Differences may be explained by intrinsic differences in copper solubilization from the source materials, but also by their capability to decrease soil pH (confounding effect). The copper toxicity and bioaccumulation in plants also varied according to soil physicochemical characteristics (e.g., pH and total organic carbon) and the available levels of plant nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Chemistry/mineralogy of mine materials, soil/pore-water chemistry, and plant physiological status thus should be integrated for building adequate models to predict phytotoxicity and environmental risk of copper.

Efficacy of fresh and air-dried biosolids as amendments for remediation of acidic and metal-polluted soils: A short-term laboratory assay

“…The soil C-had adverse effects on the growth of ryegrass plants, reducing both the shoot biomass production (Figure 1) and the root cover (Figure 2) by 71% and 61%, respectively, when compared to the productivity reached in the soil C+. The same phytotoxicity results have been described for other plant species grown on soils artificially spiked with copper smelter dust (Sauvé et al, 2000;Ginocchio et al, 2006). In general, high metal-toxicity has been found in soils polluted with metal smelter dust, irrespective of the soil type (i.e.…”

Nurse effect and herbivory exclusion facilitate plant colonization in abandoned mine tailings storage facilities in north-central Chile

“…In addition to the human wealth and welfare associated with this activity, it has generated intense environmental degradation through the production of a broad range of hard-rock residues, such as tailing storage facilities, heap leach piles, and smelter dust and slags (Asami 1988, Dudka & Adriano 1997. Abandoned tailing storage facilities (TSFs), for instance, are a potential source of pollution given their high metal concentrations (Badilla-Ohlbaum et al 2001, Frérot et al 2006, Ginocchio et al 2006. Loose tailings particulate matter is easily mobilized by wind, rain, and landslides, altering stream and soil quality, thus posing risks for crops, animal husbandry, wildlife, and human health (Petrisor et al 2004, Mendez & Maier 2008.…”

Interactive Effects of Copper on Alfalfa Growth, Soil Copper, and Soil Bacteria

“…F144), noting total yield, fruit number, dry root weight, and plant height decreased with increasing application rate. Ginocchio et al (2006) showed that above ~ 300 mg Cu kg -1 lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata) yield began to decrease.…”