Long‐term supply and uptake by plants of elements from coal fly ash

Abstract

To assess the mineral composition of plants growing in pure fly ash, grasses growing on lysimeters filled with alkaline, neutral, or acid fly ash were sampled several times in a 6‐year period. The samples were analyzed for elements essential for plants and animals as well as non‐essential, but environmentally significant, trace elements. Grasses were also sampled from ash dumps that were 20 and 30 years old. Fly ash is not a proper source of plant macronutrients N, P, and K. Plant growth on the alkaline fly ash can be influenced for some time by the high salinity of that ash. Grasses growing on unweathered fly ash were found to be high in Al, B, Co, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Se. Concentrations of several elements declined in time but levels of B, Fe, Mo, and Ni were still elevated in grasses on both fly ash dumps. All concentrations, except Al, were lower than toxicity levels for plants as found in literature. In plants growing on fresh fly ash concentrations of Mo, Pb, and Se can exceed the maximum tolerable levels for domestic animals. On weathered fly ashes (ash dumps) the Mo, Pb, and Se concentrations in grasses were below the maximum tolerable levels. Effects on animals by Mo in weathered ash may not be excluded because Mo concentrations can be high enough to induce Cu deficiency. Animals that feed on plants grown on fly ash could suffer from Ca, Mg, Na, and P deficiency.     

Effects of High Rates of Coal Fly Ash on Soil,Turfgrass, and Groundwater Quality

A field study (1993–1996) assessed the effects of applying unusually high rates of coal fly ash as a soil additive forthe turf culture of centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiroides).In addition, the quality of the soil and the underlying groundwater was evaluated. A Latin Square plot design was employed to include 0 (control, no ash applied), 280, 560, and 1120 Mg ha^-1 (mega gram ha^-1, i.e., tonne ha^-1)application rates of unweathered precipitator fly ash. The onceapplied fly ash was rototilled and allowed to weather for 8 months before seeding. Ash application significantly increasedthe concentrations in plant tissue of B, Mo, As, Be, Se, and Bawhile also significantly reducing the concentrations of Mg, Mn,and Zn. The other elements measured (i.e., N, K, Ca, Cu, Fe, Ag,Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, Na, and Al) were not affected. Of these elements Mg, Cu, and Mo concentrations in plant tissue increased with time while B and Se decreased temporally. The diminution of B and Na appears to be related to the leaching ofsoluble salts from ash-treated soils. Of all the elements measured, only Mn produced significant correlation (p = 0.0001) between the tissue and soil extractable concentrations. Ash treatment elevated the soil pH to as high as 6.45 with theenhanced effect occurring primarily in the 0–15 cm depth. Soilsalinity increased with the application rate with the largestincreases occurring in the initial year of application. However,by the second year, most of the soluble salts had already leachedfrom the treatment zone into deeper depths, and by the fourthyear, these salts had completely disappeared from the profile.The chemical composition of the underlying groundwater was notadversely impacted by the ash application. Plant tissue and groundwater data however, indicate that much higher rates of fly ash can be used on this type of land use where the plant species is tolerant of soil salinity and does not appear tobioaccumulate potentially toxic trace elements.     

Assessing Trace Element Uptake by Vegetation on a Coal Fly Ash Landfill

Improved methods are required to assess the risks posed by the uptake of potentially toxic elements such as selenium (Se), boron (B), and molybdenum (Mo) by vegetation on contaminated sites. In order to develop such methods and assess risk, vegetation was collected from two sites on a soil-capped coal fly ash landfill near Dunkirk, New York, during June of 1991 and June and August of 1992. The mean concentrations (μg g-1 dry weight) of Se and Mo in the shoots did not exceed, respectively, 0.12 and 18.7 in bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), 0.06 and 12.1 in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), 0.07 and 5.3 in timothy (Phleum pratense L.), and 0.09 and 2.2 in a mixture of grasses. These concentrations were greater than those in the same species harvested concurrently from a non-landfill site. The mean concentrations of B at the landfill ranged from 29 to 53 μg g-1 in the legumes and from 2 to 11 μg g-1 in the grasses, less than those at one non-landfill site but greater than those at another. Within the landfill, the concentration of Se in grasses was not correlated with the concentration of Se in soil and fly ash. The concentration of Se in grasses on both landfill sites was double that of grasses on the non-landfill site despite higher mean concentrations of Se in the upper soil (0–15 cm) on the non-landfill site. Therefore grass roots seem to be accessing Se from the ash by means of mass flow or other mechanisms. Based on our findings of significant variation in trace element uptake among species, harvests, and locations within sites, we recommend that contemporaneous transect sampling of at least two species be used to assess uptake of potentially toxic trace elements on landfills or other sites where contamination may occur.     

Collembola of pulverised fuel ash sites in east London

Collembola were extracted from surface layers of four lagoons in east London (UK) of the industrial waste pulverised fuel ash (PFA). One lagoon was subject to seasonal inundation, while the other lagoons were dry, and ranged from 4 to 40 years. Twenty-one species were recorded, with both species richness and community diversity increasing steadily with site age. Early successional species were primarily epi-edaphic, while eu-edaphic species were largely confined to the woodland phase of the succession. The first axis of a canonical correspondence analysis detected the difference between early and late stage sites, while the second axis separated out the wet lagoon community from the dry sites. The data include the first record of Isotoma riparia Nicolet for the UK.     

Evaluation of functional diversity in rhizobacterial taxa of a wild grass (Saccharum ravennae) colonizing abandoned fly ash dumps in Delhi urban ecosystem

Metal rich fly ash dumps may serve as repository of ecologically useful multi-functional rhizobacteria having potential use in the development of vegetation at the dumps. Therefore, in the present study bacteria from the rhizosphere of a wild perennial grass colonizing Indraprastha and Badarpur fly ash dumps of Delhi region were purified, identified and functionally characterized. The fly ash had low levels of nutrients, moisture and organic matter coupled with toxic levels of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn). Both the dumps were mostly barren except for a few patches of Saccharum ravennae and some weedy species. Sixty five dominant, morphologically distinct rhizobacteria were purified, which belonged to 18 genera and 38 species. Gram-positive bacteria were dominating in the fly ash environment. Bacillus spp. and Paenibacillus spp. were common at both the dumps. Multi-metal tolerance was shown by diverse bacterial taxa. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was highest for As (12.5-20.0 mM) and Pb (7.5-10.0 mM), although many rhizobacteria also possessed significant tolerance to Cr, Zn, Ni, Cu, Co and Cd. The tolerance profiles of rhizobacteria to different metals may be ranked in the decreasing order as As > Pb > Cr > Zn > Ni > Cu > Co > Cd > Hg. Majority of rhizobacteria showed good siderophore activity. Multiple-metal tolerance was also coupled with high siderophore production in some of the isolates (Microbacterium barkeri IPSr74, Serratia marcescens IPSr90 and IPSr82, Enterococcus casseliflavus BPSr32, Bacillus sp. IPSr80, Pseudomonas aeruginosa BPSr43 and Brochothrix campestris BPSr3). Most of the bacteria could grow on nitrogen-deficient medium. However, the dominant nitrogen-fixers reported from the rhizosphere of other Saccharum species were not detected. S. marcescens IPSr90 was the only rhizobacterium, which showed ACC-deaminase (ACCD) activity. Proportion of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria was high. Considerable improvement in the seedling establishment, plant weight and shoot length in rhizobacterial inoculated plants of S. ravennae in fly ash environment indicated the significance of rhizobacteria in its colonization and spread to the dumps. Representative rhizobacteria, with high MIC (for most of the metals) and good plant growth promoting (PGP) traits comparable to commercially useful bacterial inoculants were identified as S. marcescens IPSr82 and IPSr90, P. aeruginosa BPSr43, Paenibacillus larvae BPSr106, Arthrobacter ureafaciens BPSr55, Paenibacillus azotofixans BPSr107 and E. casseliflavus BPSr32. S. ravennae and some of these rhizobacteria may be potentially useful for the development of inoculation technologies for conversion of barren fly ash dumps into ecologically and economically productive habitats.     

Colonization of buried cotton stems by microarthropods

Initial colonization of cotton stems by microarthropods proceeded more rapidly while buried in soil under laboratory conditions (20–23°C) than while buried in the field during the winter months when soil temperatures ranged from 5–10°C in the study area in the San Joaquin Valley of California. While 15 species were found frequently in cotton stems held in the laboratory for 20 weeks, only seven species were found in field buried stems. Arthropods found under both conditions were a species of pyemotid mite; an astigmatid mite, Tyrophagus dimidiatus; two collembolans, Proisotoma minuta and Tullbergia sp.; and a sciarid fly larval stage, Bradysia impatiens. Even though the soils at teh field sites possessed a number of microarthropods in common, the stem colonization at each site was restricted to a single group which differed from each of the other sites. Microenvironments affect stem colonization patterns by microarthropods but microarthropods did not appear to have a significant influence on early cotton stem decomposition rates nor was there evidence that their activities reduced Verticillium microsclerotia populations.     

Effect of fly ash extract on growth and development of corn and soybean seedlings

Different concentrations of aqueous extract of fly ash were prepared by soaking air dried fly ash and mixing thoroughly with an electric blender. Extracts were then applied to the seeds of corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) after being filtered through a Whatman No. 42 filter paper. Fly ash extract in the lower concentration range of 0.5 to 1.0% (W/V) had no significant effect on germination and seedling growth of each of the two crops. Higher concentrations of fly ash extracts, however, had deleterious effects on the percentage of germination, viability, number of roots, shoot and root length, fresh weight and dry weight of seedlings of both the crops. The elemental concentrations in shoot and root systems of control seedlings of corn and soybean were found to be the same, whereas in the extract treated corn and soybean seedlings, a relatively high elemental concentration was found in roots as compared to shoots.     

不同复垦时间的粉煤灰充填复垦土壤重金属污染与评价

为了解粉煤灰充填复垦土壤重金属污染情况，通过实地试验与现场采样化验相结合的方法，对复垦时间不同的粉煤灰复垦土壤里砷(As)、镉(Cd)、铬(Cr)、汞(Hg)、铅(Pb)、铜(Cu)、硒(Se)、锌(Zn)、、镍(Ni)和氟(F)等重金属和微量元素含量的时空变异性进行了研究。结果发现：以土壤本底值作为评价标准时，粉煤灰充填复垦土壤整体处于受污染状态。其中，表层复垦土壤受到Cd、Se、Zn、F 4种元素污染较重；粉煤灰充填复垦土壤适合旱作，不适合用作水田；随着复垦时间的增加，表层复垦土壤的污染指数呈递增趋势。     

Changes in Thermophilic Bacteria Population and Diversity during Composting of Coal Fly Ash and Sewage Sludge

The thermophilic bacteria in compost made from coal flyash-amended sewage sludge were isolated and identified using theBiolog system to investigate the effect of coal fly ash on thethermophilic decomposition of sewage sludge during composting. Atotal of 8 species of Bacillus were isolated from thecompost and Bacillus brevis was the dominant speciesduring the entire composting process. The present resultsdemonstrate that the Biolog system is a fast and simple methodfor identifying bacterial species in compost, provided thatoptimum conditions could be achieved for the Bacillusculture. Adding coal fly ash as an amendment did not change thedominant bacteria species during composting, but decreased thepopulation and diversity of thermophilic bacteria species due tothe high alkalinity and salinity. Fewer thermophilic bacteriawere detected in ash-amended sewage sludge compost than insludge compost. There was also reduced metabolic activityobserved in the ash-amended sludge compost from the data ofCO₂ evolution and weight loss. Although ash amendmentdemonstrated a negative effect on the population and diversityduring thermophilic phase, it did not cause any significanteffect on compost maturity.     

A Seasonal Assessment of the Impact of Coal Fly Ash Disposal on the River Yamuna,Delhi. I. Chemistry

The impact of fly ash on the chemistry of the River Yamuna was studied. By-products from a 200 MW capacity I.P. thermal power station on the west bank of the River Yamuna, Delhi are largely from coal combustion (fly ash) and are disposed of as a slurry to off-site ash ponds. Many elements associated with fly ash are soluble and become available to the biota. A two-year survey was made of the seasonal variations in limnochemical features in the non-impacted and the impacted segments of the river receiving fly ash effluent and the ash treatment ponds. Conductivity, TDS, DO, hardness, sulphate and nitrate increased significantly in the receiving waters over background values. The reverse was noticed for free CO₂, alkalinity and phosphate. Changes in some other parameters were insignificant. Fly ash effluents from the ash ponds significantly increased the concentration of some elements, viz., Al, Sb, Bi, Cd, Cr, Co, Li, Mn, Mo, K, Si, and Zn in river water. Generally, the highest concentration of most parameters were recorded in the ash ponds. This investigation was helpful in assessing the effect of wet ash disposal on the river limnology and understanding the solubility of various elements in the ash ponds.     

Environmental fate of mercury discharged into the upper Wisconsin river

We studied the distribution of Hg in sediments, fish, and crayfish in a 60 km reach of the Upper Wisconsin River that formerly received Hg in discharges from pulp and paper mills. The most heavily contaminated strata of sediments were deposited during the 1950s and early 1960s and buried under subsequent deposits; however, surficial sediments remained substantially enriched at certain sites in 1981. Median concentrations of Hg in surficial sediments, adjusted for grain size, were at least 10-fold greater at the main study area than at an upstream reference site. Total concentrations exceeded 1.0 μg g^?1 wet weight in axial muscle tissue in only 2 of 173 fish analyzed from the study area; however, historical comparisons revealed that Hg contamination of fish (common carp Cyprinus carpio and walleye Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) and crayfish (Orconectes) in the river had not decreased since the early 1970s. The availability of Hg to biota in this system may be enhanced by rapid methylation of the metal in surficial sediments, despite burial of the most heavily contaminated sediments. Management practices for this river should be designed to prevent conditions favoring mobilization and methylation of Hg in sediments.     

Reduction in CO2 emission from normal and saline soils amended with coal fly ash

Purpose

Fly ash can reduce CO₂ emission from soils via biochemical (i.e., inhibition of microbial activity) and physicochemical (i.e., carbonation) mechanisms. This study investigated the effects of fly ash amendment on biochemical and physicochemical reduction in CO₂ emission from normal and saline soils.

Materials and methods

The physicochemical mechanisms of reduction in CO₂ emission by fly ash were estimated in a batch experiment with carbonate solution as a CO₂ source by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and inductively coupled plasma analyses. Biochemical mechanisms of reduction in CO₂ emission by fly ash were investigated in a 3-day laboratory incubation experiment with normal and saline soils in the absence and presence of fly ash. Finally, the effects of fly ash amendment at a variety rate from 2 to 15?% (w/w) on CO₂ emission from normal and saline soils in the presence of additional organic carbon source (glucose) were investigated through a 15-day laboratory incubation study.

Results and discussion

In the batch experiment with carbonate solution, both the SEM image of fly ash and changes in soluble Ca and Mg concentrations during reaction with carbonate suggested that the formation of CaCO₃ and MgCO₃ via carbonation was the principal physicochemical mechanism of carbonate removal by fly ash. In the 3-day incubation study conducted to examine biochemical mechanisms of reduction in CO₂ emission by fly ash, microbial respiration of saline soil was inhibited (P?<?0.05) by fly ash due to high pH, salinity, and boron concentration of fly ash; meanwhile, for normal soil, there was no inhibitory effect of fly ash on microbial respiration. In the 15-day incubation with glucose, fly ash application at a variety rates from 2 to 15?% (w/w) reduced CO₂ emission by 3.6 to 21.4?% for normal and by 19.8 to 30.3?% for saline soil compared to the control without fly ash. For saline soil, the reduction in CO₂ emission was attributed primarily to inhibition of microbial respiration by fly ash; however, for normal soil in which suppression of microbial respiration by fly ash was not apparent, carbonation was believed to play an important role in reduction of CO₂ emission.

Conclusions

Therefore, fly ash may be helpful in reducing CO₂ emission from normal soils via carbonation. For saline soil, however, fly ash needs to be carefully considered as a soil amendment to reduce CO₂ emission as it can inhibit soil microbial activities and thus degrade soil quality.     

Emission Factors of Cement Industry in Turkey

The levels of Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, S,Se and Zn in the terrestrial mosses Scleropodium purumand Hypnum cupressiforme, collected from 75 samplingsites in Galicia (NW Spain), were determined. Using thesedata, four statistical methods of estimating backgroundlevels were then compared: one based on the use ofmultifactorial analysis, another that uses modal analysis, athird based on analysis of cumulative frequency curves, andthe last, which involves identifying groups of data with acovariance close to 60%. The first method was discountedbecause of difficulties in interpretation of the resultingdata. Very different estimates of background levels ofelements were obtained depending on which of the remainingmethods was used, and modal analysis was finally chosen asthe most suitable. Background levels varied depending on themoss species used and the levels of Al, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni,Pb and Se in the two species were significantly different(p < 0.001). It was found that the dominant lithology in thesampling area had no influence on the estimated background levels.     

Digestion Activity of Thermophilic Bacteria Isolated from Ash-Amended Sewage Sludge Compost

Previous experiments had shown thatco-composting sewage sludge with coal fly ash resultedin a decrease in microbial activity during thethermophilic phase. Therefore, attempts were made toutilize isolated dominant thermophilic bacteria fromash-amended sludge compost to enhance thedecomposition of organic matter in digestion testsinvolving mixtures of sewage sludge and coal fly ash.Cultures of three Bacillus species, i.e., B. brevis, B. coagulans, and B.licheniformis were inoculated into sewage sludgeamended with 25% coal fly ash at cell densitiesranging from 10⁵ to 10⁷ CFU g^-1 drysludge, and were incubated for 10 days in aqueoussuspension. The digestion test showed that aninoculation level of ≥10⁶ CFU g^-1dry sludge was suitable for achieving an acceptablerate of digestion of ash-sludge mixture, as indicatedby the significantly higher evolution of CO₂compared to the control receiving no inoculation.Weight loss and contents of soluble organic carbon,protein, and amino acids were lower in ash-sludgemixture with bacterial inoculation. Hence, all thethree bacilli were able to decompose the organicmatter in ash-sludge mixture faster than that of thecontrol. Among the three bacilli, B. brevis wasless efficient in decomposing the organic matter inthe ash-sludge mixture than the other two bacilli atan inoculation rate of 10⁶ CFU g^-1 drysludge, but no significant difference was noted amongthe three bacilli at an inoculation rate of 10⁷CFU g^-1 dry sludge. It can be concluded that thethree bacilli all exhibited the ability to improve thedecomposition of organic matter in ash-sludge compost.     

Microbial activities in forest soils exposed to chronic depositions from a lignite power plant

Atmospheric emissions of fly ash and SO₂ from lignite-fired power plants strongly affect large forest areas in Germany. The impact of different deposition loads on the microbial biomass and enzyme activities was studied at three forest sites (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) along an emission gradient of 3, 6, and 15 km downwind of a coal-fired power plant (sites Ia, II, and III, respectively), representing high, moderate and low emission rates. An additional site (site Ib) at a distance of 3 km from the power plant was chosen to study the influence of forest type on microbial parameters in coniferous forest soils under fly ash and SO₂ emissions. Soil microbial biomass C and N, CO₂ evolved and activities of l-asparaginase, l-glutaminase, β -glucosidase, acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase (expressed on dry soil and organic C basis) were determined in the forest floor (L, Of and Oh horizon) and mineral top soil (0-10 cm). The emission-induced increases in ferromagnetic susceptibility, soil pH, concentrations of mobile (NH₄NO₃ extractable) Cd, Cr, and Ni, effective cation exchange capacity and base saturation in the humus layer along the 15 km long transect significantly (P<0.05) reflected the effect of past depositions of alkaline fly ash. Soil microbial and biochemical parameters were significantly (P<0.05) affected by chronic fly ash depositions. The effect of forest type (i.e. comparison of sites Ia and Ib) on the studied parameters was generally dominated by the deposition effect. Alkaline depositions significantly (P<0.05) decreased the microbial biomass C and N, microbial biomass C-to-N ratios and microbial biomass C-to-organic C ratios. Microbial respiration, metabolic quotient (qCO₂) and the activities of l-asparaginase, l-glutaminase, β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase were increased by long-term depositions from the power plants. Acid phosphatase had the highest specific (enzyme activities expressed per unit organic C) activity values among the enzymes studied and arylsulfatase the lowest. The responses of the microbial biomass and soil respiration data to different atmospheric deposition loads were mainly controlled by the content of organic C and cation exchange capacity, while those of enzyme activities were governed by the soil pH and concentrations of mobile heavy metals. We concluded that chronic fly ash depositions decrease litter decomposition by influencing specific microbial and enzymatic processes in forest soils.     

Gypsum Application Reduces Selenium Uptake by Vegetation on a Coal Ash Landfill

Selenium, a potentially toxic trace element, is present in coal fly ash and is accumulated by plants growing on ash landfills. Application of gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O) can reduce Se accumulation. The persistence of this effect and the efficacy of repeated gypsum applications were investigated in forbs and grasses on a soil-capped, fly ash landfill near Lansing, New York. Gypsum was applied as a top-dressing at a rate of 0 or 11.2 t ha-1 in 1990 to three plots, and one-half of each of these plots received an additional top dressing of gypsum at 11.2 t ha-1 in 1991, producing four treatments – no gypsum, gypsum only in 1990, gypsum only in 1991, and gypsum in both years. Vegetation was harvested in July and October of 1991 and in July of 1992 and analyzed for Se, S, and Ca. Application of gypsum: (1) decreased Se accumulation by forbs and grasses harvested later in the season; (2) decreased Se accumulation in a subsequent year; (3) produced no further decrease when reapplied in a second year; and (4) did not decrease Se accumulation two years after a single application. The decrease in Se accumulation was not due to dilution caused by S fertilization. Variation in Se accumulation was not explained by variation in the pH and Se concentration of the soil and ash.     

Western Australian fly ash on sandy soils for clover production

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the value of fly ash collected from flue gases of the Kwinana coal fired power station in Western Australia, as an amendment for sandy soils and as a replacement for phosphorus or potassium fertilizers. The results showed large increases in clover dry matter production (49% to 278%), attributed to improvements in nutrient and water retention from the fly ash. The fly ash provided a substantial amount of the phosphorus needed by the clover, although application of phosphorus fertilizer further increased dry matter production in the presence of fly ash. No evidence was obtained from plant growth or tissue analysis that the fly ash provided potassium to the pasture. The maximum yield was achieved when 501 ha^‐1 of fly ash was applied to the soil. However, only 10 to 401 ha^‐1 was required to achieve 75 to 90% of the maximum production. Although a statistically significant increase in cadmium and mercury concentration could be attributed to fly ash, the increase was small and within the range of natural variation of levels found at the sites.     

Promotion of mycorrhiza formation and growth of willows by the bacterial strain <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphingomonas</Emphasis> sp. 23L on fly ash

Re-vegetation of fly ash, the principal by-product of coal fired power stations, is hampered by its unfavourable chemical and physical properties for plant growth. In the present study, we evaluated the use of inoculation with a mycorrhiza-associated bacterial strain (Sphingomonas sp. 23L) to promote mycorrhiza formation and plant growth of three willow clones (Salix spp.) on fly ash from an over-burdened dump in a pot experiment. The high pH_H2O (8.7) and low nitrogen content (N_t = 0.1 g kg⁻¹) in combination with hydrophobicity of the particle surfaces caused low plant growth. Inoculation of the willows with Sphingomonas sp. 23L improved the nitrogen uptake by plants, increased plant growth and stimulated formation of ectomycorrhizae with an autochthonous Geopora sp. strain on all three willow clones. The ectomycorrhiza formed by the Geopora sp. was morphologically and anatomically described. The inoculation significantly increased the shoot growth of two Salix viminalis clones and the root growth of a S. viminalis x caprea hybrid clone. We conclude that inoculation with mycorrhiza promoting bacterial strains might be a suitable approach to support mycorrhiza formation with autochtonous site-adapted ectomycorrhizal fungi in fly ash and thereby to improve re-vegetation of fly ash landfills with willows.     

Some effects of fly ash (from coal burning) on bush bean plants grown in solution culture

Abstract

Bush bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L. C. V. Improved Tendergreen) were grown for 14 days in 3700‐ml solution cultures with varying application rates of fly ash from a coal burning plant in California. Plants were also grown in a solution culture experiment in the presence of tiie chelating agent DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) and also in solutions acidified with HCl. The latter treatments were to determine if metals in the fly ash could be made more available to plants. The higher levels of fly ash (5 to 10 g/3700 ml) resulted in increased Ca, B, Si, Sr, and Ba in leaves, stems, and roots. No plants, however, appeared to have an excess of trace metals. In another experiment DTPA and HCl amendments failed to increase greatly the availability of trace metals from the fly ash in solution culture except for Zn. In this experiment the fly ash was the sole source of Ca and plants were deficient in Ca because insufficient fly ash was added. The fly ash resulted in increased Zn, Ca, Fe, Mn, B, Al, Si, Ti, Mo, Li, Sr, Ba in leaves, stems, and roots and increased V, Co, and Ni in roots. There was 3 to 4 μg/g Sn and 0.6 μg/g Be in the roots of plants grown with fly ash. In another experiment, fly ash supplied all the Ca necessary for plant growth without decreased yields resulting from any trace metal.     

A comprehensive system of leaf analyses and its use for diagnosing crop nutrient status

Abstract

A comprehensive system for the determination of N,‐ P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, B, Cu, Fe, Zn, S, and F in plant tissue is presented. A wet ash procedure using sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide permits determination of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, B, Cu, Fe, Zn in one digest. S and F are determined in solutions of separate dry ashings.

The use of leaf analyses and its limitations are discussed.