根迹土壤根诱导的化学变化对植物吸收重金属的影响

It is increasingly recognized that metal bioavailability is a better indicator of the potential for phytoremediation than the total metal concentration in soils; therefore, an understanding of the inffuence of phytoremediation plants on metal dynamics at the soil-root interface is increasingly vital for the successful implementation of this remediation technique. In this study, we investigated the heavy metal and soil solution chemical changes at field moisture, after growth of either Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) or sunffower (Helianthus annuus L.), in long-term contaminated soils and the subsequent metal uptake by the selected plants. In addition, the fractions of free metal ions in soil solution were determined using the Donnan membrane technique. After plant growth soil solution pH increased by 0.2-1.4 units and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) increased by 1-99 mg L^-1 in all soils examined. Soluble Cd and Zn decreased after Indian mustard growth in all soils examined, and this was attributed to increases in soil solution pH (by 0.9 units) after plant growth. Concentrations of soluble Cu and Pb decreased in acidic soils but increased in alkaline soils. This discrepancy was likely due to a competitive effect between plant-induced pH and DOC changes on the magnitude of metal solubility. The fractions of free Cd and Zn ranged from 7.2% to 32% and 6.4% to 73%, respectively, and they generally decreased as pH and DOC increased after plant growth. Metal uptake by plants was dependant on the soil solution metal concentration, which was governed by changes in pH and DOC induced by plant exudates, rather than on the total metal concentrations. Although plant uptake also varied with metal and soil types, overall soluble metal concentrations in the rhizosphere were mainly inffuenced by root-induced changes in pH and DOC which subsequently affected the metal uptake by plants.     

通过施用碱性矿渣和作物残茬生物炭以促进酸性老成土中盐基饱并降低土壤酸度

This investigation was conducted by using alkaline slag and crop straw biochars to reduce acidity of an acidic Ultisol through incubation and pot experiments with lime as a comparison. The soil was amended with different liming materials： lime（1 g kg^-1）,alkaline slag（2 and 4 g kg^-1）, peanut straw biochar（10 and 20 g kg^-1）, canola straw biochar（10 and 20 g kg^-1） and combinations of alkaline slag（2 g kg^-1） and biochars（10 g kg^-1） in the incubation study. A pot experiment was also conducted to observe the soybean growth responses to the above treatments. The results showed that all the liming materials increased soil p H and decreased soil exchangeable acidity. The higher the rates of alkaline slag, biochars, and alkaline slag combined with biochars, the greater the increase in soil p H and the reduction in soil exchangeable acidity. All the amendments increased the levels of one or more soil exchangeable base cations. The lime treatment increased soil exchangeable Ca^2＋, the alkaline slag treatment increased exchangeable Ca^2＋ and Mg^2＋ levels, and the biochars and combined applications of alkaline slag with biochars increased soil exchangeable Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋ and K^＋ and soil available P. The amendments enhanced the uptake of one or more nutrients of N, P, K, Ca and Mg by soybean in the pot experiment. Of the different amendments, the combined application of alkaline slag with crop straw biochars was the best choice for increasing base saturation and reducing soil acidity of the acidic Ultisol. The combined application of alkaline slag with biochars led to the greatest reduction in soil acidity, increased soil Ca, Mg, K and P levels, and enhanced the uptake of Ca, Mg, K and P by soybean plants.     

半干旱土添加有机改良剂后有机质的化学结构变化

A 9-month incubation experiment using composted and non-composted amendments derived from vine pruning waste and sewage sludge was carried out to study the effects of the nature and stability of organic amendments on the structural composition of organic matter (OM) in a semi-arid soil.The changes of soil OM,both in the whole soil and in the extractable carbon with pyrophosphate,were evaluated by pyrolysis-gas chromatography and chemical analyses.By the end of the experiment,the soils amended with pruning waste exhibited less organic carbon loss than those receiving sewage sludge.The non-composted residues increased the aliphatic-pyrolytic products of the OM,both in the whole soil and also in the pyrophosphate extract,with the products derived from peptides and proteins being significantly higher.After 9 months,in the soils amended with pruning waste the relative abundance of phenolic-pyrolytic products derived from phenolic compounds,lignin and proteins in the whole soil tended to increase more than those in the soils amended with sewage sludge.However,the extractable OM with pyrophosphate in the soils amended with composted residues tended to have higher contents of these phenolic-pyrolytic products than that in non-composted ones.Thus,despite the stability of pruning waste,the composting of this material promoted the incorporation of phenolic compounds to the soil OM.The pyrolytic indices (furfural/pyrrole and aliphatic/aromatic ratios) showed the diminution of aliphatic compounds and the increase of aromatic compounds,indicating the stabilization of the OM in the amended soils after 9 months.In conclusion,the changes of soil OM depend on the nature and stability of the organic amendments,with composted vine pruning waste favouring humification.     

协助自然修复微量元素污染酸性土壤研究：8年田间试验

There are many remediation techniques for organic contaminated soils,but relatively few of them are applicable to trace elementcontaminated soils.A field experiment was carried out to investigate assisted natural remediation（ANR） of an acid soil contaminated by As,Cd,Cu,Zn and Pb using one inorganic amendment,sugar beet lime（SL）,and two organic amendments,biosolid compost（BC）and leonardeite（LE）.The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized block design with four treatments in three replicates:1) a non-amended control（NA）;2) SL amended at 30 Mg ha^-1 year^-1;3) BC amended at 30 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 and 4) LE amended at 20 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 plus SL amended at 10 Mg ha^-1 year^-1（LESL）.The amended plots received two doses of each amendment（DO2）:one in October 2002 and another in October 2003.The plots were then divided in half into two subpolts and one subplot received another two doses of the same amendments（DO4） in October 2005 and October 2006.In 2011,the pH values of the amended soils were greater than that of the NA soil,with the SL-amended soil showing the highest pH.Total organic carbon（TOC） was also greater in the amended soil,and greater with DO4 than with DO2.Amendments reduced the concentrations of 0.01 mol L^-1 CaCl₂-extractable Cd,Cu and Zn,especially in the SL-amended soil.Plant cover of colonizing vegetation was enhanced by amendments,but was independent of amendment doses.Changes in soil properties from 2003 to 2011 showed that the first amendment application of DO2 caused a high differentiation between all the amendment treatments and the NA treatment.After the second application of DO2,soil pH and TOC continued increasing slowly.Further two applications of amendments（DO4） caused differences only in the organic treatments.Plant cover increased over time in all the treatments including NA.It could be concluded that the slow and steady natural remediation of this soil could be enhanced by amendment application（ANR）.     

堆肥缓解土壤镉的植物毒性: 对白菜生长的影响

The growth performance of pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) in relation to soil cadmium (Cd) fractionations was investigated to evaluate the remediating effect of poultry manure compost on Cd-contaminated soil. A yellow-brown soil (Alfisol) treated with various levels of Cd (0–50 mg Cd kg-1 soil) was amended with increasing amounts of compost from 0 to 120 g kg-1 . Compost application transformed 47.8%–69.8% of soluble/exchangeable Cd to the organic-bound fraction, and consequently decreased Cd uptake of pakchoi by 56.2%–62.5% as compared with unamended soil. Alleviation of Cd bioavailability by compost was attributed primarily to the increase of soil pH and complexation of Cd by organic matter including dissolved organic matter. In general, the improvement of pakchoi performance was more pronounced in higher Cd-contaminated soil. Addition of large amount of compost also favored the anti-oxidative capability of pakchoi against Cd toxicity. This low cost remediation method seems to be very effective in the restoration of Cd-contaminated soils.     

植物修复金属污染土壤上丛枝菌根真菌与植物之间的交互作用

Metal contamination in the environment is a global concern due to its high toxicity to living organisms and its worldwide distribution.The principal goal of this review is to examine the current strategies and technologies for the remediation of metalcontaminated soils by metal-accumulating plants and assess the roles of arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)fungi in remediation of soils under hyperaccumulator or non-accumulator plants.The use of plants to remove metals from the environment or reduce the toxicity,known as phytoremediation,is an environmentally sustainable and low cost remediation technology.The mechanisms of the use of hyperaccumulator plants for phytoremediation included solubilization of the metal in the soil matrix,the plant uptake of the metal,detoxification/chelation and sequestration,and volatilization.Recently,some ecologists have found that phytoremediation with the aids of mycorrhizae can enhance efciency in the removal of toxic metals.AM fungi can facilitate the survival of their host plants growing on metal-contaminated land by enhancing their nutrient acquisition,protecting them from the metal toxicity,absorbing metals,and also enhancing phytostabilization and phytoextraction.Such information may be useful for developing phytoremediation program at metal-contaminated sites.     

施用碱稳定固体的酸性土壤的Cu和Zn的形态分布

Fractionation of metals in a granite-derived acid sandy loam soil amended with alkaline-stabilised sewagesIudge biosolids was conducted in order to assess metal bioavailability and environmental mobility soil solution was extracted by a centrifugation and filtration technique. Metal speciation in the soil solution wasdetermined by a cation exchange resin method. Acetic acid and EDTA extracting solutions were used forextraction of metals in soil solid surfaces. Metal distribution in different fractions of soil solid phase was determined using a three-step sequential extraction scheme. The results show that the metals in the soilsolution existed in different fractions with variable lability and metals in the soil solid phase were also presentin various chemical forms with potentially different bioavail ability and environmental mobility Alkaline-stabilised biosolids could elevate solubility of Cu and proportion of Cu in organically complexed fractionsboth in soil liquid and solid phases, and may therefore increase Cu mobility. In contrast, the biosolids lowered the concentrations of water-soluble Zn (labile fraction) and exchangeable Zn and may hence decrease bioavailability and mobility of Zn. However, Fe and Mn oxides bound and organic matter bound fractions are likely to be Zn pools in the sludge-amended soil. These consequences possibly result from the liming effect and metal speciation of the sludge product and the difference in the chemistry between the metals in soil.     

工业副产品改良土壤酸度和铝毒的潜力

It is imperative to choose some low cost, available and effective ameliorants to correct soil acidity in southern China for sustainable agriculture. The present investigation dealt with the possible role of industrial byproducts, i. e., coal fly ash (CFA), alkaline slag (AS), red mud (RM) and phosphogypsum (PG) in correcting acidity and aluminum (Al) toxicity of soils under tea plantation using an indoor incubation experiment. Results indicated that CFA, AS and RM increased soil pH, while PG decreased the pHs of an Ultisol and an Alfisol. The increment of soil pH followed the order of RM > AS > CFA. All the industrial byproducts invariably decreased exchangeable Al and hence increased exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and Na and effective cation exchange capacity. RM, AS and lime decreased total soluble Al, exchangeable Al and organically bound Al. Formation and retention of hydroxyl-Al polymers were the principal mechanism through which Al phytotoxicity was alleviated by application of these amendments. In addition, the heavy metal contents in the four industrial byproducts constituted a limited environmental hazard in a short time at the rates normally used in agriculture. Therefore, the short-term use of the byproducts, especially AS and RM, as amendments for soil acidity and Al toxicity in acid soils may be a potential alternative to the traditional use of mined gypsum and lime.     

Effects of Organic Amendments on Soil Physical Attributes and Aggregate-Associated Phosphorus Under Long-Term Rice-Wheat Cropping

The quantification of phosphorus(P) in bulk soil and P distribution in different size fractions of water-stable aggregates(WSAs)are important for assessing potential P loss through runoff. We evaluated available and total P distribution within WSAs of a sitty clay to clay soil in a long-term fertility experiment of a rice-wheat cropping system in India. Surface soil samples were collected from seven plots amended with NPK fertilizers in combination with or without organic amendments, farmyard manure(FYM), green manure(GM), and paddy straw(PS). The plot with no NPK fertilizers or organic amendments was set as a control. The soil samples were separated by wet sieving into four soil aggregate size fractions: large macroaggregates( 2.0 mm), small macroaggregates(0.25–2.0 mm), fine microaggregates(0.05–0.25 mm), and a silt + clay-sized fraction( 0.05 mm). Structural indices were higher in the soil receiving organic amendments than in the soil receiving inorganic fertilizer alone. Organically amended soil had a higher proportion of stable macroaggregates than the control and the soil receiving inorganic fertilizer alone, which were rich in microaggregates. Total and available P contents within WSAs were inversely related to the aggregate size, irrespective of treatment. The distribution of available and total P in the soil aggregate size fraction was as follows: silt + clay-size fraction small macroaggregates fine microaggregates large macroaggregates. Within a size class, aggregate-associated available and total P contents in the organically amended soil were in the following order: FYM PS ≥ GM. The available P content of the microaggregates( 0.25 mm) was 8-to 10-times higher than that of the macroaggregates( 0.25 mm), and the total P content of the microaggregates was 4-to 5-times higher than that of the macroaggregates. Cultivation without organic amendments resulted in more microaggregates that could be checked by the application of organic amendments such as FYM and GM, which increased the proportion of water-stable macroaggregates by consolidating microaggregates into macroaggregates.     

基于小白菜Cd吸收推算土壤Cd安全阈值

Cadmium(Cd), a common toxic heavy metal in soil, has relatively high bioavailability, which seriously threatens agricultural products. In this study, 8 different soils with contrasting soil properties were collected from different regions in China to investigate the Cd transfer coefficient from soil to Chinese cabbage(Brassica chinensis L.) and the threshold levels of Cd in soils for production of Chinese cabbage according to the food safety standard for Cd. Exogenous Cd(0–4 mg kg~(-1)) was added to the soils and equilibrated for 2 weeks before Chinese cabbage was grown under greenhouse conditions. The influence of soil properties on the relationship between soil and cabbage Cd concentrations was investigated. The results showed that Cd concentration in the edible part of Chinese cabbage increased linearly with soil Cd concentration in 5 soils, but showed a curvilinear pattern with a plateau at the highest dose of exogenous Cd in the other 3 soils. The Cd transfer coefficient from soil to plant varied significantly among the different soils and decreased with increasing soil p H from 4.7 to 7.5. However, further increase in soil pH to 8.0 resulted in a significant decrease in the Cd transfer coefficient. According to the measured Cd transfer coefficient and by reference to the National Food Safety Standards of China, the safety threshold of Cd concentration in soil was predicted to be between 0.12 and 1.7 mg kg~(-1) for the tested soils. The predicted threshold values were higher than the current soil quality standard for Cd in 5 soils, but lower than the standard in the other 3 soils. Regression analysis showed a significant positive relationship between the predicted soil Cd safety threshold value and soil p H in combination with soil organic matter or clay content.     

土壤钝化剂对黑土中铜的原位固定作用

采用盆栽试验研究3种钝化剂(粉煤灰、磷灰石和膨润土)对黑土中铜(Cu)的化学形态、生物积累和有效性的影响。结果表明:3种钝化剂能显著降低Cu污染黑土中水提取态(DW)、TCLP提取态和二乙基三胺五乙酸-三乙醇胺(DTPA-TEA)提取态Cu含量,其中以膨润土的效果最为明显;Tessier连续提取测定发现,3种钝化剂显著降低非残留态Cu(水溶态和交换态、碳酸盐结合态、铁锰氧化物结合态和有机结合态)含量(p<0.01),增加残留态Cu含量,表明3种钝化剂通过改变黑土中Cu的化学形态,降低了黑土中Cu的可淋失性和生物有效性;与对照相比,添加钝化剂能显著降低水稻地上部分的Cu含量(p<0.01),如在400Cu mg/kg处理的土壤上,添加2.5%的粉煤灰、磷灰石和膨润土使米粉中的Cu含量分别降低21.8%,22.7%和31.9%。土壤中可淋失态和生物有效态Cu的分析表明,钝化剂主要是通过改变土壤中Cu的化学形态,降低土壤中Cu的生物有效性,以降低Cu在水稻中的积累;试验表明,Cu污染土壤中施用钝化剂可以修复Cu污染,降低水稻Cu污染风险。     

Reducing Bioavailability and Leachability of Copper in Soils using Coal Fly Ash,Apatite, and Bentonite

Soils treated with two concentrations of copper (Cu; 200 and 400 mg kg^?1) were amended with three amendments (coal fly ash, apatite, and bentonite) at the rates of 1.5% and 2.5%, respectively. The effects of amendment application on the bioavailability and leachability of Cu in the soil were evaluated using the wheat uptake, single extraction, and sequential extraction tests. The addition of coal fly ash, apatite, and bentonite at the rate of 2.5% increased wheat biomass by 50.5%, 41.1%, and 61.7%, respectively. The application of amendments significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the Cu contents extract that will buy DW (deionized water), TCLP (toxicity characteristics leaching procedure), and DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid) in the soil. The amendments also reduced the water-soluble/exchangeable, carbonate, iron (Fe)–manganese (Mn) oxide, and organically bound fraction contents of Cu but increased the amounts of residual Cu in soil. Our results demonstrated that these amendments were effective in reducing the bioavailability and leachability of Cu in soil.     

Evaluation of Cocomposted Coal Fly Ash on Dynamics of Microbial Populations and Heavy Metal Uptake

Vicia faba, in a pot experiment with sandy and clayey soils under greenhouse conditions, was checked for growth response to different amendments with coal alkaline fly ash or cocomposted fly ash mixed with lignocellulosic residues. Soil microbial populations, pH and electrical conductivity as well as heavy metal uptake by plants were monitored. At rates of five and ten percent (on a dry matter basis) in both soils, neither fly ash alone nor cocomposted fly ash exerted any negative effect. Plant biomass production was not influenced in either clayey or sandy soil. Alkaline fly ash did not promote microbial growth when applied alone to the soils. However, cocomposted fly ash generally increased bacterial and actinomycetes counts in both soils. Fungi were not affected by ash. Due to the increase of soil pH by alkaline fly ash or cocomposted fly ash, plant uptake of heavy metals was depressed in the sandy soil. Heavy metal mobility did not cause change in the clayey soil where a high buffering capacity mitigated the effects of fly ash amendments.     

钢渣施用对多金属复合污染土壤的改良效果及水稻吸收重金属的影响

通过盆栽实验和大田实验研究了钢渣施用对多金属复合污染土壤pH、有效硅、有效态重金属含量（镉、铅、铜、锌）以及水稻吸收重金属的影响。盆栽实验设置5个处理,分别是CK（无钢渣）、SS3和SS6（分别加入3g·kg-1和6g·kg-1100目钢渣）、FSS3和FSS6（分别加入3g·kg-1和6g·kg-1180目钢渣）;大田实验设置两个处理：CK（无钢渣）和SS（加入3g·kg-1100目钢渣）。结果表明,盆栽实验土壤pH值及有效硅含量随钢渣施用量的增加和粒径的减小显著上升,土壤有效态重金属含量则出现显著下降。水稻地上部重金属浓度在施加钢渣后均显著降低,并且远低于地下部浓度;大部分钢渣施加处理对降低地下部重金属浓度也有显著效果。大田实验结果显示,钢渣改良的处理,不仅提高了水稻产量,稻米中的重金属浓度也得到了大幅降低,并达到了国家食品安全标准。综合来看,施用钢渣可有效改良多金属复合污染土壤的性质,抑制水稻对重金属的吸收和转运,降低水稻特别是其地上部的重金属浓度。     

Boron availability to plants from coal combustion by-products

Agronomic use of coal combustion by-products is often associated with boron (B) excess in amended soils and subsequently in plants. A greenhouse study with corn (Zea mays L.) as test plant was conducted to determine safe application rates of five fly ashes and one flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FDG). All by-products increased soil and corn tissue B concentration, in some cases above toxicity levels which are 5 mg hot water soluble B (hwsB) kg^?1 soil and 100 mg B kg^?1 in corn tissue. Acceptable application rates varied from 4 to 100 Mg ha^? for different by-products. Leaching and weathering of a high B fly ash under ponding conditions decreased its B content and that of corn grown in fly ash amended soil, while leaching of the same fly ash under laboratory conditions increased fly ash B availability to corn in comparison to the fresh fly ash. Hot water soluble B in fly ash or FDG amended soil correlated very well with corn tissue B. Hot water soluble B in fly ash amended soil could be predicted based on soil pH and B solubility in ash at different pH values but not so in the case of FDG. Another greenhouse study was conducted to compare the influence of FDG and Ca(OH)₂ on B concentration in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves grown in soil amended with the high B fly ash. The Ca(OH)₂ significantly decreased tissue B content, while FDG did not affect B uptake from fly ash amended soil.     

Uptake of multielements by corn from fly ash-compost amended soil

Fly ash was collected from a coal-fired power plant in and near the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site to study the feasibility of the application of fly ash compost mixture to soils for the availability and uptake of various elements by corn (Zea mays L.). The crop was grown in potted Ogeechee sandy loam soil using eight treatments: soil alone, soil amended with 15% compost, and soil amended with 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% of fly ash-amended compost. It was observed that 20–25% fly ash and compost soil ratio treatments generally increased plant growth and the yield. The plant uptake of K, Mn, and Cu increased with increasing percentages (2–25%) of fly ash+compost: soil ratios. The total content of K in plants was positively correlated with the dry matter yield of corn. This study indicates that the application of fly ash blended with compost to soil is beneficial to corn production without causing any deleterious effects on plant growth and plant composition.     

水分调控和钝化剂处理对水稻土镉的钝化效应及其机理

采用盆栽试验,研究了水分管理和钝化剂处理对红壤性水稻土重金属镉的钝化效应及其作用机理。结果表明,在土壤镉含量为0．75mg·kg。下,添加海泡石复配磷肥可以显著提高土壤pH值,长期淹水、常规管理水分条件下,土壤交换态cd分别降低了20．4％和15．7％,碳酸盐结合态cd分别下降了15．5％和14．1％,糙米cd分别降低了52．3％和46．O％。未添加钝化剂条件下,长期淹水处理的根表Fe（Ⅱ）含量比常规处理增加了1．2倍,根表cd含量则是常规处理的82．6％。土壤经钝化处理后,长期淹水和常规管理水分条件下,根表Fe（Ⅱ）分别增加了40．1％和70．0％,而根表cd分别降低了35．3％和42．4％。糙米cd含量与根表Fe（Ⅱ）含量呈显著负相关,与根表cd含量呈显著正相关。土壤Fe“和cd“对水稻根表吸附点位的竞争以及土壤镉较低的生物有效性是钝化处理组糙米镉含量下降的主要原因。     

Microbial properties and attributes of ecological relevance for soil quality monitoring during a chemical stabilization field study

Chemical stabilization is a soil remediation technique based on the incorporation of organic and/or inorganic amendments to metal contaminated soil in order to decrease metal bioavailability and improve soil quality. Consequently, the establishment of follow-up monitoring programmes is essential to ensure the long-term effectiveness of chemical stabilization in terms of both metal bioavailability reduction and soil quality improvement. In this study, three doses (20, 40 and 80 t ha⁻¹) of a lime-treated sewage sludge, that meets legal standards regarding metal contents, were added to a metalliferous mine soil and a variety of physicochemical and microbial indicators of soil quality were measured over time (immediately before treatment application and one and six months after such application). Soil CaCl₂-extractable and plant metal concentrations were also measured. We carried out a complementary interpretation of soil microbial properties through their grouping within a set of ecosystem attributes of ecological relevance: vigour, organization, stability, suppressiveness and redundancy. Sewage sludge addition led to an increase in soil pH, but this beneficial effect was transient. The addition of sewage sludge had a more pronounced effect on parameters used here to estimate soil vigour (dehydrogenase activity, basal and substrate-induced respiration). On the contrary, the addition of sewage sludge did not significantly alter the composition of soil microbial communities, as reflected by PCR-DGGE data. Chemical stabilization was only partly successful: it did improve soil quality but the expected reduction in soil metal bioavailability (as reflected by the values of CaCl₂-extractable metal concentration) was clearly observed only for Cd (not for Pb or Zn); however, SL addition led to a significant reduction in shoot metal concentration for the three metals under study. The assessment of soil quality at the attribute level has proven useful for the interpretation of the effect of chemical stabilization on soil functioning.     

Evaluation of industrial wastes as sources of fertilizer silicon using chemical extractions and plant uptake

Six inorganic industrial‐waste materials (coal fly ash, bauxite‐processing mud, steel slag, two samples of air‐cooled blast furnace [BF] slag, and one sample of water‐cooled BF slag), along with wollastonite, were evaluated as fertilizer‐Si sources. Evaluation was carried out by analyzing total and extractable Si fractions in the materials, by incubating them at two rates with a Si‐deficient soil and measuring potentially available extractable Si and by measuring yield and Si uptake by two successive rice crops grown in the fertilized soils. Of the waste materials used, fly ash had the highest total Si content (29%) but a negligible quantity was present in extractable forms. Steel slag and bauxite‐processing mud had only 5%–7% Si content while BF slags contained 14%–18% Si. All materials, other than fly ash, increased the amount of extractable Si present in the soil. Additions of steel slag and bauxite‐processing mud caused greater increases in Si extractability than the air‐cooled BF slags while water‐cooled BF slag–treated soils contained notably high acid‐extractable Si. Because of the alkaline nature of the materials, and their reaction products, there was a positive relationship between extractable soil Si and soil pH. However, an equilibration experiment using NaSiO₃ as the Si source confirmed that Si solubility in the soil decreased with increasing pH. Dry‐matter yields of rice, at the lower rate of Si addition, were increased by all treatments other than fly ash. The higher rates of steel slag and bauxite‐processing mud caused yield depressions. Total Si uptake by rice was increased by all treatments, other than fly ash, and was greater at the higher rate of Si addition. It was concluded that the BF slags are the most effective waste materials as fertilizer‐Si sources and that, in slag‐amended soils, CaCl₂ and NH₄ acetate are the most reliable soil‐test extractants.