APPLICABILITY OF SPENT MUSHROOM COMPOST (SMC) AS ORGANIC AMENDMENT FOR REMEDIATION OF POLLUTED SOILS

Authors:	I. Frutos, A. Gárate, E. Eymar
Keywords:	heavy metals, Atriplex halimus, phytoremediation, mining soil, soil fertility
Abstract: In this paper we studied the remediation of two soils by applying spent mushroom compost (SMC) in three doses: 0, 40,000 and 80,000 kg ha-1. The major pollutants considered were Cd, Pb and Cu. Atriplex halimus was used as a plant indicator of the level of soil contamination. It was established that the addition of SMC affected the uptake of heavy metals in Atriplex halimus. There is a significant decrease in the concentration of heavy metals in shoots with increased dose of SMC. In the most polluted soil, the increase of SMC from 0 to 80,000 kg ha^-1 caused a decrease in Pb in shoots from 48.62 to 11.32 mg kg^-1. Similarly Cd decreased from 8.66 to 4.44 mg kg^-1 and Cu of 86.4 to 45.4 mg kg^-1. Results obtained after three months of plantation demonstrates that the SMC amendments produce a higher shoot and root growth in comparison with the control treatment. This is possibly due to an improvement in the physical properties of soils, a significant increase in available nutrients and an immobilization of heavy metals that otherwise produce toxic effects. That means that SMC can be a good organic amendment for soils used for sustainable plant production.
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