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A field investigation of solubility and food chain accumulation of biosolid-cadmium across diverse soil types

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McLaughlin, M.J., Whatmuff, M., Warne, M., Heemsbergen, D., Barry, G., Bell, M., Nash, D. and Pritchard, D. (2006) A field investigation of solubility and food chain accumulation of biosolid-cadmium across diverse soil types. Environmental Chemistry, 3 (6). pp. 428-432.

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Article Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/EN06061

Publisher URL: http://www.publish.csiro.au

Abstract

One of the pathways for transfer of cadmium (Cd) through the food chain is addition of urban wastewater solids (biosolids) to soil, and many countries have restrictions on biosolid use to minimize crop Cd contamination. The basis of these restrictions often lies in laboratory or glasshouse experimentation of soil-plant transfer of Cd, but these studies are confounded by artefacts from growing crops in controlled laboratory conditions. This study examined soil to plant (wheat grain) transfer of Cd under a wide range of field environments under typical agronomic conditions, and compared the solubility and bioavailability of Cd in biosolids to soluble Cd salts. Solubility of biosolid Cd (measured by examining Cd partitioning between soil and soil solution) was found to be equal to or greater than that of soluble Cd salts, possibly due to competing ions added with the biosolids. Conversely, bioavailability of Cd to wheat and transfer to grain was less than that of soluble Cd salts, possibly due to addition of Zn with the biosolids, causing reduced plant uptake or grain loading, or due to complexation of soluble Cd2+ by dissolved organic matter.

Item Type:Article
Corporate Creators:Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), Agri-Science, Crop and Food Science, Plant Science
Business groups:Crop and Food Science
Additional Information:Reproduced with permission from © CSIRO Publishing. Access to published version may be available via Publisher’s website.
Keywords:Agricultural chemistry; bioavailability; contaminant uptake food quality; soil chemistry.
Subjects:Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Agriculture and the environment
Agriculture > Agriculture (General) > Soils. Soil science
Live Archive:02 Feb 2009 02:09
Last Modified:03 Sep 2021 16:43

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