Effectiveness of DTPA Chelate on Cd Availability in Soils Treated with Sewage Sludge

Application of sewage sludge as a fertilizer on farmlands is a common practice in most countries. Although the practice may play a positive role in plant performance, the organic amendments introduced may increase the soil heavy metals content. This study was conducted in Arak, Iran, to investigate the effectiveness of DTPA chelate on corn Cd availability in a sewage sludge treated soil. The treatments consisted of sewage sludge (0, 15, and 30 t ha-1) polluted with cadmium applied at 0, 5, 10, and 15 mg kg-1 as well as DTPA applied at 0 and 1.5 mmol kg-1 soil. Corn plants were then grown in the soil in each treatmnent and, on day 60, the physic-chemical characteristics and Cd quantities were measured ion both the corn plants and soil samples. Application of 1.5 m mol of DTPA chelate in soil contaminated with 5 mg Cd led to a significant increase in the soil available Cd content. It was also observed that application of DTPA chelate to soils containing 30 t ha-1 of sewage sludge polluted with 10 mg Cd increased root and shoot Cd concentrations by 17 and 25%, respectively. Results indicated the effectiveness of DTPA chelate in reducing Cd phytoremediation with increasing sewage sludge loading rate. This was evidenced by the lowest phytoremediation effectiveness observed for the treatment with the greatest sewage sludge loading (30 t ha-1) and the lowest cadmium pollution (5 mg Cd).