LIMING EFFECT ON SOIL HEAVY METALS AVAILABILITY

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to determine the influence of acid soils liming and initial soil acidity as well as organic matter content on availability of four heavy metals m(Zn, Pb, Cr and Cd). Liming experiment was conducted in laboratory conditions with six soils of different acidity according to rapid incubation method which was conducted in sealed containers for three days at a constant temperature of 60°C. Liming treatments resulted in trend of heavy metals availability decrement in all soils, but intensity of decrement differed considering initial soil acidity and initial heavy metals availability. According to relative heavy metals availability decrement, liming resulted in the strongest effect in extremely acid soils with the highest initial concentrations of available Zn, Pb, Cr and Cd. On the other side, the weakest relative liming effect on heavy metals availability decrement was recorded in moderately acid soils with the lowest initial concentrations of available heavy metals. Considering impact of initial humus content in soil, higher relative liming efficiency of heavy metals availability decrement was determined in soils with higher soil organic matter content and with lower initial concentrations of available heavy metals.

Keywords

• acid soils
• liming
• heavy metals availability
• total concentrations of heavy metals