Journal article
Irrigation water quality influences heavy metal uptake by willows in biosolids
WS Laidlaw, AJM Baker, D Gregory, SK Arndt
Journal of Environmental Management | Published : 2015
Abstract
Phytoextraction is an effective method to remediate heavy metal contaminated landscapes but is often applied for single metal contaminants. Plants used for phytoextraction may not always be able to grow in drier environments without irrigation. This study investigated if willows (. Salix x reichardtii A. Kerner) can be used for phytoextraction of multiple metals in biosolids, an end-product of the wastewater treatment process, and if irrigation with reclaimed and freshwater influences the extraction process. A plantation of willows was established directly onto a tilled stockpile of metal-contaminated biosolids and irrigated with slightly saline reclaimed water (EC ~2dS/cm) at a wastewater p..
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Grants
Awarded by Australian Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
This project was funded by the Australian Research Council Linkage Program (LP0883573) in partnership with the Melbourne Water Corporation and the University of Melbourne. We would like to thank the late Kurt Cremer, for generously providing the initial cuttings of Salix x reichardtii used in the field trials. Many thanks to Kevin Gillett, our 'go to' person at the Western Treatment Plant, Howard Nichols, John Couper and his crew for organising the preparation, infrastructure and maintenance at the field site. Thanks also to Kerryn Popa, Yaodong Wang, Anthony Fernando, Denise Fernando, Steve Elefteriadis, Blaire Dobiecki, Lee Hudek, Wes Webster, Geraldo Guimares, Skye Shields, Ramaprasad Majumder, Tonatiuh Sanchez Palacios, Seyedeh Mandieh Sharafi, Julia Beyer, Dinagaran Chandra Saikharan and Reg D'Souza who helped out planting, weeding, watering, harvesting the willows or preparing samples for analysis.