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Effect of Pig and Cattle Slurry Application on Heavy Metal Composition of Maize Grown on Different Soils

Author

Listed:
  • Giorgio Provolo

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Giulia Manuli

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Alberto Finzi

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Giorgio Lucchini

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Elisabetta Riva

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Gian Attilio Sacchi

    (Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

Cattle and pig manure contain useful mineral nutrients (N, P, and K) and are therefore used as organic fertilizer. However, excessive applications of manure can cause environmental problems and threaten animal and human health because these materials also hold significant amounts of heavy metals, particularly Cu and Zn. To assess the potential risk due to the increased concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Zn, and Cr) in a harvested crop, two maize hybrids were grown in pots on four different soils with three different fertilisers (urea, pig manure, and cattle manure). Both soil and manure characteristics influenced the heavy metal concentrations in the plant shoots. Organic fertilisation strongly interacted with the soils and, in general, reduced the shoot content of Cu, Mn, and Zn. A preliminary assessment of the heavy metal balance of the agricultural systems based on the intensive livestock production and maize cultivation showed that the potential soil enrichment of the long-term application of livestock manure arises mainly from the application of pig slurries that have a high content of Cu and Zn. The time required to apply an amount of metal that is equal to the initial soil content is 60–300 years for Zn and 240–450 years for Cu, depending on the soil type and the initial heavy metal content.

Suggested Citation

  • Giorgio Provolo & Giulia Manuli & Alberto Finzi & Giorgio Lucchini & Elisabetta Riva & Gian Attilio Sacchi, 2018. "Effect of Pig and Cattle Slurry Application on Heavy Metal Composition of Maize Grown on Different Soils," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-16, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:8:p:2684-:d:161023
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Köninger, Julia & Lugato, Emanuele & Panagos, Panos & Kochupillai, Mrinalini & Orgiazzi, Alberto & Briones, Maria J.I., 2021. "Manure management and soil biodiversity: Towards more sustainable food systems in the EU," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    2. Jianqiang Wu & Chenyan Sha & Min Wang & Chunmei Ye & Peng Li & Shenfa Huang, 2021. "Effect of Organic Fertilizer on Soil Bacteria in Maize Fields," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Alberto Finzi & Gabriele Mattachini & Daniela Lovarelli & Elisabetta Riva & Giorgio Provolo, 2020. "Technical, Economic, and Environmental Assessment of a Collective Integrated Treatment System for Energy Recovery and Nutrient Removal from Livestock Manure," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Leidy Rendón-Castrillón & Margarita Ramírez-Carmona & Carlos Ocampo-López & Luis Gómez-Arroyave, 2023. "Bioleaching Techniques for Sustainable Recovery of Metals from Solid Matrices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-32, June.
    5. Mateusz Sydow & Łukasz Chrzanowski & Alexandra Leclerc & Alexis Laurent & Mikołaj Owsianiak, 2018. "Terrestrial Ecotoxic Impacts Stemming from Emissions of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn from Manure: A Spatially Differentiated Assessment in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, November.
    6. Yongxia Meng & Peng Li & Lie Xiao & Rui Wang & Shutong Yang & Jiangxue Han & Bingze Hu, 2022. "Heavy Metal Content and Pollution Assessment in Typical Check Dam Sediment in a Watershed of Loess Plateau, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-13, July.

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