Effect of neutralising substances on selected properties of soil contaminated with cobalt

Abstract

Because of the potential threat for development of plants, resulting from the occurrence of too high cobalt contents in soil environment, a study was undertaken aiming to determine the effect of increasing soil contamination with cobalt (0, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 mg·kg-1 of soil), following the application of neutralising substances (farmyard manure, loam, charcoal, zeolite and calcium oxide), on the soil pH, hydrolytic acidity, total exchangeable bases, cation exchange capacity and the base saturation. In the series without neutralising substances added, soil contamination with the highest doses of cobalt resulted in a decrease in pH, in the total exchangeable bases, in the cation exchange capacity, and in the base saturation, and in an increase in the soil hydrolytic acidity. Of the applied neutralising substances, farmyard manure and particular calcium oxide had the greatest effect on the analysed soil properties. The application of the substances resulted in an increase in the soil pH, in the base exchange capacity, in the cation exchange capacity and in the base saturation and also in a decrease in the soil hydrolytic acidity. The other substances had no, or a small, effect on the studied soil properties.