Potential of two species of eucalyptus in the phytostabilization of a soil contaminated with zinc

Abstract

With the aim of assessing the phytoremediation process to improve the soil contamination with zinc, it was used Eucalyptus urophylla and Eucalyptus saligna with slag from steelmaking and scales from hot-strip mills. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, using a soil contaminated with zinc, collected in an area near the ore yard at Itaguaí harbor as well at the local of disposition of hazardous waste of Mercantil and Industrial Ingá Co. at Itaguaí-RJ. The substrate was treated with two inertizing agents: industrial waste with alkaline caracteristics (steelmaking slag) in 4 and 6% doses and another one with high content of iron oxide used as adsorption material (hot-strip mill scale) at single dose of 1%. After seedling transplant, the substrate was collected in order to determine pH and zinc fractionation in its different chemicals forms. It was verified that the not treated substrate showed high zinc content in bioavaiable fractions. This caused a reduction in the Zinc concentration in the water-soluble and exchangable forms and increase in more stable phases. The smallest dose of steelmaging slag was sufficient to cause a reduction of zinc concentrations solutions and this effect was showed clearly in the plant development, while the highest dose of steelmaging slag promote higher development in the species. The specie that obtained better development was E. urophylla, that one showing higher zinc content was E. saligna.