Influence of biochar on bio-accumulation of heavy metals in maize crop beside lead/zinc mining sites in Ebonyi State
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Abstract
Mining sites are known to have deposits of mine tailings especially the surrounding
farmlands. Most plants grown in such sites like Amegu-Enyigba of EbonyiState,Nigeria are always bioaccumulators of these metals. Organic soil amendment with biochar can
immobilize metals and hence reduce their uptake by grown crops. The aim of the study
therefore, was to ascertain the effect of biochar in immobilizing the metals in the soil and subsequent reduction in maize uptake. The study was a pot experiment with 10 kg of soil sampled from farms adjacent to mining sites and control samples collected about 5 km away from the mining sites. The treatments consisted of empty palm bunch biochar applied at 0, 1, 2, 3 t/ha equivalent to 0, 1.6, 3.2, 4.8 g/10 kg replicated three times. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using Genstat. Biochar applied at 3 t/ha showed significant increase in the plant shoot height at 5th – 6th week after planting. It also indicated that heavy metals accumulated more in the plant root than the shoot and significantly reduced (Pb 66.7%; Zn 37.5 % etc.) in the plant as the biochar rates increased. Based on the findings, 3 t/ha of biochar application to farmlands in this area reduced bioaccumulation of metals in the test crop,while further studies on increased rates of biochar to soils should be investigated.
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