Effect of incubation period and doses of urban trash compost on the readiness of heavy metal in different soils

Abstract

The agricultural use of urban waste compost is an alternative for a better technician-scientific-economic viability, because this organic residue is a source of nutrients and organic matter. This study was carried out in greenhouse conditions in order to evaluate the temporal availability, by Mehlich-1 extractor, of Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, and Pb in five types of soils incubated with 0, 25, 50 and 100 Mg ha^-1 of waste compost during 0, 16, 32, 64 and 150 days. Most of the heavy metals had its availability reduced at the beginning of incubation. The availabitily of heavy metals was dependent of the soil texture, pH and content of soil organic matter. The application of the highest doses of waste compost can result in risks of soil contamination mainly in the Oxisol, Mollisol and Alfisol, with periods from 6 to 12 months for reduction of heavy metal availability.