Effects of tannery waste on growth dynamics and metal uptake in Salix alba L

Abstract

This paper aims at providing a preliminary study of the effects of different doses of tannery waste containing high amounts of organic substances, mineral elements and heavy metals on growth dynamics and metal accumulation in willow plants. Scions of Salix alba L., clone S61-02, were grown in the open near Pisa (Italy), in pots filled with a natural soil. Willows were pruned for a unique shoot and cultivated with three different treatments: non-amended soil, soil amended with 150 or 300 g of tannery waste. Non-destructive measures of plant height and leaf area were performed during one growth season. Determination of biomass, and chemical analyses of the minerals were performed at the end of the experiment. The waste-treated plants increased all growth parameters significantly more than the non-treated ones. The concentration of the analysed elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr) changed significantly between treatments and organs. The results can be useful for developing phytostabilization and/or phytoextraction strategies of tannery waste using S. alba.