Comparison of chromium and nickel uptake of plants grown in different soils

The chromium and nickel uptake of ryegrass has been examined in pot experiments in extremely different soils, poor sandy and fertile black chernozem. The effect of calcium carbonate doses and nitrogen supply on heavy metal uptake of the plant has been studied for chromium and nickel loadings (0–100 mg/kg Cr³⁺ or Ni²⁺) applied as inorganic salts. The ability to uptake Cr³⁺ and Ni²⁺ differs significantly and is highly affected by the characteristics of soils, and depends on the metal investigated. The heavy metal uptake of the plant differs significantly in acid, colloid deficient sandy soils; while artificial chromium contamination did not modify the dry-matter production in the pots in either soil, a large quantity of nickel reduced the yields significantly. Nitrogen application did not change significantly the uptake of heavy metals. Lime application reduced the Ni²⁺ uptake of plants considerably, especially in sandy soil. In case of a calcium carbonate addition the dry-matter production of the plant was not affected by nickel. In chernozem soil the effect of lime application – i.e., the reduction of nickel uptake – was of a lesser degree. The significantly lesser Cr³⁺ uptake was further limited by a calcium carbonate application for both soils studied. A graphic presentation of these effects is given.