Arsenic extractability and uptake by velvetgrass Holcus lanatus and ryegrass Lolium perenne in variously treated soils polluted by tailing spills.

Phytostabilization should be considered as an appropriate phytoremediation technique to restore the area affected by tailing spills in Zloty Stok, where arsenic ores were mined and processed for several centuries. The study aimed to compare the suitability of velvetgrass (Holcus lanatus L.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) for development of plant cover in that area. Various treatments commonly applied to support phytostabilization were examined. A pot experiment was carried out to assess the effects of soil amendment with phosphate (P), sewage sludge (SS) and iron salts (Fe) on arsenic extractability and its uptake by grass. Four kinds of soil material, containing 356-5350 mg kg(-1) As, were examined. Velvetgrass proved to be more resistant than ryegrass to the toxicity of soil arsenic. Ammonium sulphate extractability of As in soils correlated well with As concentrations in the biomass of both grass species. In three of four tested soils, application of Fe failed to decrease As extractability and to reduce its concentrations in the aboveground parts of grasses. Application of P and SS resulted in increased As solubility in soils, but their effects on plant biomass and As uptake were ambiguous. SS had a strong beneficial influence on the growth of velvetgrass, while such an effect was not observed for ryegrass.