ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PHOSPHATE FERTILIZERS AND BY-PRODUCTS ON AGRICULTURAL SOILS - Fertilizers: Components, Uses in Agriculture and Environmental Impacts - page 62

These results suggest that Chicory showed a translocation of these elements from roots to
leaves particularly for Cd that could present a food chain hazard over the limited study period.
In fact, Cd is the most predisposed TE in terms of crop accumulation from soil amendments
(Carrillo-Gonzalez et al. 2006). Long term application of PG and derived industrial materials
can bring environmental and public health hazards.
C ONCLUSION
In summary, absorption of the studied elements by Chicory showed no danger to human
health in case of PF application whereas phosphogypsum application increased Cd absorbed
in the leaves of Chicory exceeding the norms thus posing a threat to the food chain. However,
the risk associated to phosphate fertilizers application was the presence of fluorine detected
with Scan Electron Microscopy (SEM) involving further analysis.
S UMMARY
Monitoring of selected trace elements (Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd) distribution and mobility in a
Mediterranean amended red soil profile has been performed in soil and plant samples
collected from various depth intervals at different points in time. Phosphogypsum amendment
increased the solubility of the studied trace elements where they were bound to exchangeable
and acid-soluble fractions in higher percentages than reference soil. Pb, Zn and Cu were
sorbed into mineral soil phases, while Cd was mainly found in the exchangeable form. On the
other hand, Pb, Zn and Cu were transferred from residual to exchangeable fraction, except for
Cd, in the case of fertilizers application. Cichorium intybus accumulated higher trace
elements concentrations than the reference plants, but they remained within normal reported
levels, except for Cd where it exceeded the recommended tolerable levels in the case of
phosphogypsum amendment.
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Abril, J.M., et al. (2008), 'The cumulative effect of three decades of phosphogypsum
amendments in reclaimed marsh soils from SW Spain: 226Ra, 238U and Cd contents in
soils and tomato fruit', Science of the Total Environment, 403, 80-88.
Adriano, D.C. (1986), Trace elements in the terrestrial environment (New York: Springer
Verlag).
Ait Ali, N., Bernal, M.P., and Ater, M. (2002), 'Tolerance and bioaccumulation of copper in
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Aksoy, A. (2008), 'Chicory (Cichorium Intybus L.): A possible biomonitor of Metal
pollution', Pakistan Journal of Botany, 40 (2), 791-97.
Al-Masri, M.S., et al. (2004), ' Distribution of some trace elements in Syrian
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