Chromium uptake by lettuce as affected by the application of organic matter and Cr(VI)-irrigation water: Implications to the land use and water management.

Toxic chromium [(Cr(VI)] in food chain has created an alarming situation for human life and ecosystems. The present study through a greenhouse pot experiment aims to (a) investigate the ability of organic matter in reducing Cr uptake by lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) from a sandy loam soil irrigating with Cr(VI)-water, (b) to provide a way for the restriction of Cr transfer from contaminated soils and irrigation water to plants/crops and (c) to contribute to the better management of soil (land) and water use, without reduction of the agricultural production. Since soil and groundwater contamination by Cr is a potential risk in a worldwide scale, due to industrial activities and/or natural processes, organic carbon may play a key role in the mobility of added Cr(VI) to soil via irrigation water, in a significant way. The cultivation of lettuce, using organic matter in the form of leonardite (10 and 30 wt%) and Cr(VI)-irrigation water (100, 200 and 300 mgL-1), showed that the uptake of Cr in both shoots and roots increased with increasing concentration of Cr in the irrigation water. The highest Cr values in shoots (average = 10 mg/kg) and in roots (average = 28 mg/kg) were recorded in those plants cultivated in soil after the addition of Cr(VI)- water without organic matter, whereas the lowest Cr values in shoots (average = 0.44 mg/kg) and in roots (average = 0.7 mg/kg) were recorded in those plants cultivated in soil with addition of 30 wt% organic matter. The used leonardite as organic matter that is an oxidized form of lignite, due to its high content of humic acid is considered to be a useful organic fertilizer that provides possibilities for combining food production with soil protection. Therefore, the application of the natural organic material leonardite, as a land management technique, seems to be a cost-effective method consistent to related protocols for the protection of the soil quality.