Effect of sheep manure and EDTA on the leaching of potassium from heavy metals contaminated calcareous soils

In this study, we examined the movement of potassium (K) in columns of contaminated calcareous soils by sheep manure and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). Glass tubes, 4.9 cm in diameter and 40 cm in length, were packed with contaminated soils. The resulting 20-cm long column of soil had a bulk density of 1.3–1.4 g cm−3. Columns were leached with distilled water, 0.01 M EDTA, 0.01 M CaCl2, and sheep manure extract solutions. The amounts of K leached varied considerably between different soils (sandy loam and loamy sand) and leaching solutions. The amount leached with EDTA solution, varied from 7.2 to 66.7% of the extractable K when 20 pore volumes had passed through the column. The breakthrough curves of K in the EDTA and CaCl2 were approximately similar, indicating they have similar ability to displace K from these contaminated calcareous soils. Thus, among leaching solutions application of EDTA and CaCl2 on contaminated soils might enhance the mobility of K and large amounts of K will be leached.