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ELSEVIER Resources, Conservationand Recycling21 (1997) 129-143

The use of compost: its effects on heavy metal

levels in soil and plants

F. Pinamonti *, G. Stringari, F. Gasperi, G. Zorzi

Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige via Edmondo Maeh 1, 1-38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy

Received 20 December 1996; received in revised form 10 July 1997; accepted 27 July 1997

Abstract

Three organic soil conditioners were tested in 14 different Malus domestica orchards:
cattle manure, SB compost (from sewage sludge and poplar barks) and MSW compost
(from municipal solid waste not source separated). These materials differed notably in their
heavy metal content: the SB compost contained greater amounts of Zn, Cu and Pb than
did the cattle manure, while the MSW compost had higher concentrations of all the metals
studied. For 6 years the Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr content were monitored in the
soil--both in 'total' and EDTA extractable f o r m - - a n d in leaves and fruits. The resulting
data demonstrate that the SB compost did not cause any significant increase in heavy metal
levels in soil and plants; this compost can thus be used to fertilise the soil with no danger
in the short/medium term either to the environment or to crops. In contrast, the experi-
ment clearly demonstrates that the MSW compost, used over a 6 year period, increased
concentrations of Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr in the soil--both in 'total' and EDTA
extractable f o r m - - a n d in the case of Pb and Cd also in the vegetation and the fruits.
© 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

Keywords: Apple trees; Calcareous soil; Compost; Heavy metals

* Corresponding author. Tel.: + 39 461 615206; fax: + 39 461 650872.

0921-3449/97/$17.00 © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

PH S0921-3449(97)00032-3
130 F. Pinamonti et aL / Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143

1. Introduction

Compost obtained from the organic fraction of municipal solid waste and from
other selected waste biomasses can sometimes be used effectively as an organic
fertiliser on agricultural soil. The high content of stabilised organic matter and the
presence of nutrients of a good quality compost are a guarantee of agronomic
advantages; at the same time, the use of compost makes the reuse of organic wastes
possible and has numerous advantages [1,2].
An increase in soil organic matter and nutrient availability after compost
application has been observed by many [3-5]. The use of compost is also beneficial
for the soil's physical properties: increased porosity, structural stability, available
water content and reduction of erosion have been noted [6-9].
The phytonutritive capacity of compost has often been demonstrated to be
analogous to that of manure; the same level of productivity, both quantitatively
and qualitatively, can be maintained by replacing manure with compost [10-13].
The presence of organic and inorganic contaminants in compost may, however,
constitute a danger to the environment. It is the heavy metal content which is the
main factor leading to restricted agricultural use of compost. Literature on the
effect of compost use on heavy metal levels in the environment shows it to vary
according to soil type, plant species and compost quality [14]. Increased Zn, Cu and
Pb levels have often been observed, both in the soil and plants, while other heavy
metals--such Cd, Ni and Cr---increase less consistently [4,13,15-17]. In the long
term, the use of sewage sludge can also cause a significant accumulation of Zn, Cu,
Pb, Ni and Cd in soil and plants [18,19]. Based on the cumulative research in
Europe [20] into the agronomic use of compost, heavy metals tend to accumulate in
soil and plants in the following order: Zn > Cu > Pb = Cd > Ni > Cr.
The problem of heavy metals can, however, be overcome by composting only
organic raw materials with a low level of potential contaminants. It has been shown
that the use of products with a low level of heavy metals does not affect soil or
plant metal content [21,22].
Much research indicates that the data necessary to confirm the validity of
compost as an organic fertiliser can only be obtained by conducting thorough
analyses and experiments in specific areas and on specific crops. In order to do this,
the Istituto Agrario di San Michele all'Adige in Italy set up a series of experiments
to test the use of compost on apple trees. The objectives were both to monitor the
effect of the compost on soil fertility and on the nutritional status of the plants and
to study its effect on heavy metal levels in soil and plants because of their potential
for environmental contamination.
In particular, it was decided that the effects of two composts-- one relatively
clean and one highly-contaminated with heavy metals--should be compared with
those of manure. This is because manure has traditionally constituted the only
source of organic matter returned to soils in farming in this area, but its availability
has currently declined to such an extent that it is necessary to find alternative
materials.
 F. Pinamonti et al./Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143 131

I n this c o n t r i b u t i o n , a t t e n t i o n is limited to heavy metal, while for the a g r o n o m i c

aspects reference can be m a d e to the a u t h o r s ' previous p u b l i c a t i o n s [23-27].

2. M a t e r i a l s a n d m e t h o d s

T h e experiments were c o n d u c t e d from 1989 to 1995 o n 14 M a l u s d o m e s t i c a

orchards representative of the m a j o r fruit-growing areas o f the Province o f T r e n t o ,
in m e d i u m - s a n d y , calcareous soils with a s u b a l k a l i n e reaction, classified as Entisol
[28]. T h e i r m e a n analytical characteristics are shown in T a b l e 1. T h e heavy metal
c o n t e n t of all the soils studied is well within the accepted n o r m a l range o f values [14].
The experiments were c o n d u c t e d o n nine new orchards (four G o l d e n Delicious/
M9, one Hi Early/M9, one O r e g o n S p u r / M M 1 0 6 , one M o n d i a l G a l a / M 9 , one R o y a l
G a l a / M 2 6 a n d one F l o r i n a / M 2 6 ) set up in the spring o f 1989 a n d o n five orchards
which h a d already p r o d u c e d crops (three G o l d e n Delicious/M7 a n d two G o l d e n
Delicious/M9). The experiment entailed the use of the following organic soil
c o n d i t i o n e r s for the fertilisation of the soil:

Table 1
Mean analytical characteristics of the 14 tested soils before treatment

Mean S.D. Min Max Median

Fraction > 2 mm (%) 24.1 10.2 4.0 35.0 18.2

Sand 2000-20 pm (%) 65.6 13.8 38.0 87.5 65.0
Silt 20-2 pm (%) 21.9 7.0 8.5 36.0 22.0
Clay <2 pm (%) 12.5 8.8 2.0 26.5 10.5
pH-H20 7.71 0.32 7.13 8.19 7.75
CaCO3 (% DM) 25.1 13.6 7.8 52.0 28.7
Organic matter (% DM) 2.60 0.41 1.18 4.35 2.84
N-Kjeldhal (% DM) 0.17 0.05 0.07 0.29 0.18
C/N 8.94 2.60 6.59 12.6 8.5
P-Olsen (mg/kg DM) 18.4 16.5 0.0 48.6 9.2
CEC (cmol+/kg) 15.1 5.6 5.6 26.0 16.4
K ex. (mg/kg DM) 108 63 52 243 94
Mg ex. (mg/kg DM) 200 73 95 319 214
Ca ex. (mg/kg DM) 1863 572 830 3338 1896
'Total' Zn (mg/kg DM) 103 34.5 42 163 94
EDTA Zn (mg/kg DM) 21.5 8.3 1.7 34.4 17.0
'Total' Cu (mg/kg DM) 39.3 23.8 31.0 135.0 43.5
EDTA Cu (mg/kg DM) 20.8 12.5 2.4 85.0 23.2
'Total' Ni (mg/kg DM) 21.6 7.3 6.7 31.3 23.0
EDTA Ni (mg/kg DM) 0.91 0.50 0.16 2.30 0.90
'Total' Pb (mg/kg DM) 59.7 30.8 30.0 130.0 60.0
EDTA Pb (mg/kg DM) 13.4 10.1 2.8 46.0 15.0
'Total' Cd (mg/kg DM) <3 -- <3 <3 <3
EDTA Cd (mg/kg DM) 0.15 0.09 0.03 0.35 0.11
'Total' Cr (mg/kg DM) 36.0 11.8 10.3 61.0 38.6
EDTA Cr (mg/kg DM) 0.12 0.03 0.08 0.40 0.10
132 F. Pinamonti et al./Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143

Table 2
Average analytical characteristics of soil conditioners used

Cattle manure SB compost MSW compost Italian standards

Law 748/84 Law 915/82

Moisture (%) 74.0 45.4 34.3 < 50 <45

p H - H 2 0 (1/5) 8.41 7.36 7.90 6.0-8.5 6.0-8.5
Ash (% D M ) 27.1 35.7 50.2 -- --
Organic matter (% 65.7 54.8 40.3 >43 >40
DM)
C/N 19.0 18.1 18.9 < 25 < 30
N-Kjeldahl (% D M ) 2.01 1.76 1.27 -- > 1
P205 (% DM) 1.98 1.69 0.72 -- >0.5
K 2 0 (% D M ) ' 1.78 0.63 0.65 >0.4
'Total' Zn (mg/kg 253 512 1228 <500 <2500
DM)
'Total' Cu (mg/kg 56 184 437 < 150 <600
DM)
'Total' Ni (mg/kg 12 25 140 <50 <200
DM)
'Total' Pb (mg/kg 31 81 652 < 140 < 500
DM)
'Total' Cd (mg/kg 0.7 1.2 3.2 < 1.5 < 10
DM)
'Total' Cr (mg/kg 35 51 296 -- < 500
DM)

• Uncomposted cattle manure: produced by dairy-cows in sheds with straw

bedding.
• SB compost: produced at the Trento plant through the treatment of a mixture of
urban waste water purification sludge and poplar bark (ratio 1:2 v/v).
• MSW compost: from the Schio (Vicenza) plant from the composting of the
organic fraction of unseparated municipal solid waste, selected mechanically at
the plant.
These two different composts were tested as being representative of the present
composting situation in Italy: organic waste obtained from separated waste collec-
tion with the possible addition of sludge occurs in 33 facilities; unseparated MSW
treatment is carried out in 42 facilities [29]. The mean analytical characteristics of
cattle manure and the two composts tested are given in Table 2, which also shows
the limits permitted by italian law.
The study of heavy metal behaviour was carried out by analysing the Zn, Cu, Ni,
Pb, Cd and Cr content in soil, leaf and apple samples taken in the various plots
corresponding to the following treatments:
• Control: 120 t/ha of cattle manure;
• SB80:80 t/ha of SB compost;
• SB160:160 t/ha of SB compost;
 F. Pinamonti et a l . / Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143 133

• MSW80:80 t/ha of MSW compost;

• MSW160:160 t/ha of MSW compost.
The CONTROL is representative of the normal fertilization practice adopted in
the Province of Trento. The lowest rate of compost (80 t/ha) was studied in order
to introduce quantities of dry organic matter analogous to those of the control. In
order to maximise the effects of the heavy metal contamination a study was also
carried out on the SB160 and the MSW160 treatments for which the amount of
compost used is double that of normal practices.
In each orchard a randomised complete block design with three replications was
adopted, the single plots ranging from a minimum size of 200 m 2 to a maximum of
750 m 2.
In April 1989, 50% of the amount of organic soil conditioner to be used for each
treatment was distributed: in the svevn new orchards it was plowed into the ground
at a depth of 30 cm and in the four existing orchards it was distributed on the
surface. The remaining 50% was distributed on the surface in all the fields, the
material being placed near the rows of trees in April 1992.
The main farming operations were carried out in the same way in all the trials:
grass covering on the alleys (between the rows); sprinkler irrigation; yearly fertiliza-
tion with 500 kg/ha of 12-17-17 (N-P2Os-K20) mineral fertilizer; phytosanitary
treatments to meet the normal crop protection requirements.
The soil samples were taken from the Ap horizon at a depth of 10-30 cm in
October 1994; the leaf samples in the last ten days of July in the years 1990-1994;
the apple samples in the years 1992-1994 when the crop ripened--at harvest--fol-
lowing the suggestions of Martin Prevel et al. [30].
The soil analyses were carried out following the methods usually employed
internationally, adopted in Italy as the Metodi ufficiali di analisi del suolo [31]. The
analyses of cattle manure and compost were carried out following the IPLA
methods [32]. The 'total' heavy metal content in the soil and in the organic soil
conditioners was determined by digestion in boiling aqua regia (3:1 HNO3/HCI),
while 0.05 M EDTA extraction was carried out to obtain the EDTA extractable soil
fractions. In the resulting solutions, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd and Cr were determined by
inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectrometry and Pb by flame atomic
absorption spectrometry (AAS). For the analysis of leaves and apples the heavy
metals were dissolved in 2 N HNO3 after the organic matter had been ashed in a
muffle furnace at 480°C [30]. Zn and Cu were measured by ICP emission spec-
trometry and the other metals by AAS equipped with a graphite furnace.

3. Results and discussion

The results obtained from the 14 trials showed many similarities. The soils on
which the experiments were conducted had the same pedologic characteristics and
were cultivated with practically identical techniques (same tilling, fertilization and
irrigation techniques); no interaction with the study factor resulted from the
different trials (grafting combinations) and the different years. For the purpose of
134 F. Pinamonti et aL /Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143

simplifying the presentation of and comment on the results, the mean has been
taken of all the data obtained from the 14 trials over the different years.
None of the treatments examined had any significant influence on the pH of the
soil; the mean values were as follows: control = 7.64; SB80 = 7.66; SB160 = 7.71;
MSW80 = 7.68; MSW160 = 7.73.
However, the higher amounts of both types of compost did lead to a significant
increase in the organic matter level compared to the control. The organic matter
content was 2.64, 2.67 and 2.68% respectively in the control, SB80 and MSW80
treatments, while significantly it reached 2.98 and 3.00% in the SB160 and MSW160
treatments.

3.1. Zinc

The use of both composts led to a significant increase in Zn levels in the soil,
both in 'total' and E D T A extractable form (Table 3). The Zn variations were more
marked with MSW compost and consistent with the amounts of both composts
tested. Moreover, for both composts, the percentage difference in relation to the
control was greater for E D T A extractable Zn than for the 'total' form. For
example, the MSWl60 treatment showed a 110% increase in extractable Zn and
61% in 'total' Zn.
No increase was recorded, in relation to the control, in the epigeous organs
(Table 4). The Zn content in the leaves and fruits was unaffected by the different
treatments.

3.2. Copper

The use of SB compost resulted in a slight increase in 'total' Cu content in the

soil, in relation to the control, for the SB 160 treatment only (Table 3). In contrast,
both amounts of SB compost had no significant effect on the E D T A extractable Cu
content. There was, however, a noticeable and statistically significant increase in the
'total' and extractable Cu content of the soil in the case of both amounts of MSW
compost, with a higher percentage increase for the E D T A extractable form in
relation to the control.
The observations made on the epigeous part showed no significant differences
between the treatments examined (Table 4). Thus, no relationship was found
between the increase in 'total' and E D T A extractable Cu in the soil and its actual
uptake by apple leaves and fruit.

3.3. Nickel

The content of Ni in the soil, either in 'total' or in E D T A extractable form, was

unaffected by the application of SB compost. In contrast, the concentration of Ni
in the soil was significantly increased by both amounts of MSW compost (Table 3).
In particular the 'total' Ni increased consistently with the amount of MSW compost
applied, indicating a significant difference between the MSW80 and MSWl60
F. Pinamonti et al./Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143 135

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136 F. Pinamonti et al./Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143

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 F. Pinamonti et al. / Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143 137

treatments. E D T A extractable Ni, on the other hand, increased at the same rate
when the two different amounts of MSW compost were applied. The percentage
increase in relation to the control plot was more marked for the E D T A extractable
Ni (78% and 113% respectively for the MSW80 and MSW160 treatments) than for
the 'total' Ni (24 and 47%).
Regarding the Ni uptake by the apple trees, the leaf analyses show that neither
SB or MSW compost brought about any accumulation in the leaves. The fruit
analyses, on the other hand, indicate that Ni may accumulate in the reproductive
organs of the plants treated with MSW compost (Table 4).

3.4. L e a d

SB compost had no significant effect on the level of this metal: the data obtained
(Table 3, Table 4) show how the use of this soil conditioner did not modify Pb
concentrations either in the soil or the plants.
MSW compost, however, significantly increased the level of both E D T A ex-
tractable and 'total' Pb in the soil; the percentage increase was more marked, in
relation to the control, in the case of the E D T A extractable form. These increases
were consistent with the amounts of compost applied and also led to an accumula-
tion of the metal in the vegetative organs, and, only in the case of the higher
amount of MSW compost, in the fruits. On all levels the Pb values recorded were
significantly higher for the MSWl60 than for the MSW80 treatment.

3.5. C a d m i u m

In all the treatments the 'total' Cd content in the soil was always below the
sensitivity of the analytical method (3 mg/kg).
The application of SB compost did not increase E D T A extractable Cd concentra-
tions in the soil, leaves or fruits (Table 3, Table 4). After the application of the
MSW compost there was an i n c r e a s e - - o f up to 50% in the case of the higher
a m o u n t - - o f E D T A extractable Cd in relation to the control.
For the MSW treatments, when E D T A extractable Cd increased in the soil, there
was a corresponding increase in the concentration in the leaves and fruits. Unlike
Pb, there was no difference in the concentration of Cd as a result of the two
different amounts of MSW compost.

3.6. C h r o m i u m

The application of SB compost led to no significant variation of the Cr content

in the orchard soil, apple leaves or fruits (Table 3, Table 4).
The use of MSW compost, however, led to an increased Cr content in both 'total'
and E D T A extractable form. In relation to the control, 'total' Cr was significantly
higher with both amounts of MSW compost, while the values for E D T A ex-
tractable Cr were significantly higher only for the MSWl60 treatment (Table 3).
This tendency was reflected in the significantly greater Cr concentration in leaves
and in fruits.
138 F. Pinamonti et a l . / Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143

3. 7. 'Total' metals in the soil

The three organic soil conditioners tested differed notably in their heavy metal
content (Table 2): the concentrations in the MSW compost were greater than those
in both the SB compost and the manure for all the elements examined, while the SB
compost contained much greater amounts of, above all, Zn (double the amount),
Cu (4 times the amount) and Pb (3 times the amount) than did the manure. The
effects of the various treatments studied on the 'total' heavy metals in the soil
(Table 3) can be related to the actual amounts of individual elements introduced by
the different soil conditioners (Table 5): the increases recorded through soil analyses
after 6 years correspond to the increases expected on the basis of the soil
conditioners applied. The results would seem to confirm the theory that all heavy
metals remain immobile in the surface of calcareous subalkaline soil [14,33,34].
Both amounts of the SB compost caused a significant increase in the level of Zn,
while only the SB160 caused the level of Cu to increase; their effect on the levels of
the others metals was insignificant. MSW compost, however, led to a far greater
introduction of all the heavy metals examined (Table 5), and brought about a
significant increase in their 'total' form in the soil. Moreover, the 'total' metal
content in the soil increased consistently with the amount of MSW compost
applied; for Zn, Ni, Pb and Cr, significant differences emerged between the MSW80
and the MSW160 treatments.

3.8. E D T A extractable metals in the soil

The SB compost did not bring about any significant difference in relation to the
control as regards EDTA extractable metals, apart from a Zn increase noted in the
SB160 treatment (Table 3).
Both amounts of MSW compost, on the other hand, brought about significant
increases in all EDTA extractable metal concentrations. EDTA extractable Zn and
Pb also registered significantly higher values in the MSW160 than in the MSW80
treatment (Table 3).

Table 5
Heavy metal's natural presence in the soil ( 0 - 3 0 cm) before the treatments and heavy metal a m o u n t s
introduced by the different treatments

Zn (kg/ha) Cu (kg/ha) Ni (kg/ha) Pb (kg/ha) Cd (kg/ha) Cr (kg/ha)

Natural 328 114 62.7 173.3 2.90 104.5

presence
Amounts
added
Control 8 2 0.4 1.0 0.02 1.1
SB80 22 8 1.1 3.5 0.05 2.2
SB160 45 16 2.2 7.1 0.10 4.5
MSW80 65 24 7.4 34.3 0.17 15.6
M S W 160 129 47 14.7 68.5 0.34 31.1
 F. Pinamonti et al./Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143 139

For both composts the percentage increase, in relation to the control, of all the
heavy metals examined was higher for the EDTA extractable than for the 'total'
form. The application of MSW compost led to a significant increase in the
extractability of metals in the soil (the ratio EDTA extractable metal/'total' metal),
in contrast with the SB compost treatment, which did not significantly increase any
metal. This result highlights the difference between the two composts not only in
quantitative, but also in qualitative terms. The application of MSW compost caused
a redistribution of the heavy metals, especially the more mobile ones, among the
various chemical forms present in the soil.

3.9. Metals in leaves and fruits

Even when soil values were increased, Zn or Cu concentrations in apple leaves or

fruits in relation to the control were not higher. This result is in contrast with data
commonly found in literature [20,35], which usually demonstrates the facility with
which plants assimilate these two metals. This can be explained by the numerous Zn
and Cu-based fungicide measures used, which may have contributed to masking
possible further accumulation in leaves and fruits: following normal practice in
fruit-growing, 4-5 kg/ha of Zn and 2-3 kg/ha of Cu are distributed annually on
the foliage to protect the crops.
It emerges clearly that the SB compost applications did not bring about any
significant variation in apple tree assimilation of Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr. This compost
had no effect on the movement of these metals from the soil into the vegeto-pro-
ductive organs of the plants.
The MSW compost, in contrast, led to significant variations in these four metals
in the epigeous organs. Following the application of MSW compost there was a
significant increase in Ni and Cr--metals defined as being of limited mobility and
difficult to assimilate [36,37]--in the leaves and fruits, but only with highest
amount of MSW compost. This compost also enriched the soil considerably in
EDTA extractable Cd and Pb, greatly increasing their uptake by the plants. This
result amply confirms the indications found in literature for Cd, which is believed
to be the most dangerous element for human health: this metal, with no biological
function, is frequently absorbed by and can easily be accumulated in plants [38-43].

3.10. Correlation between the heavy metal concentrations in soil, leaves and fruits

There are certain observations to be made on the correlation noted between the
forms of metal present in the soil and their concentration in the plants. For this
purpose indices of simple correlation were calculated between the concentration of
each metal in the soil (for both 'total' and EDTA extractable form), the leaves and
the fruits (Table 6). With the exception of Cd (due to the unavailability of the
relevant data for the 'total' form, the values being below the analytical method's
sensitivity of 3 mg/kg), statistically significant and positive correlations were
observed between 'total' and EDTA extractable concentrations in the soil for all the
metals. Despite the marked heterogeneity of the data regarding different soils, these
140 F. Pinamonti et al./ Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143

Table 6
Simple correlation indices between the heavy metal content in soil, leaves and fruit

Zn Cu Ni Pb Cd Cr

Soil 'total'× soil 0.88 ** 0.95 ** 0.84 ** 0.96 ** -- 0.72 *

EDTA
Soil 'total'×leaves -0.05 NS -0.10 NS 0.19 NS -0.18 NS -- 0.61 *
Soil 'total'× fruit 0.11 NS -0.15 NS 0.32 NS -0.04 NS -- 0.11 NS
Soil EDTA x leaves 0.07 NS 0.07 NS 0.34 NS -0.31 NS 0.05 NS 0.25 NS
Soil EDTA x fruit -0.13 NS -0.14 NS -0.02 NS 0.04 NS 0.14 NS 0.17 NS
Leaves×fruit 0.08 NS 0.61 * 0.12 NS -0.26 NS 0.13 NS 0.73 *

*, significant with P<0.05; **, significant with P_<0.01; NS, not significant.

correlations proved to be highly significant. Although the soils on which the

experiment was conducted had analogous chemical characteristics, their heavy
metal content differed notably (Table 1).
No significant correlation emerged, however, between the metal content--in
both 'total' and EDTA extractable form--in the soil and their concentrations in
the epigeous organs. This can be explained by the heterogeneity of the metal
content in different soils. It emerged clearly that even plants cultivated in soils
containing greatly varying amounts of metal had similar concentrations of the same
elements in the leaves and the apples; for example, in the leaves and apples
analogous Pb content was noted in soils with EDTA extractable Pb concentrations
of 12 and 65 mg/kg.
To sum up, the EDTA, while proving suitable for quantifying the environmental
impact of compost with different levels of contamination by heavy metals, was not
effective in defining the level of heavy metals present in the soil and actually
assimilated b y t h e plants. For this purpose, a milder extractant--such as CaC1z -
may be more suitable. Recent work [44] has shown that with CaClz the extraction
of only those forms of metal actually available to the plants is possible; more useful
information can thus be provided on the danger to the environment of the metals
introduced by the compost.

4. Conclusions

The experiment clearly demonstrates that MSW compost, used over a 6 year
period, increased concentrations of Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd and Cr in soils and, with the
exception of Zn and Cu, in apple leaves and fruits. However, no symptoms of
phytotoxicity by metals were observed in the trials.
SB compost, used over a 6 year period and containing a far lower amount of
heavy metals than MSW compost, only caused significant increases in the case of
Zn in the soil, and did not lead to any variation in the concentrations of the other
heavy metals tested. This compost, therefore, can be considered a valid alternative
to traditional commercial soil conditioners (manure) given that, if of high-quality,
it safeguards both the environment and healthy crops.
 F. Pinamonti et al./Resources, Conservation and Recycling 21 (1997) 129-143 141

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