Effect of contamination with copper and mineral or organic amendments on the content of trace elements in soil

The effect of increasing contamination with copper on the content of trace elements in soil after application of compost, bentonite and zeolite has been examined. The contents of copper, cadmium, lead, chromium, zinc, nickel, manganese, iron and cobalt were determined in soil. Soil contamination with copper and the application of neutralizing substances (compost, bentonite and zeolite) had significant effects on the contents of trace elements in soil. Copper pollution mainly caused a very high increase in the content of copper and a smaller one in the amount of cadmium in soil. Copper contamination caused a decrease in the content of cobalt, nickel, zinc, manganese, iron and lead in soil. All of applied substances, especially zeolite, reduced the content of copper, as well as cadmium, chromium and, to a smaller extent, lead and manganese in soil. It is worth noticing that the effect of zeolite was much stronger than the effect of bentonite or compost. Compost acted similarly with respect to cobalt and nickel. Zeolite had a similar effect on the content of zinc and iron in soil. Bentonite had a comparable influence on the accumulation of zinc in the soil. In turn, bentonite and zeolite contributed to an increase in the content of nickel and cobalt in the soil.