Passive phytoextraction of toxic elements from sewage sludge compost by Salix viminalis energy plants.

Basket willow (Salix viminalis L.) was grown in open-field experiment. The brown forest soil (sand texture, pHKCl 7.7, humus 1.6%, CEC 11.5 cmolc/kg; Cd-0.11, Cu-7.1, Pb-8.1, Zn-25.0 mg/kg in aqua regia extract) was treated with municipal sewage sludge compost (MSSC) (25 t/ha wet weight, 12.8 t/ha dry weight in 2009; 50 and 100 t/ha wet weight, 25.4 t/ha and 50.8 t/ha dry weight in 2008). The MSSC was moderately contaminated with toxic metals (Cd-<0.5, Cu-140, Pb-19, Zn-440 mg/kg in aqua regia extract in 2008, and Cd-<0.5, Cu-299, Pb-69, Zn-865 mg/kg in aqua regia extract in 2009). Accumulation of Zn in treated willow leaves doubled 4 months after 25 t/ha MSSC application, while in treated twig tips 30% less Zn was found than in control. Zn (max. 133 mg/kg d.w.), Cd (max. 1.15 mg/kg d.w.) and Cu (max. 7.73 mg/kg d.w.) accumulations in leaves or twig tips of basket willow were 16 months after 50 or 100 t/ha MSSC application. Twenty months after MSSC application in the harvested twigs (shoots without leaves...