2. ENVIRONMENTAL ChEMISTRy & TEChNOLOGy 2.1. Lectures

Chem. Listy, 102, s265–s1311 (2008) Environmental Chemistry & Technology
P30 ThE EFFECT OF wASTE bASALT wOOLS
ON ThE ChEMICAL, AGROChEMICAL,
PEDOLOGICAL AND hyGIENIC-
TOxICOLOGICAL SOIL PARAMETERS
PETER KOVáČIK, ALEnA VOLLMAnnOVá and
JAROSLAV nOSKOVIČ
Department of Agrochemistry and Plant Nutrition,Faculty
of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of
Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovak
Republic,
Peter.Kovacik@uniag.sk
Introduction
The range of soil amendments applying in agriculture of
European countries, and Asia as well is considerably wider
than the one in Slovakia. However, after Slovak accession
to EU it has started to diversify year by year, as many soil
amendments affect positively on weathering of the mineral
soil elements and mineralization of organic soil elements.
They reduce production of non-soluble phosphorus compounds,
thereby affect positively on the level of available soil
nutrients. Consequently they are alternative sustaining harvest
stabilization due to the financial shortage for purchase of
the industrial and organic fertilizers 1 .
The trial aim was to ascertain the affect of two almost
identical recycled waste rock wools produced for hydroponic
plant growing (Agroban) and for building industry
(nobasyp) by the company Izomat nová Baňa on many soil
parameters.
Experimental
C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f t h e W a s t e
( R o c k ) B a s a l t W o o l s
nobasyp is a commercial name for loose minced
thermo-insulating material sold as nobasil. It is produced as
a result of milling (recycling) of nobasil which has not met
the requirements of the consumer (shape, thickness, colour,
etc.). Agrodrap can be obtained by scrapping the pieces of
rock wool (basalt wool) commercially sold as Agroban.
In a similar way like nobasyp, Agrodrap is produced with
the aim to evaluate Agroban which is made with different
parameters than the particular buyer requires. Appropriate
agrochemical and hygienic-toxicological parameters of used
waste rock (basalt) wools were the condition for their inclusion
in biological tests.
V e g e t a t i o n T r i a l s
The pot trial was realized in a vegetation cage located at
the Slovak Agricultural University in nitra. 25 kg of Haplic
Luvisol with a low content of C, accessible n and P and a
high content of K were weighed out into 30 kg pots –1 . Every
pot was sown with 100 spring barley grains. After the germination
the number of the individuals was united to 75
plants per pot. There were 8 treatments repeated four times
(0 – control; nS 1 – nobasyp dose of 20 t ha –1, AD 1 – Agro-
s395
drap dose of 20 t ha –1 ; nPK – the dose of nPK fertilizers
consisting of n dose – 140 kg ha –1 , P dose – 50 kg ha –1 and
K – 40 kg ha –1 ; nPK + nS 1 – fertilizers + the basic dose of
nobasyp 20 t ha –1 ; nPK + nS 1/2 – fertilizers + half a dose of
nobasyp 10 t ha –1 , nPK + AD 1 – fertilizers + the basic dose
of Agrodrap 20 t ha –1 ; nPK + AD 1/2 – fertilizers + half a dose
of Agrodrap ). The doses of nPK nutrients (n – 3 g pot –1 , P
– 1 g pot –1 , K – 2 g pot –1 ) were calculated taking into account
the n an and accessible P, K contents in the Haplic Luvisol as
well as the requirements of the nutrients for planned yield
(6 t ha –1 of the grain).
nitrogen was added in the fertilizer DAM 390, P in
a form of simple superphosphate and K in a form of 60 %
KCl. nobasyp and Agrodrap doses were chosen on the basis
of knowledge 2 .
The spring barley harvest was performed in a growth
phase DC 91. After the harvest the soil samples were taken
from the whole profile of each pot where was given a research
in the effect of waste rock wools on many soil parameters.
A n a l y t i c a l M e t h o d s
Specific electric conductivity (EC) was determined by
the conductometer Hana HI 8820 n. The hydrogen ions activity
was sensed potentiometrically by the glass electrode (in
a soil suspension) after 24 hours of effect 1M KCl on the soil.
The cation exchange capacity was detected as a sum of the
base of saturation and the total acidity of soil 3 . The total carbon
content was sensed oxidometrically, oxidation with K 2 Cr 2 O 7
in the environment H 2 SO 4 . Composition of humic substances
was detected by Kononova – Beltchikova method 3 . The content
of Cd, Pb, Cr, ni was detected after mineralization with
HF + HClO 4 by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
Results and Discussion
The application of nobasyp or Agrodrap (20 t ha –1 )
has statistically significantly increased the cation exchange
capacity (+ 35.7 % and + 17.2 %), the sum of exchange basic
cations (+ 42 % and + 21.4 %) and the base of saturation
of the soil (+ 4.7 % and + 3.6 %). The bulk density of the
soil has been decreased significantly as well (–5.7 % and
–2.5 %), whereas nobasyp has determined the parameters
more importantly than Agrodrap. Established results are at
disagreement with the contention 4 which assert that the use
of the mineral wool do not improve physical parameters of
the soil. The assertion is irrational, because their experiments
were narrowly focused on the effect of the wools on the water
reserves increase of eroded soil.
Both materials have had a positive effect on the total
carbon content (+ 2.1 % and + 9.3 %) and and the organic
matter quality, thereby have increased the humic acid share
in the soil, whereas Agrodrap has had more significant effect
on these parameters than nobasyp. The combined application
with nPK fertilizers has increased the positive effect of the
wools on the increase of the organic matter quality of the
soil.