Fertilization assures mineral nutrition but does not overcome the effects of Fe accumulation in plants grown in iron ore tailings

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 29; no. 12; pp. 18047 - 18062
• Main Authors: Cruz, Fernanda Vieira da Silva, Gomes, Marcelo Pedrosa, Bicalho, Elisa Monteze, Garcia, Queila Souza
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-03-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Brazil; Chlorophyll; Dumping; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Fertilization; Indigenous species; Iron; Iron compounds; Iron ores; Leaf area; Leaves; Manganese; Metal concentrations; Micronutrients; Mine tailings; Mineral fertilizers; Minerals; Mining industry; Nutrient availability; Nutrients; Nutrition; Original Paper; Performance evaluation; Photosystem II; Plant growth; Plant species; Plants; Soil; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soils; Tailings; Translocation; Tubes; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Brazil; Iron concentration; Mineral nutrition; Plant growth; Degraded areas; Fundão dam; Samarco
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16989-3

The rupture of Fundão dam was the biggest environmental disaster of the worlds’ mining industry, dumping tons of iron ore tailings into the environment. Studies have shown that the Fundão dam’s tailings are poor in nutrients and have high Fe and Mn concentration. In this context, our objective was to evaluate the growth performance of two native tree species (
Bowdichia virgilioides
and
Dictyoloma vandellianum
) in two treatments: fertilized soil and fertilized tailings. We hypothesize that the high concentrations of iron and manganese in the tailings can impair the growth performance of plants by interfering with the absorption of nutrients made available through fertilization. Soil and tailings samples were collected in the municipality of Barra Longa (MG, Brazil), and then fertilized with mixed mineral fertilizer (“Osmocote Plus 15–9-12” at 7.5 g L
−1
). The experiment was conducted for 75 days in a greenhouse using 180 cm
3
tubes. We evaluate chlorophyll content, maximal PSII quantum yield, root length, shoot length, root:shoot ratio, leaf area, specific leaf area and leaf area ratio, dry mass, macro- and micronutrients concentration in the tissues, and metal translocation factor. Although assuring the adequate levels of the main nutrients to plant growth (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg), the fertilization did not reverse the negative effect of tailing on these species. The high concentration of Fe in the tissues associated with less biomass production, lower plant height, smaller leaf area, bigger specific leaf area, and reduced chlorophyll content indicates a probable phytotoxic effect of iron present in the tailings for
D. vandellianum
. Our results base further field evaluations and longer experiments, which will facilitate the understanding of the performance of tree species submitted to tailings with fertilization. So far, this study suggests that
B. virgilioides
are more tolerant to excess Fe from the tailings of Fundão dam than
D. vandellianum
.