title: Barium uptake by maize plants as affected by sewage sludge in a long-term field study.
abstract: A long-term experiment was carried out under field conditions in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil, with the objective of evaluating the concentration of Ba in soil and in maize plants grown in a soil treated with sewage sludge for nine consecutive years. During 2005/2006, maize was used as test plants and the experimental design was in randomized complete blocks with four treatments and five replicates. Treatments consisted of: 0.0, 45.0, 90.0 and 127.5 t ha(-1) sewage sludge (dry basis). Sewage sludge application increased soil Ba concentration. Barium accumulated in the parts of maize plants were generally affected by the successive applications of sewage sludge to the soil. However, the concentration of Ba in maize grain did not exceed the critical levels of Ba for human consumption. Sewage sludge applied to soil for a long time did not affect dry matter and grain production, nevertheless had the similar effect of mineral fertilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Nutrition, Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. tarnogueira@gmail.com
authors.forename: Thiago Assis Rodrigues
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Wanderley José
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: deMelo
authors.forename: Ivana Machado
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Marcos Omir
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.forename: Zhenli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D001464:Barium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D005308:Fertilizers; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D012722:Sewage; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001464:Barium