title: Safe use of metal-contaminated agricultural land by cultivation of energy maize (Zea mays).
abstract: Production of food crops on trace element-contaminated agricultural lands in the Campine region (Belgium) can be problematic as legal threshold values for safe use of these crops can be exceeded. Conventional sanitation of vast areas is too expensive and alternatives need to be investigated. Zea mays on a trace element-contaminated soil in the region showed an average yield of 53 ± 10 Mg fresh or 20 ± 3 Mg dry biomass ha(-1). Whole plant Cd concentrations complied with legal threshold values for animal feed. Moreover, threshold values for use in anaerobic digestion were met. Biogas production potential did not differ between maize grown on contaminated and non-contaminated soils. Results suggested favorable perspectives for farmers to generate non-food crops profitably, although effective soil cleaning would be very slow. This demonstrates that a valuable and sustainable alternative use can be generated for moderately contaminated soils on which conventional agriculture is impaired.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Applied Ecochemistry, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Slycken
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Witters
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meers
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peene
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adriaensen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruttens
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vangronsveld
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Du Laing
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wierinck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Dael
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Passel
authors.forename: F M G
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Tack
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D056804:Biofuels; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D008670:Metals; D012989:Soil Pollutants