Use of Phosphate Materials as Ameliorants for Acid Mine Drainage. Volume 2. Use of Phosphate Clay in Revegetation of Minesoils: A Greenhouse Study

摘要

Acid mine drainage from the high sulfur coal mining industry in West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, Ohio, western Kentucky and Illinois is the primary environmental problem facing this industry. Mine acid drainage has adversely affected streams and surface revegetation of abandoned mined lands. The effectiveness of application of phosphatic clay slurries in the revegetation of mine soils is examined in a greenhouse study. It is concluded that phosphatic clays have a potential for amending minesoils for revegetation purposes. Phosphatic clay treatment produced higher crop yields than treatments with rock phosphate or monocalcium phosphate. In addition, phosphatic clays improved uptake of macronutrients in plants grown on both shale and sandstone minesoils.