In recent years, soil pollution caused by heavy metals has emerged as a global issue. Several industrial by-products like red mud, flyash and steel slag have been potentially used as soil amendments for remediation of contaminated soil. A study was conducted under controlled green house condition to evaluate the effects of modified steel slag (acid modified steel slag, ACMSS and spent wash modified steel slag, SWMSS) application on soil quality and spinach yield in a Cu contaminated Vertisol. The dry matter yield of spinach leaf and root was recorded during 2015-16 and 2016-17 and the post harvest soil sample was analyzed for bioavailable Cu content. The results revealed that steel slag (SS) or modified steel slag application showed significant effect on soil properties over control. Among the treatments, SWMSS and spent wash (SW) application resulted in significant increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) over control. DTPA extractable Cu was significantly reduced by 28.8%, 21.9% and 9.

Modified steel slag, Spent wash, Spinach crop, Copper contaminated soil, Phosphatase activity, Dehydrogenase activity.

Heavy metal contaminations in soil due to anthropogenic activities are evident and become global issues in recent years. Historically, several technologies exist to remediate heavy metal contaminated soil; however, the most promising technology for remediation of contaminated sites is contaminants stabilization particularly heavy metals by the incorporation of organic or inorganic amendments in soil. To conclude from the present study it clearly implicate that steel slag treated with HCl (acid modified steel slag) has greater potential in reducing the mobility of heavy metal in soil and its subsequent transfer to edible plant parts (spinach leaf) as evidenced by reduction in DTPA extractable Cu in the post harvest soil sample of a Cu Contaminated Vertisol. Further studies on heavy metal release from the adsorbed steel slag or modified slag under long term experiments needs to be evaluated.

Coumar, M.V., Sharma, M., Jain, R.C., Saha, J.K., Gupta, S.C., Rajendiran, S. and Patra, A.K. (2021). Effect of Modified Steel Slag Application as Soil Amendment on Soil Quality and Spinach Yield in a Copper Contaminated Vertisol. Biological Forum – An