Investigation of Lithium Application and Effect of Organic Matter on Soil Health

Muhammad Umar Hayyat, Rab Nawaz, Zafar Siddiq, Muhammad Bilal Shakoor, Maira Mushtaq, Sajid Rashid Ahmad, Shafaqat Ali, Afzal Hussain, Muhammad Atif Irshad, Abdulaziz Abdullah Alsahli and Mohammed Nasser Alyemeni
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Muhammad Umar Hayyat: Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Rab Nawaz: Department of Environmental Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Zafar Siddiq: Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Muhammad Bilal Shakoor: College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Maira Mushtaq: Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Sajid Rashid Ahmad: College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Shafaqat Ali: Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Afzal Hussain: Department of Environmental Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Muhammad Atif Irshad: Department of Environmental Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Abdulaziz Abdullah Alsahli: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Nasser Alyemeni: Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: The extensive use of lithium (Li) ion-based batteries has increased the contamination of soil and water systems due to widespread dispersal of Li products in the environment. In the current study, the influence of Li application on soil fertility and leachate was observed. Three soil samples were collected and five treatments of Li (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/L) were applied. After three months of Li treatment, leachate was collected and soil samples were subjected to physical and chemical analyses. The results showed that the mean values of soil pH were increased slightly after Li application while electrical conductivity (EC) ranged from 1.2 to 5.1 µS/cm, indicating that soil was slightly saline in nature. The sodium was observed to be greater than the recommended values (0.3–0.7 mg/kg) in Li-amended soil while calcium and magnesium values decreased in soils compared to untreated soil. Mean values of phosphorus and potassium were greater before Li application and reduced considerably after Li application. Leachate analysis showed that all the parameters differed significantly except those of zinc and iron. The EC of leachate samples ranged from 2286–7188 µS/cm, which shows strong salinity. The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) ranged from 1–11, which indicates that it falls into the marginal soil category. Lithium concentration in leachate samples ranged from 0–95 mg/L, which was significantly higher than the acceptable value for lithium (2.5 mg/L) in leachate. A soil sample (3) with an additional 10% organic matter showed that after Li application, the loss of nutrients in leachate was less as compared to the other two samples, demonstrating that organic matter improved soil conditions and suppressed the negative effects of Li on soil. Our results could raise concerns about risks in situations where food and fodder crops are associated with Li-contaminated waste disposal.

Keywords: lithium; soil fertility; nutrients; leaching; sorption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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