Abstract
Coal fly ash (FA) has a potential to be used as a soil amendment for growing plants. Toxicity of heavy metals present in FY, FA high salinity, and high pH of coal FA may potentially restrict or even prevent plant growth on the media with high concentration of FA. Sphagnum peat moss (SPM) shows a potential to ameliorate coal FA based plant media by improving the texture of such media, making media less harder, decreasing high pH of the media, and potentially binding heavy metals present in FA. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of growth media containing differing concentration of FA and/or sphagnum peat moss (SPM) on growth of selected plants. The following plant species have been tested: barley (Hordeum vulgare), oats (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale), wheat (Triticum aestivum), Regreen; a hybrid between wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), Triticale; a hybrid between wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rye (Secale cereale),, and perennial ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum). The addition of SPM to FA based plant growth media expressed ameliorative role, allowing the growth of seedlings on such media. In addition, our results indicate that the transfer of heavy metals from coal FA to plants and possibly to a food chain either did not exist or was very low.