The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of application of increasing doses of flue dust on the accumulation and availability of the metals Zn, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb in two surface soil samples and in corn plants (Zea mays L.). The experiment was carried out at the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil, under greenhouse conditions, using corn as test plant, grown in two Typic Eutrorthox at two pH levels (5,0 e 6,0). The Zn sources were flue dust and pure ZnSO4 applied at the following rates: 0; 5; 50 and 150 mg.dm-3 Zn. The extraction of Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr and Ni from the soil was accomplished using the DTPA-TEA pH 7,5 and Mehlich-1 solutions methods. The smallest Zn dose added to the soil as flue dust provided higher values than the critical levels for the aerial part of the plant. The Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni concentrations were, in the aerial part and in the soil, lower than the critical levels for toxicity. The correlation coefficients between the Zn extracted from the soil by the two solutions and Zn concentration in corn aerial part were significant and similar in both soils. It may be concluded, in the conditions studied, that flue dust is an efficient source of Zn to corn, and that the extractants were efficient to indicate its phytoavailability, but unefficient to the other metal studied. Zinc availability decreased with increasing pH.
heavy metals; metallurgic residues; extractants
