Department of Plant Sciences

The aim of the study was to determine the usefulness of a few selected mineral substances for revitalization of the post-flotation sediments generated in the process of copper ore output, and deposited in the mine waste dump in Iwiny near Bolesławiec, in the region of Lower Silesia. In the course of greenhouse and field experiments the mine sand, quarry overlay, barren rock and phosphogypsum individually as well as in the mixture with different proportion of phosphogypsum, were examined. Second objective of the study was selection of the plant species with the highest growth capacity available under the conditions above. Pea (Pisum sativum), alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and red clover (Trifolium pratanse), as well as the mixtures of the three species mentioned or red clover and grasses, were chosen for testing. Throughout the experiment the species best equipped for settling in the habitat discussed was shown to be pea and alfalfa, with the highest crop yield. By contrast, the lowest growth rate and the productivity were observed for the mixture of red clover and grasses. The best mineral waste selected for the revitalization of the post-flotation dump was demonstrated to be phosphogypsum mixed in various proportions with the mine sand and the quarry overlay. The macroelements composition measured in the selected species tissues was uniform with the one characterized in the plants grown in the natural land, and the heavy metals content determined has established within the permissible norm.