Ml. Sander et O. Andren, ASH FROM CEREAL AND RAPE STRAW USED FOR HEAT-PRODUCTION - LIMING EFFECT AND CONTENTS OF PLANT NUTRIENTS AND HEAVY-METALS, Water, air and soil pollution, 93(1-4), 1997, pp. 93-108
The composition of 79 samples of straw ash from seven heating plants i
n Sweden was analysed with the aim of evaluating straw ash as a fertil
izer and liming agent. The variation in ash composition was explained
mainly by ash fraction (bottom ash vs. fly ash) and straw type (wheat,
barley, rye, rape) but also by heating plant. Compared with concentra
tions of Zn, Pb and Cd in bottom ash, levels in fly ash were 10-90 tim
es higher. Fly ash also contained more Cu and K compared with bottom a
sh. The Cd/P ratio was 0.03 in bottom ash and 0.6 g Cd/kg P in fly ash
. Ash from rape straw had a higher Ca content and liming effect compar
ed with ash from cereal straw; e.g., the liming effect of rape ash was
more than three times higher than that of wheat ash. The liming effec
t varied between 3.5 and 44% CaO and depended mainly on the Ca content
. The average P content was 1.7% (0.2-4.4%), with slightly higher conc
entration in rape ash than in wheat ash. The potential for using straw
ash as a fertilizer and liming agent is discussed. Compared with comm
ercial fertilizers the use of bottom ash as a P fertilizer results in
a lower addition of Cd. However, the total heavy metal content of stra
w ash poses a potential problem.