Soil contamination by Pb poses a significant risk to human health. The municipality of Santo Amaro da Purificação, Bahia, Brazil, has one of the most severe cases of contamination of this metal in the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of humic acids and activated charcoal as soil amendments for reducing the toxicity of Pb to corn plants grown in contaminated soil collected near the area of the company responsible for the contamination. Application rates were based on the C content of the materials (humic acid from composting -AHv, commercial humic acid - AHc, and charcoal - CV) and corresponded to 0, 0.75, 1.5, 3 and 7.5 g kg-1 of C in the soil. At 43 days of growth, the plants were cut at ground level, separated into shoots and roots, and Pb contents were determined by nitro-perchloric digestion. The concentrations of chlorophyll a and b were also evaluated to evaluate the effect of the metal on the photosynthetic apparatus. The soil amendments applied to contaminated soil were effective in reducing the stress of Pb in corn plants. The highest efficiency was obtained from AHv, followed by CV and AHc. All the soil amendments tested decreased translocation of Pb to the shoots. This implies a greater fixation of the metal in the soil and, consequently, a reduction in the risk of transfer to the food chain. For this reason, these materials can be recommended as soil amendments for Pb phytostabilization in soils.
soil pollution; heavy metals; trace elements; chlorophyll
