Table 2.
Physical and chemical analyses of compost used in this study (±1 standard deviation (SD), n = 3)
| Description | Average value (±SD) | Italian legislation limit (D.lsg 75/10) |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 6. 7 ± 0.1 | 6 ≤ x ≤ 8.5 |
| Moisture (%) | 21.8 ± 0.7 | ≤50 |
| Ashes (% d.w.) | 48.2 ± 1.2 | — |
| Organic carbon (% d.w.) | 26.5 ± 2.6 | ≥20 |
| Organic nitrogen (% d.w.) | 2.3 ± 0.05 | — |
| Total nitrogen (% d.w.) | 2.6 ± 0.07 | — |
| Total phosphorus (% d.w.) | 1.0 ± 0.05 | — |
| Carbon/nitrogen | 11.7 | ≤25 |
| Humic and fulvic carbon (% d.w.) | 16.7 ± 1.7 | ≥7 |
| Salinity (dS m−1) | 3.2 ± 0.3 | — |
| Chrome(VI) (mg kg−1 d.w.) | <0.010 | ≤0.5 |
| Cadmium (mg kg−1 d.w.) | <0.001 | ≤1.5 |
| Mercury (mg kg−1 d.w.) | <0.010 | ≤1.5 |
| Nichel (mg kg−1 d.w.) | 7.8 ± 0.8 | ≤100 |
| Lead (mg kg−1 d.w.) | 26.3 ± 2.1 | ≤140 |
| Zinc (mg kg−1 d.w.) | 242.7 ± 12.1 | ≤500 |
| Copper (mg kg−1 d.w.) | 139.1 ± 11.1 | ≤230 |
d.w., dry weight.