Variation in the Concentration of Heavy Metal Contents in Minespoil Dumps and its Relation to Vegetational Establishments

With a view to utilisation of enormous minespoil dumps from increasing opencast mining, for vegetational establishments, characterisation of these materials have been undertaken with special reference to nutrients and heavy metals. Pb, Mn, Fe, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr, B and Cd in the soil and also in the grains of 13 different crops in different seasons have been determined before and after cropping using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Addition of ameliorating material, i.e., lime sludge from pulp and papermills have shown interesting results in the stabilisation of overburden material for cropping.