Selenium In Swiss-Chard Grown On Sewage Sludge-Cement Kiln Dust Amended Soil

A liming material is now being applied to agricultural land consisting of cement dust mixed with sewage sludge. Cement dust contains appreciable amounts of fly ash resulting from coal combustion during cement manufacture. Fly ash contains selenium which has been shown to be available to plants. Swiss chard was grown on soil amended with a sewage sludge-cement dust mixture. The plants absorbed significantly higher concentrations of selenium than control plants grown on unamended soil.