Effect of Olive‐Derived Organic Amendments on Lead, Zinc, and Biochemical Parameters of an Artificially Contaminated Soil

Abstract An incubation experiment was conducted to ascertain the effects of three olive‐derived organic amendments (fresh, compost, and vermicompost olive cake) on the soluble and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)–extractable lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) and on different enzymatic activities in an artificially contaminated calcareous soil. Application of the compost and vermicompost, which increased amounts of humic acids in soil, initially stimulated dehydrogenase, s‐glucosidase, and urease activities, which tended to decline afterward. In contrast, dehydrogenase and s‐glucosidase activities were lower after application of the fresh olive cake. Amounts of soluble Pb and Zn increased when fresh olive cake was added to the soil, due to the high content of water‐soluble carbon in this amendment. On the contrary, application of the compost and vermicompost decreased the concentration of soluble Zn and did not change the soluble Pb levels in the soil. The DTPA‐Pb and DTPA‐Zn were scarcely affected by the ...