Evaluation of Silicate Iron Slag as a Potential Methane Mitigating Method

Abstract

Application of electron acceptors to mitigate CH4 emissions form paddy fields deserves special attention, especially for ferric iron oxides as its dominant role over all other redox species. Silicate iron slag is a by-product of the steel industry.We added it in the experiemental sites of paddy fields in the Fuzhou Plain, a subtropical coastal plain region.. After the addition of the silicate iron slag, the soil showed a lower soil Eh and higher pH, especially at the early period of cultivation(about one week). CH4 emission during the cultivation period significantly decreased, about 26.4%, 43.3% and 48.9% for 2 Mg ha-1, 4 Mg ha-1and 8 Mg ha-1 silicate iron slag treaments, respectively. In conclusion, silicate iron slag could be considered as an effective method to mitigate CH4 emissions from subtropical paddy fields.