RESUMO
Field experiments were conducted to study the toxicity of added copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) in soils to wheat and metal accumulation in wheat plants. The results showed that the yields of wheat straw and grain were decreased with the increasing concentration of Cu and Ni added to soils. The added Cu concentrations yielding 10% inhibition of wheat yield (EC10) were 499.6 mg x kg(-1) for alkaline soils (Dezhou, pH 8.90), and 55.7 mg x kg(-1) for acidic soils (Qiyang, pH 5.31). The toxicity of Cu or Ni in acidic soils were significantly higher than that in alkaline soils. With increasing addition of Cu or Ni, the contents of Cu in wheat grains initially increased and then keep at constant level, while the accumulation of Ni in grains linearly increased. The contents of Cu and Ni in Qiyang wheat grains were 6.07-9.26 mg x kg(-1) and 0.53-31.78 mg x kg(-1), and those of in Dezhou were 5.24-10. 52 mg x kg(-1) and 0.16-25.33 mg x kg(-1). In both field experimental sites, the contents of Cu in wheat grains meet the national standard for food safety. These findings showed that Cu is more relevant to ecological risk assessments than to food safety assessments for wheat grown in soils that have been contaminated with Cu.