A manufactured soil product made using bauxite residue was compared with sand as a plant growth medium in a 24-week column experiment. Ryegrass yield was greater from Turba than sand whether supplied with slow release or soluble fertilizer. Exchangeable Ca, K, Mg, Na, cation exchange capacity and extractable P were all greater from Turba than sand. Over the experiment, exchangeable Na+ in Turba decreased from 94.6 to 39-42 mmolc kg-1 while exchangeable Ca2+ increased from 131 to 152-157 mmolc kg-1. Organic matter content and the size and activity of the soil micobial community was greater in Turba than sand. Sodium accounted for 83-87% of & sum;C (sum of cations) in Turba leachates and the main balancing anions were Cl-, HCO3- and SO42-. There were spikes in NH4+, K+ and H2PO4- in leachates immediately after soluble fertilizer applications for sand but no such effect occurred for Turba. Mean concentrations of metals present as oxyanions (As, Ga, Mo, Se and V) in leachates were an order of magnitude greater from Turba than from sand and concentrations of V (160-210 mu g L-1), Se (7-10 mu g L-1), Mo (30-48 mu g L-1) and particularly As (17-18 mu g L-1) in leachates were near or above international drinking water standards. In the future it may be necessary to curtail the risk of leaching of such metal oxyanions by either immobilizing them in the Turba or leaching them from Turba during its manufacture.