35 research outputs found
Fate of biosolids trace metals in a dryland wheat agroecosystem
Biosolids land application for beneficial reuse applies varying
amounts of trace metals to soils. Measuring plant-available or
total soil metals is typically performed to ensure environmental
protection, but these techniques do not quantify which
soil phases play important roles in terms of metal release or
attenuation. This study assessed the distribution of Cd, Cr,
Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn associated with soluble/exchangeable,
specifically adsorbed/carbonate-bound, amorphous Mn
hydroxyoxide-bound, amorphous Fe hydroxyoxideâbound,
organically complexed, and residual inorganic phases. Biosolids
were applied every 2 yr from 1982 to 2002 (except in 1998)
at rates of 0, 6.7, 13.4, 26.8, and 40.3 dry Mg biosolids ha?1
to 3.6- by 17.1-m plots. In 2003, 0- to 20-cm and 20- to
60-cm soil depths were collected and subjected to 4 mol L?1
HNO3 digestion and sequential extraction. Trace metals were
concentrated in the 0- to 20-cm depth, with no significant
observable downward movement using 4 mol L?1 HNO3 or
sequential extraction. The sequential extraction showed nearly
all measurable Cd present in relatively mobile forms and Cr,
Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, and Zn present in more resistant phases.
Biosolids application did not affect Cd or Cr fractionation
but did increase relatively immobile Cu, Mo, and Zn phases
and relatively mobile Cu, Ni, and Pb pools. The mobile
phases have not contributed to significant downward metal
movement. Long-term, repeated biosolids applications at rates
considered several times greater than agronomic levels should
not significantly contribute to downward metal transport and
ground water contamination for soils under similar climatic
conditions, agronomic practices, and histories
Nitrate leaching from Kentucky bluegrass soil columns predicted with anion exchange membranes
Ideal nitrogen (N) management for turfgrass supplies sufficient N for high-quality turf without increasing N leaching losses. A greenhouse study was conducted during two 27-week periods to determine if in situ anion exchange membranes (AEMs) could predict nitrate (NO3-N) leaching from a Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) turf grown on intact soil columns. Treatments consisted of 16 rates of N fertilizer application, from 0 to 98 kg N ha-1 mo-1. Percolate water was collected weekly and analysed for NO3-N. Mean flow-weighted NO3-N concentration and cumulative mass in percolate were exponentially related (pseudo-R2=0.995 and 0.994, respectively) to AEM desorbed soil NO3-N, with a percolate concentration below 10 mg NO3-N L-1 corresponding to an AEM soil NO3-N value of 2.9 micro g cm-2 d-1. Apparent N recovery by turf ranged from 28 to 40% of applied N, with a maximum corresponding to 4.7 micro g cm-2 d-1 AEM soil NO3-N. Turf colour, growth, and chlorophyll index increased with increasing AEM soil NO3-N, but these increases occurred at the expense of increases in NO3-N leaching losses. These results suggest that AEMs might serve as a tool for predicting NO3-N leaching losses from turf