Batchelder, Nancy

Estes, George O.

Zhao, Jiangiang

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryNH Water Resources Research Center Scholarship NH Water Resources Research Center6-1-1996RELEASE OF NITRATE-NITROGEN ANDHEAVY METALS FROM LAND APPLIEDBIOSOLIDS IN NORTHERN AREASGeorge O. EstesUniversity of New HampshireJiangiang ZhaoUniversity of New HampshireNancy BatchelderUniversity of New HampshireFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/nh_wrrc_scholarshipThis Report is brought to you for free and open access by the NH Water Resources Research Center at University of New Hampshire Scholars'Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in NH Water Resources Research Center Scholarship by an authorized administrator of University ofNew Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationEstes, George O.; Zhao, Jiangiang; and Batchelder, Nancy, "RELEASE OF NITRATE-NITROGEN AND HEAVY METALS FROMLAND APPLIED BIOSOLIDS IN NORTHERN AREAS" (1996). NH Water Resources Research Center Scholarship. 99.https://scholars.unh.edu/nh_wrrc_scholarship/99RELEASE OF NITRATE-NITROGEN AND HEAVY METALS FROM LAND APPLIED BIOSOLIDS IN NORTHERN AREAS  Principal Investigators: Dr. George Estes, Jianqiang Zhao and Nancy Batchelder, University of New Hampshire  Descriptors: Land application, sludge, ground water, soil water, nutrients, crop yield Problem and Research Objectives:  The research involves on-farm, field-scale studies with biosolids from Concord and Hanover, NH, and is designed to identify best management strategies for their appropriate use when applied to agricultural land. The specific objectives for this research were: (1) to determine the relationship between N loading rates, nitrate-N production and changes in NO3 - N concentrations of soil profiles at four rates of broadcast, soil-incorporated biosolids; (2) to identify the extent of nutrients and metal accumulation and mobility within soil profiles, uptake by crops, and their movement beyond the root zone at four application rates of biosolids. Principal Findings and Significance:  Biosolid application has produced negligible improvements in crop yield due to a high degree of residual fertility in the soil at both sites. At Site 2, no statistically significant differences occurred in yield of silage corn for 1993, but in 1994 significant yield increases (over controls) were noted with Concord biosolids at the highest rates. At Site 1, no significant yield increases occurred in either 1993 or 1994 (compared to controls) following application of biosolids or manure. No significant change occurred in the concentration of heavy metals in plant tissue following soil incorporation of biosolids at either site. Metals were concentrated in the zone of incorporation (0-6") of the soil profile. Seasonal soil NO3 -N levels at Site 2 as measured via PSNT tests showed a peak release in early August from biosolids, which was not synchronous with the N needs of corn. Concentrations of NO3 -N in water samples collected by suction lysimeters located 4 feet below the soil surface were higher with biosolids compared to manure at comparable rates of total N application. While highly variable, NO3 -N concentrations from these lysimeters frequently exceeded federal drinking water standards of 10 ug g-1 . Monitoring wells installed in the summer of 1995 at Site 2 showed a fluctuating water table in June-July which varies from 13 to 14 feet; water samples collected from these wells showed NO3 -N concentrations to vary from 0.2 - 12 ug g-1 .  

RELEASE OF NITRATE-NITROGEN AND HEAVY METALS FROM LAND APPLIED BIOSOLIDS IN 
NORTHERN AREAS

https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1098&amp;context=nh_wrrc_scholarship

RELEASE OF NITRATE-NITROGEN AND HEAVY METALS FROM LAND APPLIED BIOSOLIDS IN NORTHERN AREAS

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UNH Scholars' Repository