bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth and Trace Metal Content of European Sycamore Seedlings Grown in Soil Amended with Sewage Sludge
Authors: Lepp N. W. , Eardley G. T.
Published: July 2010

Seedlings of European sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) were grown under greenhouse conditions for 50 days in mixtures (by vol) of 100:0, 25:75, 50:50, 25:75, 0:100 commercial soil‐based potting medium/metal contaminated sewage sludge. At harvest, measurements of stem height, leaf number, node number, total leaf area, stem girth, and plant dry weight were made, prior to the analysis of total plant metal burdens. The results showed that increasing proportions of metal‐rich sewage had no detrimental effect on plant growth; indeed, in most cases, the seedlings from the high sludge treatment (75%) performed significantly better than those grown in 100% sludge or unamended potting medium. Total plant metal burdens were not excessive; the highest accumulations were found in the roots. The relevance of these results to proposals for using metal‐contaminated sewage sludges in land reclamation schemes, or as nonagricultural soil amendments, is discussed.
Growth and Elemental Composition of Corn and Bean Seedlings as Influenced by Soil Application of Coal Ash
Authors: Adriano D. C. , Woodford T. A. , Ciravolo T. G.
Published: July 2010

Analyses of 0.1N HCl extracts of ash (slag + fly ash) samples from bituminous coal revealed high concentrations of K, Ca, and Fe and intermediate concentrations of P, Mg, Cu, Mn, and Zn. Of the elements analyzed, the extractable concentrations increased as particle size decreased from >1,000 µm to <105 µm. The slightly acidic ashes were mixed with Troup sandy loam (Grossarenic Paleudults) at rates of 5, 10, and 20% (“fine” ash) by weight and equilibrated in a glasshouse for 1 mo before planting. “Coarse” ash was used at only the 10% rate. Corn (Zea mays L.) and bush bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) yields from ash‐amended soils were statistically equal to yields from a control treatment (no fertilizer or ash added) but significantly lower than fertilized (N‐P‐K) treatment. Corn exhibited P deficiency symptoms while symptoms characteristic of B toxicity occurred in beans. Analyses of tissues of both crops indicated that P concentrations were at deficiency levels while Cu, Mn, and Zn were deficient to marginal. Iron, however, appeared to be in the normal range. Salinity as indicated by EC of leachate of 3 mmhos/cm or greater, B excess as indicated by the toxicity symptoms in beans, and P deficiency as indicated by low P concentrations in plant tissues could limit crop growth in ash‐treated soils.
An Improved Soil‐Sampling Procedure for the Prediction of Dissolved Inorganic Phosphate Concentrations in Surface Runoff from Pasture
Authors: Sharpley A. N. , Syers J. K. , Tillman R. W.
Published: July 2010

Linear relationships were obtained between the mean concentration of dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) in each of several surface‐runoff events and the amounts of inorganic P extracted by 0.1M NaCl from the top 1 cm of soil sampled prior to the event. These relationships were similar for both unfertilized and fertilized, undrained pasture. This contrasted with the data obtained in the previous year for the same surface‐runoff plots, receiving the same treatments, where markedly different linear relationships were obtained using a 0–5 cm soil‐sampling depth. The modified soil‐sampling procedure provides a more generally applicable method of predicting the concentration of DIP in surface runoff from pastures of widely differing P status.
Root Development in Dairy Manure‐Treated Soil
Authors: Lund Zane F.
Published: July 2010

Effects of dairy cattle manure on root growth of two forage crops were evaluated in a rhizotron study. The four treatments consisted of mineral fertilizer mixed into or applied to surface soils; manure incorporated into surface soils at two rates: 70 and 140 metric tons/ha; and manure layered at 25‐cm depth between the surface and subsoil at 140 metric tons/ha.

Incorporation of manure promoted early root and top growth of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum [L.] Leeke vat. ‘Gahi‐1’). The increase in growth was attributed to increased soil temperature. The layered treatment acted as a barrier to gas movement and inhibited early root growth into the subsoil. Although lack of deep rooting reduced early top growth, millet eventually grew most rapidly on the layered treatment. Total dry matter yield on the layered treatment was equal to that from the 140 metric ton/ha incorporated treatment; lowest yield was on the mineral fertilizer treatment.

Yield of fall‐planted rye (Secale cereale L.) was. nearly three times that of the mineral‐fertilized plots. Root growth of rye was reduced with the high rate of incorporated manure.
Extractability of Cadmium, Copper, Nickel, and Zinc by Double Acid Versus DTPA and Plant Content at Excessive Soil Levels
Authors: Korcak R. F. , Fanning D. S.
Published: July 2010

Cadmium, copper, nickel, and zinc were applied as sulfate salts to samples of surface horizons of three Maryland soils in the greenhouse at rates of metals equivalent to those in 0 to 896 dry metric tons/ha of Washington, D.C., digested sewage sludge. The sludge was also applied at a rate of 224 dry metric tons/ha. Two pH regimes, approximately 5.5 and 6.5, were maintained. Metals were extracted by the DTPA (diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid buffered at pH 7.3) double acid (0.05N HCl, 0.025N H2SO4) extractants. Correlations were determined between extractable soil metals and metal content of two crops of corn (Zea mays L.) each grown for 30 days, but at times of 1 or 13 mo after making the chemical amendments to the soils.

Highly significant associations, r values ranging from 0.658 to 0.998, were obtained between the quantities of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn extracted by the two extractants. DTPA tended to extract smaller quantities of all metals and tended to be more indicative of reduced plant Zn and Cu uptake under limed conditions than double acid. Cadmium remained the most extractable after 14 mo by either extractant when expressed as a percent of the applied metal that was extractable. Overall metal extractability on this basis followed the order Cd > Cu > Zn > Ni, independent of soil type or extractant.

Sludge‐applied metals were approximately half as extractable as sulfate salt‐applied metals at comparable rates of application, but followed the same order of relative extractability.

Plant content ofCd, Cu, and Zn was significantly correlated, at the 1% level, with extractability of the respective metal for both extractants for metal salt‐amended soils. Correlations from the sludged soils were poor and generally not significant. Numerically higher and generally more significant correlations were obtained when the data were separated by lime level into two regression equations compared to a combined regression. The primary cause of this effect was the greater metal content of the plant tissue per unit of extractable metal on the low vs. the high pH soils, except for Cd, producing two distinct regression equations. This relationship was more pronounced with the first crop than with the second.
Effects of SO2 and NO2 on Nitrification in Soil
Authors: Labeda David P. , Alexander Martin
Published: July 2010

Nitrification in Lima loam, pH 7.2, was not affected by continuous exposure of the soil to 0.5 ppm of SO2 or to brief exposures to higher SO2 levels. Such treatment did not increase the levels of soluble K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, and Al. Intermittent exposure of Hudson silty clay loam, pH 5.0, to SO2 reduced the rate of nitrate formation. Continuous fumigation of the acid soil with 10 ppm of SO2 decreased the rate of nitrification, and continuous fumigation with as little as 1.0 ppm increased the quantity of soluble Mn and Fe. Continuous fumigation of Lima loam with 5 ppm NO2 inhibited the rate of ammonium disappearance, led to greater rates of nitrate formation, and resulted in nitrite accumulation. Nitrite at a level of 30 µg N/g of soil also reduced the rate of ammonium disappearance. The results demonstrate that nitrification in certain soils could be inhibited in areas acutely polluted with SO2 and NO2.
Nutrient Runoff from Fertilized and Unfertilized Fields in Western Canada
Authors: Nicholaichuk W. , Read D. W. L.
Published: July 2010

Nutrient transport in surface runoff from snow was measured from fertilized and unfertilized cropped and summerfallowed Wood Mountain loam fields in semiarid southwest Saskatchewan. The amount of nitrogen lost from unfertilized fields during spring runoff exceeded the limits purported to result in algal growth; however, the loss was agronomically insignificant.

It was concluded that since the N and P concentrations in runoff from unfertilized fertile agricultural soils exceed Saskatchewan Water Quality criteria, these guidelines may be regarded as unattainable under our present system of cereal cropping in western Canada.
Effects of Different Sewage Sludges on Some Chemical and Biological Characteristics of Soil
Authors: Mitchell M. J. , Hartenstein R. , Swift B. L. , Neuhauser E. F. , Abrams B. I. , Mulligan R. M. , Brown B. A. , Craig D. , Kaplan D.
Published: July 2010

Chemical and biological characteristics of an aerobically digested and three anaerobically digested sewage sludges from metropolitan Syracuse, N.Y. were analyzed. The aerobic digest had a higher organic fraction (ash 39%, carbohydrate 14%), more nitrogen (total N 4.2%), and more phosphorus (total P 1.71%) than the three anaerobic digests (ash 61–80%, carbohydrate 4–6%, total N 0.6–1.3%, and total P 0.75–1.71%). Potassium concentrations were low, and heavy metals varied among sludges.

In the two sludges taken directly from centrifuges, nematode density was low which contrasted to the high density of nematodes in sludge from drying beds. Enchytraeidae were found only in the aerobically digested sludge.

These sludges were applied separately onto pulverized soil (Teel silt loam) in randomized plots within a glasshouse. Samples were taken at intervals for 260 days and analyzed for chemical and biological components. Rates of change in ash, carbohydrate, total N, and total P were proportional to the original magnitude of these parameters, highest rates being exhibited by samples from plots amended with the aerobic digest; the aerobic digest lost 48% of its organic content in 162 days. Few significant changes over time were noted in available P, CEC, Cu, Zn, and K for a given plot type.

The earthworm Eisenia foetida was placed in the plots after 90 days since earlier experiments had shown that two of the fresh anaerobic sludges killed the worms. Earthworms were thriving 170 days after introduction.

There were no significant differences between plot types for catalase, peroxidase, or tyrosinase because of high intraplot variation. Total and viable bacterial populations were higher in the sludge amended plots than in arable soils, and declined with time. Mite and collembola populations were low in the sludge‐amended soil but similar to populations in arable soils. Those plots, which were amended with sludges originally deficient in nematodes, showed a rapid increase in these worms, which were bacterial feeders and predominantly Rhabditidae. Enchytraeids increased in all sludge‐amended plots at a slower rate than the nematodes.

The plots converged over time with respect to biological and chemical characteristics.
The Effect of Anaerobically Digested Sewage Sludge on Organic Fractions of Blount Silt Loam
Authors: Hohla G. N. , Jones R. L. , Hinesly T. D.
Published: July 2010

Lysimeters containing Blount silt loam (Aerie ochraqualf) were furrow irrigated with 298 metric tons/ha (as solids) of anaerobically digested sludge over the 6‐year period from May 1969 through April 1975. Soil organic carbon in the top 15 cm increased from 0.95 to 2.29% over this period. The greatest proportionate change among fractions of organic carbon was observed in the oil and grease fraction, which increased from 1.67 to 11.9% of the total soil organic carbon. No significant differences were observed between control and treated plots below the 30 cm level for any of the fractions except water‐extractable carbon. All organic fractions significantly increased with respect to control plots in leachate water sampled in 1975. Increases in total organic carbon due to sludge application were two‐ to threefold, from a minimum of 12.5 mg/liter in control plots to a maximum of 32.0 mg/liter in sludge‐treated plots. Carbohydrate carbon showed the greatest change among leachate‐water fractions, increasing from a high of 2.9 mg/liter for control plots to a high of 12.4 mg/liter for treated plots.
Insect Damage, Aspergillus flavus Ear Mold, and Aflatoxin Contamination in South Georgia Corn Fields in 1977
Authors: McMillian W. W. , Wilson D. M. , Widstrom N. W.
Published: July 2010

A survey of preharvest corn (Zea mays L.) in 31 counties in the Coastal Plain Region of Georgia suggested that ears molded by Aspergillus spp. of the Aspergillus flavus group and ears damaged by insects were widespread in about 810,000 ha (2 mllion acres) of corn grown in the area. Ninety percent of the field‐collected samples contained aflatoxin in excess of 20 µg/kg. Averagear damage by insects ranged from a low of 1.4 cm to a high of 8.9 cm. Highly significant correlations were found between insect damage and percentage of ears with visible A. flavus ear mold, between insect damage and aflatoxin contamination, and between percentage of ears with visible A. flavus ear mold and aflatoxin contamination.
Nitrogen and Phosphorus Losses from Organic Soils
Authors: Duxbury J. M. , Peverly J. H.
Published: July 2010

The nutrient content of drainage water from Histosols located in New York was monitored from June 1975 through July 1977. Continuous flow records and nutrient concentration data obtained from daily composite samples were used to calculate annual nutrient outputs which ranged from 0.6 to 30.7 kg/ha for PO4−‐P, 39.2 to 87.5 kg/ha for NO3−‐N, and <1.0 to 1.9 kg/ha for NH4+‐N. Nutrient concentrations in the drainage water increased with increasing flow, so that the greatest output of nutrients was during late winter and spring high‐flow events. Maximum observed concentrations were 35 mg/liter for NO3−‐N and 10 mg/liter for PO43−‐P.

The amount of N lost in drainage water was similar at all sites and was about 10% of that mineralized; the remainder was presumed to be denitrified. The fiftyfold variability in phosphorus output appeared to be related to interactions within the soil profile rather than fertilizer practices, although these probably contributed to the generally high levels found. It was concluded that fertilizer nitrogen additions were unlikely to affect the quantity of NO3− leached.

The study showed that organic soils can contribute to N and P in land runoff in much greater proportions than indicated by their area.
Redox Potentials in a Cropped Potato Processing Waste Water Disposal Field with a Deep Water Table
Authors: Smith J. H. , Gilbert R. G. , Miller J. B.
Published: July 2010

Redox potential measurements were made in a field irrigated with potato processing waste water at seven depths of 5 to 150 cm for 14 mo. Irrigation with canal water mixed with waste water in the summer, and with waste water in the winter, decreased redox potentials in the field at some depths for a short time but not enough to cause denitrification. However, as the soil temperature increased in the spring, and decomposition of the accumulated waste organic matter accelerated, redox potentials decreased after each irrigation at all observed depths. During April, redox potentials low enough to promote denitrification (below +225 mV) at 90‐, 120‐, and 150‐cm depths in the soil persisted for 2 weeks. Irrigation with nondiluted waste water in June and July decreased redox potentials and denitrification occurred for up to 3 days after irrigations. As the soil temperature increased in the spring, nitrification of accumulated organic matter increased soil nitrates. Waste water irrigations from April to July promoted denitriflcation, removing most of the nitrate from the soil, and thereby decreasing the potential for ground water pollution.
Simazine Residue Levels in Irrigation Water after Ditchbank Application for Weed Control
Authors: Anderson Lars W. J. , Pringle John C. , Raines Roger W. , Sisneros David A.
Published: July 2010

A field study was conducted to determine the amount of simazine [2‐chloro‐4,6‐bis(ethylamino)‐s‐triazine] likely to be found in irrigation water after ditchbank treatment for weed control. Resulting data are useful in evaluating the potential impact of simazine on crops irrigated from sprayed canals. Canals were selected in California, Colorado, and Washington for the application of simazine to both watered and dewatered sites at rates of 2.25 to 7.43 kg/ha. Simazine levels in flowing canal water immediately after herbicide application did not exceed 60 µg/liter. In first‐flow samples collected in the spring from the sites that were dewatered at application, simazine levels peaked at about 250 µg/liter within the treated section but decreased rapidly to <5 µg/liter.
Bromacil in Lakeland Soil Ground Water
Authors: Hebb Edwin A. , Wheeler Willis B.
Published: July 2010

The objective of this study was to evaluate the probable magnitude of the problem of the leaching of pesticides into ground water under extreme conditions: a sandy soil low in organic matter, a persistent and mobile herbicide applied at a high rate, plentiful rainfall, and a water table within 6 m. Bromacil (5‐bromo‐3‐sec‐butyl‐6‐methyluracil) was applied at the rate of 22 kg/ha to a Lakeland sand bearing scrub vegetation of small oaks and poor grasses. Ground water (at depths ranging from 4.5 to 6 m) was sampled from bromacil residue at weekly intervals for 2 years. Residue was first found in the ground water 3 mo after application and was highest (1.25 ppm) 1 month later. Thereafter the amount declined to <0.1 ppm in about a year and <0.001 ppm in 2 years. Peaks in residues generally followed periods of increased rainfall by about 2 weeks. Residues (0.24 ppm) were still detected in the surface soil 2 years after application.
The Role of Insects and Other Plant Pests in Aflatoxin Contamination of Corn, Cotton, and Peanuts—A Review
Authors: Widstrom N. W.
Published: July 2010

The relationship of insects to certain fungi and moldy agricultural commodities has received special attention in the last several years since it was determined that some of the fungi produce aflatoxin and other toxic metabolites. These fungi and their toxic by‐products have been suggested for use as insecticides, as a source of stable chemosterilants, and as potentially effective biological control agents for various insect species. The principal role of the insect in the toxin contamination of agricultural commodities is believed to be one of predisposing plant tissue to invasion by the fungus. The European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie), and the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), have been identified as the major insects implicated in Aspergillus flavus infection and subsequent aflatoxin contamination of preharvest corn (Zea mays L). The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), and, to a lesser extent, the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boheman, appear to be influential in predisposing cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and cotton seed to A. flavus infection. The available literature does not provide conclusive evidence to positively link the pests of peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) with aflatoxin contamination of that crop. Therefore, insect control is expected to be less helpful in solving the aflatoxin contamination problem on peanuts than on corn or cotton.
Persistence of Carbofuran and its Metabolites, 3‐Keto and 3‐Hydroxy Carbofuran, under Flooded Rice Culture
Authors: Deuel L. E. , Price J. D. , Turner F. T. , Brown K. W.
Published: July 2010

Pesticides are essential for the economical production of rice in the Gulf Coast region of Texas, since weeds and insects could severely damage the crop if uncontrolled. However, water quality of surface impoundments and estuaries interspersed in close geographic proximity to the rice belt could be adversely affected by pesticide loading via irrigation return flow.

Field experiments were conducted under flooded rice (Oryza sativa L.) culture to evaluate residual levels of carbofuran (2,3‐dihydro‐2,2‐dimethyl‐7‐benzofuranyl‐N‐methyl carbamate), 3‐keto carbofuran (2,3‐dihydro‐2,2‐dimethyl‐3‐keto‐7‐benzofuranyl‐N‐methyl carbamate), and 3‐hydroxy carbofuran (2,3‐dihydro‐2,2‐dimethyl‐3‐hydroxy‐7‐benzofuranyl‐N‐methyl carbamate). Treatments consisted of two rates of carbofuran (0.56 and 3.35 kg/ha) superimposed two irrigation management schemes (intermittent and continuous flow).

Results of the 3‐year field and laboratory study suggested that carbofuran was dissipated from the plot water via an adsorptive mechanism. Carbofuran applied at the recommended rate was generally dissipated within 96 hours following its infusion into the plot water. The evaluation of carbofuran persistence was complicated by surges in plot water values corresponding to rainfall events, although statistically significant quantities remained for longer periods of time in those plots which had received the excessive application rate. Irrigation management was not a significant source of variation once values were normalized to account for the variable plot water depths. Neither 3‐keto nor 3‐hydroxy carbofuran were detected in excess of 0.001 kg/ha at the recommended application rate.
Distribution Gradients of Arsenic, Copper, and Chromium around Preservative‐Treated Wooden Stakes
Authors: DeGroot R. C. , Popham T. W. , Gjovik L. R. , Forehand T.
Published: July 2010

The distribution gradients of arsenic and chromium in soil around and below nominal 50‐ by 101‐mm (2‐ by 4‐in) southern pine stakes that were treated with either chromated copper arsenate (CCA Type I or Type II) or in ammoniacal copper arsenate (ACA) and exposed nearly 30 years in Poarch fine sandy loam soils in southern Mississippi indicate that the small amounts of As and Cr that move from the stakes into the soil are sorbed by the soil proximal to the stakes. The distribution gradient for copper about the stakes is similar to those for As and Cr, but is less precise. These findings support the hypothesis that CCA‐ and ACA‐treated wood, at least in acidic soils such as the Poarch fine sandy loams, will not contribute significant amounts of As or Cr into surrounding soils and waters.
Metal Content of Plants and Soils in a Tree Nursery Treated with Composted Sludge
Authors: Korcak R. F. , Gouin F. R. , Fanning D. S.
Published: July 2010

Digested sewage sludge compost from Washington, D.C., was applied to a Downer sand at rates of 0, 56, 112, 224, and 448 dry metric tons/ha. A fertilized control treatment was also utilized. Pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum [L.] K. Schum.) was grown as a summer cover crop prior to fall tree seeding. Leaf samples of red oak (Quercus ruba L.) and black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) seedlings were taken the summer of the first growing season. The total metal contents (µg/g) of the compost were 2,154 Zn, 517 Cu, 13.9 Cd, and 69 Ni. The treated soils were monitored for DTPA extractable Zn, Cu, Cd, and Ni throughout the 2.4 years of the experiment.

No visual, foliar effects were noted on the growth of pearl millet or tree seedlings from the increasing rates of compost, however, pearl millet tissue Cd levels were significantly increased with increasing levels of compost from about 0.40 to about 1.62 µg/g. Metal contents of the tree seedlings were low and within normal levels recorded in the literature. Extractable soil Zn, Cd, and Cu decreased with time, however, soil Ni extractability tended to increase with time. Compost additions resulted in an increased soil pH which was maintained throughout the experiment.

Poor correlations (r2 ranged from 0.002 to 0.543) were obtained between DTPA extractable metals and metal concentrations of pearl millet, red oak, or black walnut.
Inorganic Nitrogen and Soluble Salts in a Davidson Clay Loam used for Poultry Manure Disposal
Authors: Weil R. R. , Kroontje W. , Jones G. D.
Published: July 2010

The logistics of handling poultry manure often dictate that it be spread on land near to its source at rates far in excess of what would constitute its efficient use as fertilizer. This study measured, at various times during the growing season, the concentrations of soluble salts, ammonium, nitrates, and nitrites in the upper horizons of a common Piedmont soil which had received yearly up to 100 metric tons of poultry manure per ha for 5 years. During spring and summer, concentrations of soluble salts (up to 4,064 ppm) and nitrite‐N (up to 60 ppm) were high enough to be toxic to corn (Zea mays, L. cultivar Pioneer 3369A). Ammonium‐N was detected at up to 800 ppm in April, but decreased to less than 100 ppm by July. Both stand establishment and subsequent growth of corn were very poor on the heavily manured plots. As seedlings, corn plants on these plots exhibited burned leaf tips and margins and stunted root growth associated with high levels of ammonia, nitrites, and total soluble salts. Severe moisture stress was evident throughout the growing season due to the effects of salinity and stunted root systems. Rapid leaching of salts and nitrates did not take place until after September. Denitrification appeared to be responsible for some losses of nitrates. Despite the accumulation of nitrites, especially in May and July, most probable number determinations failed to show any consistent inhibition of the populations of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter.
The Movement of Fecal Coliforms and Coliphages below Septic Lines
Authors: Brown K. W. , Wolf H. W. , Donnelly K. C. , Slowey J. F.
Published: July 2010

A 2‐year lysimetric study utilizing three undisturbed soils was conducted to investigate the movement of fecal coliforms and coliphages to the ground water. Septic tank effluent was applied to each of the three soils at appropriate design rates via subsurface septic lines. The soils included had sand contents of 80, 41, and 7.6%. Indigenous concentrations of fecal coliforms in the effluent were more than sufficient to assure detectability. During the winter the levels of indigenous coliphages decreased, and on several occasions the septic effluent was spiked with cultured coliphages. The remainder of the year, indigenous levels were sufficient to allow adequate detection. Leachate samples were analyzed on a continuous basis, and at the end of the study the soils below the septic lines were dissected and sampled on a grid pattern. They were analyzed for both fecal coliforms and coliphages.

On only a few occasions were fecal coliforms present in leachate collected 120 cm below the septic lines. Subsequent samples from the same locations did not indicate the presence of fecal coliforms so that the few samples that were collected shortly after application began may have been a result of contamination, or they may be indicative of greater mobility before organic residue built up in the soil. Soil samples taken 1 and 2 years after application began indicated limited mobility and survival of fecal coliforms in all three soils.

Coliphages were present in the leachate only in very low concentrations immediately after spiking of the applied sewage with 103 times more organisms than were applied. Soil samples also confirmed the limited mobility of coliphages. Thus, 120 cm of any of the soils tested appeared to be sufficient to minimize the possibility of ground water pollution by fecal coliform or coliphages from septic effluent disposal.
Pollutant Movement to Shallow Ground Water Tables from Anaerobic Swine Waste Lagoons
Authors: Ciravolo T. G. , Martens D. C. , Hallock D. L. , Collins E. R. , Kornegay E. T. , Thomas H. R.
Published: July 2010

The effect of three anaerobic swine waste lagoons on ground water quality was investigated in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region. The lagoons studied were located on high‐water‐table soils with different textures. Ground water was sampled from wells, with unperforated casings, located at depths to 6 m and distances to 30 m from the lagoons. These samples were taken monthly from September 1974 through January 1975, and bimonthly thereafter through November 1975. Ground water also was sampled in November 1975 from shallow wells with perforated casings located at distances to 36.6 m from two of the three lagoons. Constituents determined to investigate ground water contamination were density of fecal coliforms and concentrations of Cl, Cu, Mn, NH4‐N, NO3‐N, PO4‐P, and Zn.

Chloride, NH4‐N, and NO3‐N concentrations in ground water samples indicated that seepage entered ground water from each of the three lagoons. Rupture of lagoon seals leading to seepage was attributed to drying of exposed subsoil or embankment soil during recession of lagoon liquid levels and to gas release from microbial activity in soil beneath the seal. Overall, a low level of ground water contamination occurred around a lagoon that was in operation for over 8 years in Myatt very fine sandy loam with a clay subsoil, and a lagoon that was in operation 1 mo prior to this investigation in Dragston fine sandy loam with a sandy clay loam subsoil. Ground water contamination in excess of recommended drinking water standards for Cl and NO3‐N occurred around the third lagoon. This lagoon was in operation for >8 years in a disturbed area consisting of predominantly sandy surface and subsurface soil. Ground water contamination in the embankment area of this lagoon was attributed to seepage and beyond the embankment area to ground water contamination from lagoon overflow.
Prediction of Algal‐Available Phosphorus in Runoff Suspensions
Authors: Huettl P. J. , Wendt R. C. , Corey R. B.
Published: July 2010

Methods for estimating the potential availability of sediment‐P forms are desirable for better assessment of the impact of runoff waters on surface water quality. The P sorbed by resin‐affixed hydroxy‐aluminum equilibrating with simulated sediment suspensions was evaluated for use as a routine means of estimating relative availability of P. A highly significant relationship (r = 0.98**, n = 5) was found between availability estimated by resin extraction and that determined by bioassay. For the soils tested, resin‐extractable P averaged 98% of that found to be available to algae by bioassay.
Degradation and Leaching of Acrylamide in Soil
Authors: Lande Sheldon S. , Bosch Stephen J. , Howard Philip H.
Published: July 2010

Since some uses of acrylamide could cause ground water contamination, potential hazards were assessed by evaluating the degradation and leaching of 14C‐acrylamide (labelled at the carboxyl position) in four soils: silt loam, clay loam, loamy fine sand, and loam. The soil degradation study utilized the biometer flask method. Acrylamide half‐life (t1/2) was estimated by the time required for release of one‐half the evolved 14CO2. Half‐life was influenced by incubation temperature, acrylamide concentration, and the season at which the soil was collected. At ambient temperature (22°C), half‐lives ranged from 18 to 45 hours for 25 ppm acrylamide (on a soil basis). Decreasing temperature or increasing acrylamide concentration increased half‐life. Half‐life was two and one‐half times greater in soil gathered in spring than the same soil gathered in summer. When acrylamide was incubated in anaerobically maintained soil, it apparently metabolized more slowly. Leaching was evaluated by soil TLC. Rf values, which ranged from 0.64 to 0.88, place acrylamide into the “mobile class.”
Drainage Control to Diminish Nitrate Loss from Agricultural Fields
Authors: Gilliam J. W. , Skaggs R. W. , Weed S. B.
Published: July 2010

In an attempt to reduce NO3−‐N movement to drainage waters, flashboard riser‐type water level control structures were installed in tile mains or outlet ditches at two locations to raise the water table to increase denitrification during the winter. A large reduction in NO3−‐N movement through tile lines occurred (from 25–40 to 1–7 kg/ha) in moderately well‐drained soils because of reduction in effluent volume. In the moderately well‐drained soils, there was no indication of increased denitrification in the field. In poorly drained soils, drainage control had no influence upon soil profile oxidation‐reduction potentials but resulted in approximately.a 50% reduction in NO3− movement through drainage ditches. This reduction was due to increased water movement into and through deeper soil horizons (below 1 m). The NO3−‐N concentrations and low Eh values in all profiles below 1 m indicate that the NO3− which moved to this depth underwent denitrification.
Evaluation of Changes in the Nile Water Composition Resulting from The Asswan High Dam
Authors: Balba A. Monem
Published: July 2010

The composition of Nile River water has been examined to show the effect of the Asswan High Dam on the fertility and salinity of the water for irrigation.

The Nile water contains about 110 × 106 metric tons/year of suspended materials as it crosses the Egyptian border. Before the Asswan High Dam was constructed, 24 × 106 metric tons/year of solids were deposited, mainly on the Egyptian flood plains. After the dam was finished, only 2.1 × 106 metric tons/year of solids were present in the Nile water to be deposited on the Egyptian soils; the remainder, 21.9 × 106 metric tons/year of solids, settled out in Lake Nasser.

The loss of nutrients in the sediments which settled out in Lake Nasser, and the gain in soluble cations which resulted from construction of the Dam, were calculated from sediments and water analyses. The loss of 12,000 metric tons/year of sediment N is probably not significant for Egyptian agriculture. The loss of P, including a maximum of 6,000 metric tons/year of soluble P, will probably require a significant increase in the use of P fertilizers.

The quality of the Nile water for irrigation, as determined by values for electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, adjusted sodium adsorption ratio, residual carbouate, and pHc, did not change significantly after construction of the dam.
Hydrology and Chemical Quality of Flow from Small Pastured Watersheds: II. Chemical Quality
Authors: Chichester F. W. , Van Keuren R. W. , Mc Guinness J. L.
Published: July 2010

A beef cattle‐pasturing system involving four rotationally grazed summer pastures with winter‐feeding on one pasture was studied on sloping upland watersheds in Ohio to determine its effect on chemical quality of water. The concentrations of chemicals in runoff from the pastures, which were summer‐grazed only, increased relative to that of incoming precipitation but not enough to significantly impair water quality. No measurable sediment was lost from the pastures used only for summer grazing, allowing no chemical movement via that pathway. Much soil and plant‐cover disturbance on the pasture used for winter‐feeding, however, resulted in increased runoff, some surface erosion, and more chemical movement as compared with the pastures grazed only in summer. Considerably more chemicals moved in subsurface than in surface flow from the summer pastures while amounts of chemicals transported from the winter‐feeding pasture were equally as great in surface runoff and subsurface flow. Watershed surface management was a key factor in determining the flow route of water in excess of that used for evapotranspiration and, hence, the pathways and amounts of chemical transport from the pastures.
Trace Elements in Fly Ash and Their Release in Water and Treated Soils
Authors: Phung H. T. , Lund L. J. , Page A. L. , Bradford G. R.
Published: July 2010

Fly ash from a coal‐fired power plant was separated into various‐sized fractions which were then chemically characterized. The fly ash contained higher concentrations of B, Co, Cr, Cd, Mo, Ni, Pb, As, and Se than normally found in soils. Except for Cd, Co, and Pb, trace elements were more concentrated in the < 53‐µm than in the > 250‐µm fraction. Solubility of trace elements in water increased greatly as the equilibrium pH was lowered.

Three soils, an acid sand, a calcareous loamy sand, and a calcareous silt loam, were amended with five rates of fly ash up to 1.0% by weight and equilibrated at moisture contents of 1/3 bar or saturation for periods ranging up to 29 weeks. Solubility of trace elements in water and DTPA extracts were observed. Application of fly ash increased soil pH; the acid soil exhibited the greatest increase. Except for B, fly ash amendment up to 1.0% did not result in elevated concentration of either water‐soluble or DTPA‐extractable trace elements. Additions of fly ash to the acid soil decreased DTPA‐extractable Fe, Mn, Ni, Co, and Pb. The data demonstrated that the alkalinity of fly ash plays a significant role in regulating the availability of trace elements in the amended soils.
Effect of Heavy Metals on the Denitrification Process in Soil
Authors: Bollag Jean‐Marc , Barabasz Wieslaw
Published: July 2010

The effect of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn on denitrification of three Pseudomonas species in a liquid culture medium (Giltay) and in autoclaved soil, as well as on the denitrifying activity of native soil, was investigated. In Giltay medium, Cd in concentrations starting at 50 µg/ml strongly inhibited growth and denitrification of an unidentified Pseudomonas sp., P. aeruginosa, and P. denitrificans, while Zn and Pb did not influence the denitrifying activity even up to 500 µg/ml. Cu at 50 µg/ml inhibited denitrification of P. aeruginosa and the unidentified Pseudomonas sp.; however, it had no influence on P. denitrificans. When the three bacteria were inoculated into autoclaved soil their reaction to Cd and Cu was similar to that in Giltay medium, but the accumulation of nitrite was considerably higher. Zn, which showed no effect in the liquid medium at 500 µg/ml, inhibited the denitrifying activity of all bacteria in the soil at this concentration.

Denitrification in native (nonautoclaved) soil was also inhibited by the addition of increasing amounts of heavy metals. This was indicated by an accumulation of nitrite and nitrous oxide which appeared to a lesser degree and for a shorter time period in nontreated samples.
Phosphates in Soils Treated with Sewage Water: IV. Bonding of Phosphate from Sewage Water in Sand Columns Containing Aluminum Hydroxide
Authors: Van Riemsdijk W. H. , Beek J. , De Haan F. A. M.
Published: July 2010

The reaction of phosphate (P) with Al(OH)3 can be distinguished by adsorption and a process designated here as long‐term reaction. The long‐term reaction may remove several times the amount of P removed initially. No long‐term reaction of P (0.5 mmol/liter) and Xray amourphous Al(OH)3 was detected at pH 8. To columns of quartz sand mixed with Al(OH)3 domestic sewage water (pH ≅ 8) was added during 10 mo once every 2 weeks. The phosphate retention in these columns was much higher than could be expected from the pure Al(OH)3 system experiments, indicating the occurrence of a long‐term reaction. Column segments were analyzed for organic‐, (Al + Fe)‐, and Ca‐P. Negligible Ca‐P was formed. Electron microscopy and Xray analysis showed quartz particles, Al‐containing particles with no detectable P, and particles containing Al, P, and Ca. Formation of the Al‐P‐Ca particles contributes to the capacity of soils to store or retain P.
Nitrate and Ammonium Concentrations of Ground Water Resulting from Poultry Manure Applications
Authors: Liebhardt William C. , Golt Carolyn , Tupin Jane
Published: July 2010

Large plots (0.402 ha) of Evesboro loamy sand received 0, 13, 27, 54, and 179 metric tons/ha of poultry manure in the spring of 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1975. Five wells were established in each plot at depths of 3, 4.5, and 6 m below the soil surface. In 1976, wells were established at 3‐ and 6‐m depths in several other locations outside the plots.

Corn (Zea Mays L.) was grown on these plots each year with no other additional fertilizer amendments. Water samples, taken regularly from these plots, showed that the concentration of nitrate at 3 m was affected by the application of poultry manure. At 4.5 and 6.0 m the effect was not nearly as noticeable. There was a pronounced decrease in NO3‐N concentration with increasing depth. The NO3‐N concentration of water from some wells outside the plot area was quite high compared to the plot receiving no poultry manure, indicating that the source of the NO3‐N in these well points was the poultry manure from treated plots. This suggested that the reduction in NO3‐N at increasing depths under treated plots was partially a result of the lateral underground movement of nitrates. The concentration of NH4‐N in the same water appeared to be only slightly affected, if at all. Application of poultry manure at rates higher than a crop can utilize results in nitrate movement through the soil profile and into the ground water.
Drainage Water Sampling in a Wet, Dual‐Pore Soil System
Authors: Shaffer K. A. , Fritton D. D. , Baker D. E.
Published: July 2010

Two experiments were conducted on an undisturbed Hublersburg silt loam (Typic Hapludult) soil to evaluate two different soil solution sampling techniques. The two techniques were employed simultaneously to sample the leachate at depths of 38 to 120 cm when water was added at the soil surface with known concentrations of NO3‐N (0‐579 ppm) and Cd2+ (0.0001–5.45 ppm). After each controlled water addition to the surface, soil water samples were taken for analysis with porous cup soil water samplers and with devices located in a subsurface horizontal tunnel.

Large differences in ion concentration occurred between data obtained from the soil water samplers and from the horizontal tunnel. Calculations based on water retention data indicated that in excess of 90% of the total flow occurred in pores drained by water potentials of 0 to −20 cm of water. This pore class is considered to be dominated by interped cracks and to cause a channeling of solution past the porous cup samplers. It was concluded that under wet soil conditions, soil water samplers are not suitable for monitoring the chemical quality of the water percolating through the soil profile.
Reliability Problems With Indicator Organisms for Monitoring Overland Flow Treated Waste Water Effluent
Authors: Hunt P. G. , Peters R. E. , Sturgis T. C. , Lee C. R.
Published: July 2010

A 2‐year study (1975–1976) on the response of indicator organisms in facultative lagoon waste water treated by overland flow was conducted in Utica, Mississippi. Overland flow plots of 4.55 by 45.5 m on 2% slope were established on a Grenada silty clay loam with an artificially established hard pan at 15 cm. The vegetation was a grass mixture dominated by reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). Undisinfected waste water from a facultative lagoon was applied to the plots at a rate of 1.25 cm in 6 hours on 5 days a week. Fecal streptococci and fecal coliforms were enumerated in the waste water before it was applied to the plots, as it flowed down slope, and as it was discharged from the plots. Fecal streptococci were found to be poor indicators of the sanitary condition of effluent after overland flow treatment of waste water. Their numbers were consistently higher in the discharged effluent than in the waste water, even when only tap water was applied to the treatment plots. Fecal coliforms were questionable indicators of sanitary conditions in the discharged effluent during the summer when fecal coliform numbers were considerably higher in the discharged treated effluent than in the waste water coming directly from the lagoon. The extent of actual pathogen removal or growth on the soil surface during overland flow treatment was not assessed during this study. However, the use of fecal streptococci or fecal coliforms as indicators of pathogen removal by overland flow during the summer is seriously questioned. Disinfection after treatment by overland flow, at least during the summer, is suggested.
Land Application of Waste Water: Effect on Soil and Plant Potassium
Authors: Palazzo A. J. , Jenkins T. F.
Published: July 2010

This study reports on the removal of potassium by a forage grass mixture from soil that received applications of waste water over a 5‐year period. The forages, which received waste water at a rate of 5.0 cm/week, were grown on either Windsor sandy loam (typic Udipsamment) or Charlton silt loam (typic Dystrochrept) soil. The waste water annually supplied from 231 to 433 kg/ha of N and 36 to 153 kg/ha of K. The waste water contained more than twice as much N as K.

Plant removal of K increased as the amount of N applied or removed by the forage increased. During the initial 4 years of the study, plant uptake of K exceeded the amount supplied by the waste water causing reduction in plant and soil concentrations of this element to low levels. Concentrations of K remained low in the soil solution throughout the study and tended to decline with time. The inadequate supply of K at this site was related to the low K/N ratio in the waste water applied. During the fifth year of study, K fertilization increased total plant yields and the concentration of this element in plants and soils to more nearly optimum levels. Since excessive K applications may also cause problems in plant or animal nutrition, total applications of K (waste water and fertilizer) should be adjusted to be approximately 90% of the amount of N expected to be removed by the crop.
The Utilization of a Fresh‐Water Wetland for Nutrient Removal from Secondarily Treated Waste Water Effluent
Authors: Tilton Donald L. , Kadlec Robert H.
Published: July 2010

In order to test the feasibility of utilizing a fresh‐water wetland for tertiary waste water treatment, secondarily treated waste water was applied to a wetland in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. During the discharge of 38,840 m3 (10,260,000 gal) and 23,520 m3 (6,213,000 gal) of secondarily treated waste water in 1976 and 1977, respectively, surface water quality, plant productivity, and nutrient status of plants and soils were measured.

In 1976 the concentration of (nitrate + nitrite) − N averaged 0.36 mg/liter in the effluent and 0.01 mg/liter at stations 25 m from the discharge pipeline. Total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) averaged 0.41 mg/liter in the effluent and 0.11 mg/liter at sampling stations 25 m from the discharge. The efficiency of phosphorus removal from the effluent was greater when surface water depths were 6 cm compared to 30 cm. Ammonium − N concentrations were rarely higher in the effluent compared to background concentrations in the wetland surface waters.

In 1977 a point source distribution system was used. The effluent averaged 1.50 mg/liter nitrate − N and 1.57 mg/liter TDP. Within 30 m, nitrate − N was <0.10 mg/liter in the surface water and within 80 m TDP was 0.07 mg/liter.

Biomass of live plants in 1976 was somewhat greater near the pipeline compared to control areas. Leaves of cattail (Typha latifolia) were longer near the pipeline in 1976 compared to control areas. Chemical analysis of sedge (Carex spp.) leaves and roots, standing dead, and litter sampled in 1976 showed no significant differences in N concentrations among sampling locations, but P concentrations were higher in leaves and roots 6 m from the pipeline compared to control areas.
Optimization of Subsurface Injection of Municipal Sewage Sludge
Authors: Loftis Jim C. , Ward Robert C.
Published: July 2010

A dynamic programming model was used to determine the optimal yearly application rates for on‐land disposal of municipal sewage sludge. The model incorporated economic information and a soil nitrogen balance to find application rates which resulted in minimal cost while maintaining an acceptable level of environmental quality. Based on input conditions for Boulder, Colorado, the model suggests an average optimal annual application rate of 10.5 metric tons/ha at a net cost of $32.33/metric ton.

A sensitivity analysis was performed in which certain input parameters, including nitrogen content of sludge, mineralization rates, allowable nitrate leaching losses, maximum addition of sludge organic nitrogen, land costs, and cash price of crops were identified as most significant.