HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Related articles in JEQ Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (15) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Shober, A. L. Articles by Macneal, K. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Shober, A. L. Articles by Macneal, K. E. Agricola Articles by Shober, A. L. Articles by Macneal, K. E. Related Collections Municipal Waste Heavy Metals

TECHNICAL REPORTS

Waste Management

On-Farm Assessment of Biosolids Effects on Soil and Crop Tissue Quality

^a Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19717
^b Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-3504

^* Corresponding author (ashober{at}udel.edu).

Received for publication July 30, 2002. Agronomic use of biosolids as a fertilizer material remains controversial in part due to public concerns regarding the potential pollution of soils, crop tissue, and ground water by excess nutrients and trace elements in biosolids. This study was designed to assess the effects of long-term commercial-scale application of biosolids on soils and crop tissue sampled from 18 production farms throughout Pennsylvania. Biosolids application rates ranged from 5 to 159 Mg ha^-1 on a dry weight basis. Soil cores and crop tissue samples from corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine spp.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), orchardgrass (Dactylis spp.) hay, and/or sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] were collected for three years from georeferenced locations at each farm. Samples were tested for nutrients, trace elements, and other variables. Biosolids-treated fields had more post–growing season soil NO₃ and Ca and less soil K than control fields and there was some evidence that soil P concentrations were higher in treated fields. The soil concentrations of Cu, Cr, Hg, Mo, Mn, Pb, and Zn were higher in biosolids-treated fields than in control fields; however, differences were 0.06 of the USEPA Part 503 cumulative pollutant loading rates (CPLRs). There were no differences in the concentrations of measured nutrients or trace elements in the crop tissue grown on treated or control fields at any time during the study. Commercial-scale biosolids application resulted in soil trace element increases that were in line with expected increases based on estimated trace element loading. Excess NO₃ and apparent P buildup indicates a need to reassess biosolids nutrient management practices.

Abbreviations: CPLR, cumulative pollutant loading rate

Related articles in JEQ:

This Issue in Journal of Environmental Quality

JEQ 2003 32: 1577-1582. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. M. Peckenham, J. A. Nadeau, A. Amirbahman, and R. S. Behr Release of nitrogen and trace metal species from field stacked biosolids. Waste Management Research, April 1, 2008; 26(2): 163 - 172. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. L. Schroder, H. Zhang, D. Zhou, N. Basta, W. R. Raun, M. E. Payton, and A. Zazulak The Effect of Long-Term Annual Application of Biosolids on Soil Properties, Phosphorus, and Metals Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., January 11, 2008; 72(1): 73 - 82. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. C. Stehouwer and K. E. Macneal Effect of Alkaline-Stabilized Biosolids on Alfalfa Molybdenum and Copper Content J. Environ. Qual., January 1, 2004; 33(1): 133 - 140. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]