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Nitrogen and Phosphorus Levels in Soils beneath Sewage Disposal Ponds¹

ABSTRACT

Soil cores at various depths beneath sewage sludge and effluent ponds at two treatment plant locations were collected and the nature and extent of nitrogen and phosphorus movement in the soil was evaluated. The soil profiles at both treatment plants were open and coarse-textured. Soils beneath sludge ponds were enriched in total nitrogen to 4 and 8 m, the maximum depths sampled. Compared to controls, effluent ponds used more than 10 to 20 years showed enrichment of total nitrogen to depths as great as 4.0 m. Concentrations of NH₄-N considerably in excess of controls were observed to depths of 4.0 m demonstrating movement of substantial amounts of NH₄ in soil below sewage waste water ponds.

Concentrations of NO₃-N in the soil solutions beneath disposal sites considerably in excess of those found below control sites were observed in situations where samples were collected to the water table (8.5 m and 12.0 m), demonstrating movement of NO₃-N the water table. Phosphorus enrichment of soil (NaHCO₃ extractable) was evident to depths as great as 3 m below the ponds.

Key Words: nitrate-nitrogen • ammonium-nitrogen • sewage sludge • sewage effluent

¹ Contribution of the Dep. of Soil Sci. and Agric. Eng., Univ. of California, Riverside 92502. Financial support from the Kearney Foundation of Soil Science is gratefully acknowledged. Presented in part at ASA Meeting, Div. A-5, Chicago, Ill.

² Assistant Professor, Professor, and Staff Research Associate, respectively.

Received for publication March 17, 1975.