Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances in agricultural contexts and mitigation of their impacts using biochar: A review.

Growing concern over the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural compartments (e.g., soil, water, plants, soil fauna) has led to an increased interest in scalable and economically feasible remediation technologies.

Dissemination of antibiotics through the wastewater-soil-plant-earthworm continuum.

Under the ongoing climate change scenario, treated municipal wastewater (TMW) is a potential candidate for irrigated agriculture but may result in the exposure of agricultural environments to antibiotics. We studied the transfers of trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfapyridine in the TMW-soil-plant-earthworm continuum under greenhouse/laboratory conditions. Irrigation of potted spinach and radish with as-collected TMW resulted in no transfers of antibiotics into soil or plants owing to their low concentrations in the tertiary-treated TMW.

Coupled use of Fe-impregnated biochar and urea-hydrogen peroxide to simultaneously reduce soil-air emissions of fumigant and improve crop growth.

Reducing the emissions of soil fumigants such as 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) is essential to protecting air quality. Although biochar is useful in reducing such emissions, biochar-adsorbed fumigants may desorb and cause secondary air pollution. This study investigated the degradation of 1,3-D on iron (Fe)-impregnated biochar (FBC) amended with urea-hydrogen peroxide (UHP).

Reducing the discrepancies between the Aerodynamic Gradient Method and other micrometeorological approaches for measuring fumigant emissions.

Observations of fumigant and pesticide emissions are needed for multiple public health and environmental protection mandates. The aerodynamic gradient method (ADM) is commonly used to measure fumigant and pesticide emissions. However, the ADM may over estimate emissions compared to other micrometeorological and modeling approaches, which would increase uncertainty over the true flux estimate.

Effect of application rate on chloropicrin half-life and simulated emissions across a range of soil conditions.

The volatile release of agricultural fumigants from soil to air is a critical concern in terms of human and environmental health. A major control on the release of fumigants from soil to air is their degradation rate within the soil; however, this is a function of human/soil/environmental conditions and their inter-relationships. For the common fumigant chloropicrin (CP), it is known that application rate has a marked effect on degradation rate, with a potential further influence on CP emissions.

Application rate affects the degradation rate and hence emissions of chloropicrin in soil.

Increasingly stringent regulations to control soil-air emissions of soil fumigants has led to much research effort aimed at reducing emission potential. Using laboratory soil columns, we aimed to investigate the relationship between chloropicrin (CP) application rate and its emissions from soil across a wide range of CP applications (equivalent to 56-392kgha). In contrast to the known behavior of other fumigants, total emission percentages were strongly and positively related to application rate (i.

Effects of biochar on the emissions, soil distribution, and nematode control of 1,3-dichloropropene.

Emissions of volatile soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) from soil to air are a significant concern in relation to air quality, and cost-effective strategies to reduce such emissions are urgently required by growers to help them comply with increasingly stringent regulations. In this work, application of a rice husk-derived biochar to the surface of a sandy loam soil chamber reduced soil-air emissions of 1,3-D from 42% in a control (no biochar) to 8% due to adsorption onto the biochar. This adsorbed 1,3-D showed a potential for re-volatilization into air and solubilization into the soil-liquid phase.

Biochar Amendment to the Soil Surface Reduces Fumigant Emissions and Enhances Soil Microorganism Recovery.

During soil fumigation, it is ideal to mitigate soil fumigant emissions, ensure pest control efficacy, and speed up the recovery of the soil microorganism population established postapplication. However, no current fumigant emission reduction strategy can meet all these requirements. In the present study, replicated soil columns were used to study the effect of biochar derived from rice husk (BR) and green waste (BG) applied to the soil surface on 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) emissions and soil gas distribution, and on microorganism population re-establishment.

Emissions of 1,3-Dichloropropene and Chloropicrin after Soil Fumigation under Field Conditions.

Soil fumigation is an important agronomic practice in the production of many high-value vegetable and fruit crops, but the use of chemical fumigants can lead to excessive atmospheric emissions. A large-scale (2.9 ha) field experiment was conducted to obtain volatilization and cumulative emission rates for two commonly used soil fumigants under typical agronomic practices: 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin.

Effect of co-formulation of 1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin on evaporative emissions from soil.

Co-formulations of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) are commonly used for preplant fumigation in the production of high-value crops. Various ratios of 1,3-D to CP are available in these co-formulations. Collation of previous field data suggested that when the two fumigants were co-applied, the emissions of CP were significantly lower than when CP was applied singly.

Coupling of soil solarization and reduced rate fumigation: effects on methyl iodide emissions from raised beds under field conditions.

Using field plots, we studied the effect on methyl iodide (MeI) emissions of coupling soil solarization (passive and active) and reduced rate fumigation (70% of a standard fumigation) in raised beds under virtually impermeable film (VIF). The results showed that for the standard fumigation and the passive solarization + fumigation treatments, emissions from the nontarped furrow were very high (∼50%). Emissions from the bed top and sidewall of these treatments were relatively low but were increased in the latter due to the longer environmental exposure of the VIF covering with the coupled approach (increased tarp permeability).

Mitigating iodomethane emissions and iodide residues in fumigated soils.

Although long-regarded as an excellent soil fumigant for killing plant pests, methyl bromide (MeBr) was phased out in 2005 in the USA, because it can deplete the stratospheric ozone layer. Iodomethane (MeI) has been identified as an effective alternative to MeBr and is used in a number of countries for preplant pest control. However, MeI is highly volatile and potentially carcinogenic to humans if inhaled.

Effect of films on 1,3-dichloropropene and chloropicrin emission, soil concentration, and root-knot nematode control in a raised bed.

Soil fumigation is an important component of U.S. agriculture, but excessive emissions can be problematic.

Phase partitioning, retention kinetics, and leaching of fumigant methyl iodide in agricultural soils.

Although it is not currently being sold in the USA, the recent US registration of the fumigant methyl iodide has led to an increased interest in its environmental fate and transport. Although some work has now considered its volatile emissions from soil, there remains a lack of experimental data regarding its ability to be retained in soil and ultimately become transported with irrigation/rain waters. Using laboratory batch and soil column experiments, we aimed to better understand the phase partitioning of MeI, the ability of soils to retain MeI on the solid phase, and the potential for leaching of MeI and its primary degradation product, iodide, down a soil profile.

Mitigating 1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin, and methyl iodide emissions from fumigated soil with reactive film.

Implicated as a stratospheric ozone-depleting compound, methyl bromide (MeBr) is being phased out despite being considered to be the most effective soil fumigant. Its alternatives, i.e.

Predicting methyl iodide emission, soil concentration, and pest control in a two-dimensional chamber system.

Due to ever-increasing state and federal regulations, the future use of fumigants is predicted on reducing negative environmental impacts while offering sufficient pestcontrol efficacy. To foster the development of a best management practice, an integrated tool is needed to simultaneously predict fumigant movement and pest control without having to conduct elaborate and costly experiments. The objective of this study was (i) to present a two-dimensional (2-D) mathematical model to describe both fumigant movement and pestcontrol and (ii) to evaluate the model by comparing the simulated and observed results.

Reactive films for mitigating methyl bromide emissions from fumigated soil.

Emissions of methyl bromide (MeBr) from agricultural fumigation can lead to depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, and so its use is being phased out. However, as MeBr is still widely used under Critical Use Exemptions, strategies are still required to control such emissions. In this work, novel reactive films (RFs) were designed and their efficacy in limiting loss of MeBr from soil was tested.

Depleting methyl bromide residues in soil by reaction with bases.

Despite generally being considered the most effective soil fumigant, methyl bromide (MeBr) use is being phased out because its emissions from soil can lead to stratospheric ozone depletion. However, a large amount is still currently used due to Critical Use Exemptions. As strategies for reducing the postfumigation emissions of MeBr from soil, Ca(OH)(2), K(2)CO(3), and NH(3) were assessed as means of promoting MeBr degradation.

Soil chamber method for determination of drip-applied fumigant behavior in bed-furrow agriculture: application to chloropicrin.

To overcome the environmental impacts of soil fumigant use, emission reduction strategies such as tarping can be adopted. There is a need to experimentally quantify the effectiveness of such strategies, preferably in a low-cost manner. We report the design and initial testing of a laboratory soil chamber approach for quantifying the soil distribution and emissions of fumigants from bed-furrow agricultural systems.

Monometal and competitive adsorption of heavy metals by sewage sludge-amended soil.

Sewage sludge-amended soils may alter their ability to adsorb heavy metals over time, due to the decomposition of sludge-borne organic matter. Thus, we studied Cd, Ni, and Zn adsorption by a sewage sludge-amended soil (Typic Xerofluvent) before and after one-year incubation in both monometal and competitive systems. In the monometal system, the order of decreasing sorption was Zn>Cd>Ni.