Challenges in linking soil health to edge-of-field water quality across the Great Lakes basin.

To better understand agricultural nutrient losses, we evaluated relationships between management (e.g., manure and tillage), soil health measurements, and resulting edge-of-field (EOF) surface water quality.

The Fate of Methicillin-Resistant in a Synthetic Turf System.

Background: Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is responsible for one-third of infectious outbreaks reported among competitive athletes at high school and collegiate levels of competition, while the frequency of infections among National Football League players is nearly 400-fold higher than in the general population. The increased prevalence of MRSA infections among such athletes necessitates the study of football-specific environments as MRSA reservoirs.

Hypothesis: The recovery and viability of MRSA will differ between turf infill and turf fibers.

Impacts of molybdenum-, nickel-, and lithium- oxide nanomaterials on soil activity and microbial community structure.

The nano forms of the metals molybdenum oxide (MoO), nickel oxide (NiO) and lithium oxide (LiO) are finding wide application in advanced technologies including batteries and fuel cells. We evaluated soil responses to nanoMoO, nanoNiO, and nanoLiO as some environmental release of the materials, either directly or following the land application of biosolids, is expected. Using Drummer soil (Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Endoaquolls), we evaluated the impacts of the three nanometals on soil gas (NO, CH, and CO) emissions, enzyme activities (β-glucosidase and urease), and microbial community structure (bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryal) in a 60 day microcosms incubation.

Degradation and Microbial Uptake of C Fullerols in Contrasting Agricultural Soils.

The environmental fate of functionalized carbon nanomaterials (CNM) remains poorly understood. Using C-labeled nanomaterial we present the results of a study investigating the mineralization and microbial uptake of surface-functionalized C (fullerols) in agricultural soils with contrasting properties. Soil microcosms rapidly mineralized fullerol C, as determined by C-content in the respired CO, with higher fullerol mineralization in an organic, clay-rich soil versus a silty, low C soil (∼56.