Minimizing nutrient leaching from maize production systems in northern Ghana with one-time application of multi-nutrient fertilizer briquettes.

Nutrient losses through surface runoff and leaching from agricultural lands could have negative effects on surface water and groundwater resources in northern Ghana. Nutrient management strategies that synchronize nutrient uptake with availability will increase nutrient recovery efficiency and minimize nutrient losses to the environment. From field trials conducted at three locations in northern Ghana during the 2016 and 2017 farming seasons, we evaluated the effectiveness of one-time application of multi-nutrient fertilizer briquettes in minimizing nutrient leaching losses from maize production systems.

Retention-release characteristics of triclocarban and triclosan in biosolids, soils, and biosolids-amended soils.

Transport models that incorporate retention/release characteristics of organic compounds in soils and sediments typically assume that organic-carbon normalized partition coefficients (K(OC)) apply to all solid matrices and that the partitioning process is completely reversible. Partition coefficients (K(d)) (from which the K(OC) was calculated), and retention/release characteristics of triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) in biosolids, soils, and biosolids-amended soils were determined. Four soils of different physicochemical properties amended with biosolids at 10 g/kg, together with unamended soils, and several biosolids were separately spiked with either [(14)C]TCC or [(14)C]TCS for the various determinations.

Characterization of adsorption and degradation of diuron in carbonatic and noncarbonatic soils.

The adsorption and degradation of the pesticide diuron in carbonatic and noncarbonatic soils were investigated to better understand the fate and transport of diuron in the environment. Batch adsorption experiments yielded isotherms that were well-described by the linear model. Adsorption coefficients normalized to soil organic carbon content (K(oc)) were lowest for carbonatic soils, averaging 259 +/- 48 (95% CI), 558 +/- 109, 973 +/- 156, and 2090 +/- 1054 for carbonatic soils, Histosols, Oxisols, and Spodosols, respectively.

Efficacy of drinking-water treatment residual in controlling off-site phosphorus losses: a field study in Florida.

Land application of drinking-water treatment residuals (WTR) has been shown to control excess soil soluble P and can reduce off-site P losses to surface and ground water. To our knowledge, no field study has directly evaluated the impacts of land application of WTRs on ground water quality. We monitored the effects of three organic sources of P (poultry manure, Boca Raton biosolids, Pompano biosolids) or triple superphosphate co-applied with an aluminum-based WTR (Al-WTR) on soil and ground water P and Al concentrations under natural field conditions for 20 mo in a soil with limited P sorption capacity.

Aging effects on reactivity of an aluminum-based drinking-water treatment residual as a soil amendment.

Several studies have shown that drinking-water treatment residuals (WTR) could be used to control mobility of excess phosphorus (P) and other oxyanions in poorly sorbing soils. Presently, only "aged" WTRs (those left, or manipulated, to dewater) are land applied. However, if demand for WTRs increase in the near future, freshly-generated WTRs could be considered for land application.