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The impact of long-term biosolids application (>100 years) on soil metal dynamics

Mossa, Abdul Wahab; Bailey, Elizabeth H.; Usman, Abida; Young, Scott D.; Crout, Neil M.J.

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Authors

Abdul Wahab Mossa

LIZ BAILEY LIZ.BAILEY@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Professor of Environmental Geochemistry

Abida Usman

Scott D. Young

Neil M.J. Crout



Abstract

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. Biosolids application to arable land is a common, and cost-effective, practice but the impact of prolonged disposal remains uncertain. We evaluated the dynamics of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) at a long-established ‘dedicated’ sewage treatment farm. Soil metal concentrations exceeded regulations governing application of biosolids to non-dedicated arable land. However, measurement of isotopic exchangeability of Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb demonstrated support for the ‘protection hypothesis’ in which biosolids constituents help immobilise potential toxic metals (PTMs). Metal concentrations in a maize crop were strongly, and almost equally, correlated with all ‘capacity-based’ and ‘intensity-based’ estimates of soil metal bioavailability. This was attributable to high correlations between soil factors controlling bioavailability (organic matter, phosphate etc.) on a site receiving a single source of PTMs. Isotopic analysis of the maize crop suggested contributions to foliar Pb from soil dust originating from neighbouring fields. There was also clear evidence of metal-specific effects of biosolids on soil metal lability. With increasing metal concentrations there was both decreasing lability of Cd and Pb, due to interaction with increasing phosphate concentrations, and increasing lability of Ni, Cu and Zn due to weaker soil binding. Such different responses to prolonged biosolids disposal to arable soil should be considered when setting regulatory limits.

Citation

Mossa, A. W., Bailey, E. H., Usman, A., Young, S. D., & Crout, N. M. (2020). The impact of long-term biosolids application (>100 years) on soil metal dynamics. Science of the Total Environment, 720, Article 137441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137441

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 18, 2020
Online Publication Date Feb 20, 2020
Publication Date Jun 10, 2020
Deposit Date Mar 4, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Science of the Total Environment
Print ISSN 0048-9697
Electronic ISSN 1879-1026
Publisher Elsevier
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 720
Article Number 137441
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137441
Keywords Environmental Engineering; Waste Management and Disposal; Pollution; Environmental Chemistry
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4088429
Additional Information This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: The impact of long-term biosolids application (>100 years) on soil metal dynamics; Journal Title: Science of The Total Environment; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137441; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.