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Field drains as a route of rapid nutrient export from agricultural land receiving biosolids

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Field drains as a route of rapid nutrient export from agricultural land receiving biosolids. / Heathwaite, A. Louise; Burke, S. P.; Bolton, L.
In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 365, No. 1-3, 15.07.2006, p. 33-46.

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Heathwaite AL, Burke SP, Bolton L. Field drains as a route of rapid nutrient export from agricultural land receiving biosolids. Science of the Total Environment. 2006 Jul 15;365(1-3):33-46. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.02.033

Author

Heathwaite, A. Louise ; Burke, S. P. ; Bolton, L. / Field drains as a route of rapid nutrient export from agricultural land receiving biosolids. In: Science of the Total Environment. 2006 ; Vol. 365, No. 1-3. pp. 33-46.

Bibtex

@article{6ea62ac367e14dd29ac50bdafb4336c4,
title = "Field drains as a route of rapid nutrient export from agricultural land receiving biosolids",
abstract = "We report research on the environmental risk of incidental nutrient transfers from land to water for biosolids amended soils. We show that subsurface (drainflow) pathways of P transport may result in significant concentrations, up to 10 mg total P l− 1, in the drainage network of an arable catchment when a P source (recent biosolids application) coincides with a significant and active transport pathway (rainfall event). However, the high P concentrations were short-lived, with drainage ditch total P concentrations returning to pre-storm concentrations within a few days of the storm event. In the case of the drainflow concentrations reported here, the results are unusual in that they describe an {\textquoteleft}incidental event{\textquoteright} for a groundwater catchment where such events might normally be expected to be rare owing to the capacity of the hydrological system to attenuate nutrient fluxes for highly adsorbed elements such as P. Consequently, there is a potential risk of P transfers to shallow groundwater systems. We suggest that the findings are not specific to biosolids-alone, which is a highly regulated industry, but that similar results may be anticipated had livestock waste or mineral fertilizer been applied, although the magnitude of losses may differ. The risk appears to be more one of timing and the availability of a rapid transport pathway than of P source.",
keywords = "Biosolids, Sewage sludge , Phosphorus , Diffuse pollution , Drainage , Agriculture",
author = "Heathwaite, {A. Louise} and Burke, {S. P.} and L. Bolton",
note = "Field drains as a route of rapid nutrient export from agricultural land receiving biosolids 5 cites: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?num=100&hl=en&lr=&cites=14095810463825033138",
year = "2006",
month = jul,
day = "15",
doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.02.033",
language = "English",
volume = "365",
pages = "33--46",
journal = "Science of the Total Environment",
issn = "0048-9697",
publisher = "Elsevier Science B.V.",
number = "1-3",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Field drains as a route of rapid nutrient export from agricultural land receiving biosolids

AU - Heathwaite, A. Louise

AU - Burke, S. P.

AU - Bolton, L.

N1 - Field drains as a route of rapid nutrient export from agricultural land receiving biosolids 5 cites: http://scholar.google.com/scholar?num=100&hl=en&lr=&cites=14095810463825033138

PY - 2006/7/15

Y1 - 2006/7/15

N2 - We report research on the environmental risk of incidental nutrient transfers from land to water for biosolids amended soils. We show that subsurface (drainflow) pathways of P transport may result in significant concentrations, up to 10 mg total P l− 1, in the drainage network of an arable catchment when a P source (recent biosolids application) coincides with a significant and active transport pathway (rainfall event). However, the high P concentrations were short-lived, with drainage ditch total P concentrations returning to pre-storm concentrations within a few days of the storm event. In the case of the drainflow concentrations reported here, the results are unusual in that they describe an ‘incidental event’ for a groundwater catchment where such events might normally be expected to be rare owing to the capacity of the hydrological system to attenuate nutrient fluxes for highly adsorbed elements such as P. Consequently, there is a potential risk of P transfers to shallow groundwater systems. We suggest that the findings are not specific to biosolids-alone, which is a highly regulated industry, but that similar results may be anticipated had livestock waste or mineral fertilizer been applied, although the magnitude of losses may differ. The risk appears to be more one of timing and the availability of a rapid transport pathway than of P source.

AB - We report research on the environmental risk of incidental nutrient transfers from land to water for biosolids amended soils. We show that subsurface (drainflow) pathways of P transport may result in significant concentrations, up to 10 mg total P l− 1, in the drainage network of an arable catchment when a P source (recent biosolids application) coincides with a significant and active transport pathway (rainfall event). However, the high P concentrations were short-lived, with drainage ditch total P concentrations returning to pre-storm concentrations within a few days of the storm event. In the case of the drainflow concentrations reported here, the results are unusual in that they describe an ‘incidental event’ for a groundwater catchment where such events might normally be expected to be rare owing to the capacity of the hydrological system to attenuate nutrient fluxes for highly adsorbed elements such as P. Consequently, there is a potential risk of P transfers to shallow groundwater systems. We suggest that the findings are not specific to biosolids-alone, which is a highly regulated industry, but that similar results may be anticipated had livestock waste or mineral fertilizer been applied, although the magnitude of losses may differ. The risk appears to be more one of timing and the availability of a rapid transport pathway than of P source.

KW - Biosolids

KW - Sewage sludge

KW - Phosphorus

KW - Diffuse pollution

KW - Drainage

KW - Agriculture

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.02.033

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2006.02.033

M3 - Journal article

VL - 365

SP - 33

EP - 46

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

SN - 0048-9697

IS - 1-3

ER -