Exchangeable Sodium Percentage decrease in saline sodic soil after Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag application in a lysimeter trial.

The Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag results from the conversion of hot metal into steel. Some properties of this slag, such as the high pH or calcium and magnesium content, makes it suitable for agricultural use as a soil amendment. Slag application to agricultural soils is allowed in some European countries, but to date there is no common regulation in the European Union. In Italy soils in coastal areas are often affected by excess sodium, which has several detrimental effects on the soil structure and crop production. In this study, carried out within an European project, the ability of the Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag to decrease the soil Exchangeable Sodium Percentage of a sodic soil was evaluated. A three-year lysimeter trial with wheat and tomato crops was carried out to assess the effects of two slag doses (D1, 3.5 g kg-1year-1 and D, 2, 7 g kg-1year-1) on exchangeable cations in comparison with unamended soil. In addition, the accumulation in the topsoil of vanadium and chromium, the two main trace metals present in the Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag, was assessed. After two years, the soil Exchangeable Sodium Percentage was reduced by 40% in D1 and 45% in D2 compared to the control. A concomitant increase in exchangeable bivalent cations (Ca++ and Mg++) was observed. We concluded that bivalent cations supplied with the slag competed with sodium for the sorption sites in the soil. The slag treatments also had a positive effect on tomato yields, which were higher than the control. Conversely the wheat yield was lower in the slag-amended soil, possibly because of the toxicity of vanadium added with the slag. This study showed that Basic Oxygen Furnace Slag decreased the Exchangeable Sodium Percentage, but precautions are needed to avoid the build up of toxic concentrations of trace metals in the soil, especially vanadium.

Fate of nitrogen and phosphorus from source-separated human urine in a calcareous soil.

Human urine concentrates 88% of the nitrogen and 50% of the phosphorus excreted by humans, making it a potential alternative crop fertilizer. However, knowledge gaps remain on the fate of nitrogen in situations favouring NH3 volatilization and on the availability of P from urine in soils. This study aimed at identifying the fate of nitrogen and phosphorus supplied by human urine from source separation toilets in a calcareous soil. To this end, a spinach crop was fertilized with 2 different doses of human urine (170 kgN ha-1 + 8.5 kgP ha-1 and 510 kgN ha-1 + 25.5 kgP ha-1) and compared with a synthetic fertilizer treatment (170 kgN ha-1 + 8.5 kgP ha-1) and an unfertilized control. The experiment was conducted in 4 soil tanks (50-cm depth) in greenhouse conditions, according to a randomized block scheme. We monitored soil mineral nitrogen over time and simulated nitrogen volatilization using Hydrus-1D and Visual Minteq softwares. We also monitored soil phosphorus pools, carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (CNP) in microbial biomass, soil pH and electrical conductivity. Only an excessive input of urine affected soil pH (decreasing it by 0.2 units) and soil conductivity (increasing it by 183%). The phosphorus supplied was either taken up by the crop or remained mostly in the available P pool, as demonstrated by a net increase of the resin and bicarbonate extractable P. Ammonium seemed to be nitrified within about 10 days after application. However, both Visual Minteq and Hydrus models estimated that more than 50% of the nitrogen supplied was lost by ammonia volatilization. Overall, our results indicate that direct application of urine to a calcareous soil provides available nutrients for plant growth, but that heavy losses of volatilized nitrogen are to be expected. Our results also question whether long-term application could affect soil pH and salinity.

Combining spectroscopic and isotopic techniques gives a dynamic view of phosphorus cycling in soil.

Current understanding of phosphorus (P) cycling in soils can be enhanced by integrating previously discrete findings concerning P speciation, exchange kinetics, and the underlying biological and geochemical processes. Here, we combine sequential extraction with P K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and isotopic methods (33P and 18O in phosphate) to characterize P cycling on a climatic gradient in Hawaii. We link P pools to P species and estimate the turnover times for commonly considered P pools. Dissolved P turned over in seconds, resin-extractable P in minutes, NaOH-extractable inorganic P in weeks to months, and HCl-extractable P in years to millennia. Furthermore, we show that in arid-zone soils, some primary mineral P remains even after 150 ky of soil development, whereas in humid-zone soils of the same age, all P in all pools has been biologically cycled. The integrative information we provide makes possible a more dynamic, process-oriented conceptual model of P cycling in soils.

Tracing the sources and cycling of phosphorus in river sediments using oxygen isotopes: Methodological adaptations and first results from a case study in France.

An essential aspect of eutrophication studies is to trace the ultimate origin of phosphate ions (P-PO4) associated with the solid phase of river sediments, as certain processes can make these ions available for algae. However, this is not a straightforward task because of the diversity of allochthonous and autochthonous sources that can supply P-PO4 to river sediments as well as the existence of in-stream processes that can change the speciation of these inputs and obscure the original sources. Here, we present the results of a study designed to explore the potentials, limitations and conditions for the use of the oxygen isotope composition of phosphate (δ18Op) extracted from river sediments for this type of tracing. We first tested if the method commonly applied to soils to purify P-PO4 and to measure their δ18Op concentrations could be adapted to sediments. We then applied this method to a set of sediments collected in a river along a gradient of anthropogenic pressure and compared their isotopic signatures with those from samples that are representative of the potential P-PO4 inputs to the river system (soils and riverbank material). The results showed that following some adaptations, the purification method could be successfully transposed to river sediments with a high level of P-PO4 purification (>97%) and high δ18Op measurement repeatability and accuracy (<0.4‰). The values for the potential allochthonous sources varied from 11.8 to 18.3‰, while the δ18Op value for the river sediments ranged from 12.2 to 15.8‰. Moreover, a sharp increase (>3‰) in the sediment δ18Op value immediately downstream from the discharge point revealed the strong impact of municipal wastewater. The calculation of the theoretical equilibrium δ18Op values using the river water temperature and δ18Ow showed that the downstream sediments were in equilibrium, which was not the case for the upstream sediments. This difference could be related to the contrast between the short residence time of the transfer system in the catchment head, which can preserve the isotopic variability of the source materials, and the longer residence times and higher P bioavailability in the lower catchment, possibly fostering the recycling of P-PO4 by the biota and the equilibration of the oxygen isotope signature in P-PO4. These results demonstrate the potential of the isotopic approach to assess the sources and in-stream turnover of sedimentary P in river systems.

An inter-laboratory comparison of gaseous and liquid fumigation based methods for measuring microbial phosphorus (Pmic) in forest soils with differing P stocks.

In an inter-laboratory trial, gaseous ("CFE") and liquid fumigation ("Resin") based methods for measuring microbial phosphorus (Pmic) were compared, based on the analysis of soil samples from five forests, which differ in their P stocks. Both methods reliably detected the same Pmic gradient in the different soils. However, when the individual recovery rates of spiked P were taken into account, the "CFE" based methods consistently generated higher Pmic values (factor 2) compared to the "Resin" based approaches.

Preliminary investigation on the potential use of two C4 turfgrass species to reduce nutrient release in a Mediterranean drained peatland.

This study compared dry matter production, nutrient uptake and tissue nutrient concentration of two C4 turfgrass species (Cynodon dactylon × Cynodon transvaalensis Burtt Davy and Paspalum vaginatum Swartz) supplied with three different nutrient solutions in a sand and peat culture. The 8-week experiment was performed in mesocosms and simulated the conditions of an open-field phyto-treatment system located in a Mediterranean drained peatland (Tuscany, Italy). Peat was collected on the site, and one of the solutions mimicked drainage water flowing into it. Three hypotheses were tested: (i) the species chosen efficiently removed nutrients from both the solution and the substrate; (ii) peat contributed to the nutrient load; and (iii) the species chosen were suitable in the open-field system. Both species adapted well to the experimental conditions and demonstrated considerable ability to remove nutrients. P. vaginatum took up nitrogen more efficiently, mainly in conditions of high nutrient availability. We observed supplementary nutrient uptake by plants in the peat treatment. Performances of the two C4 turfgrasses extrapolated to the field scale seemed effective from a phyto-treatment perspective.