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Transformations of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Metals in Soils Treated with Waste Materials
Author(s) -
Sommers L. E.,
Nelson D. W.,
Silviera D. J.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1979.00472425000800030005x
Subject(s) - soil water , leaching (pedology) , sewage sludge , volatilisation , environmental chemistry , decomposition , nitrogen , chemistry , sewage , denitrification , environmental science , environmental engineering , soil science , organic chemistry
Intact soil cores were used to evaluate decomposition, NH 3 volatilization, N transformations, and metal movement in soils treated with sewage sludges and antibiotic processing wastes. Soil cores were leached monthly with water and incubated for 1 year. An insignificant amount (<1%) of the NH 4 + ‐N applied was lost through NH 3 volatilization. The addition of wastes to five soils established that soil properties did not influence decomposition. In contrast, appreciable differences in decomposition were observed when different wastes were added to the same soil. Significant amounts of NO 3 − were leached from soils treated with antibiotic wastes, while essentially no NO 3 − leaching occurred in soils receiving sewage sludge, suggesting that denitrification and/or immobilization are major N loss mechanisms in soils treated with sewage sludge. Minimal amounts of P and metals were leached from sludge‐amended soils. Soil analysis indicated that the majority of the added Zn, Cu, Cd, Ni, and Pb remained in the zone of sludge incorporation (0–7.5 cm) with minimal or no movement into the 7.5‐ to 15‐cm soil depth.