Spatiotemporal assessment of phosphorus release from a fertiliser granule and its diffusion into bulk soil: a combined experimental and modelling study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Petroselli ◽  
Katherine A. Williams ◽  
Arpan Ghosh ◽  
Daniel McKay Fletcher ◽  
Siul A. Ruiz ◽  
...  

<p>Phosphorus (P) is a limiting nutrient for crops and it is therefore highly managed in human activities such as agriculture. Not only the global phosphate rock reserves are going to be exhausted in a century, but P can also be lost from fields with the runoff ending up contaminating water bodies and causing eutrophication.</p> <p>This study is aimed at investigating P release from a fertiliser granule at high spatial and temporal resolution to optimise fertilisation timing, match crop requirements and reduce runoff. Experimental data consist of time-resolved P concentration in the soil solution at three different depths and total P concentration profile determined via total soil digestion. We observed a rapid, single-pulse release of P from the fertiliser granule shortly after soil wetting (<2h). The pulse reaches the furthest probe (3 cm) within the same timeframe, then P concentration in the soil solution gradually decreases over the following 150 hours due to adsorption.</p> <p>As the experimental data did not match the model-predicted P diffusion behaviour, a new modelling approach was used to reproduce the data. The model accounts for P diffusion and adsorption onto soil particles, resulting in the temporal evolution of P concentrations both in the soil solution and adsorbed onto soil particles. As the final total P concentration in soil reflects the initial P concentration profile in the soil solution, the model shows that adsorption onto soil particles happens faster than diffusion. Additionally, the model gives an estimate of diffusion, adsorption and desorption rates, as well as the maximum distance that P can travel from the source.</p> <p>Combining high-resolution experiments with modelling provided a new insight into P release and diffusion from a fertiliser granule. The results can inform optimal fertilisation timings to improve crop yields while reducing P application rates and undesirable side effects such as eutrophication.</p>

1985 ◽  
Vol 17 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 297-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takao Murakami ◽  
Atsushi Miyairi ◽  
Kazuhiro Tanaka

In Japan various biological phosphorus removal processes have recently been researched by laboratory or pilot plant scale studies and most of them have shown good results. Based on these results, the Japan Sewage Works Agency has conducted a full scale study of the biological phosphorus removal process from June 1982 until February 1983, which was the first full scale operation of this process in Japan. The main purpose of the study was to evaluate phosphorus removal efficiency and also nitrogen removal efficiency of the process and in addition, to ascertain the important operating factors of the process. For the study a treatment train of a large scale sewage treatment plant was remodelled. The aeration tank of 3.825 m3 volume was divided into four equal cells. The whole train including return sludge line was operated entirely independently of the other trains. During the experiment the train was operated under two different modes, Mode 1 and Mode 2. In Mode 1, the train was operated as an A/O process, the first cell of the aeration tank being anaerobic and the other cells oxic. In Mode 2, the train was operated as a Modified Phoredox process. In this case, the first cell was anaerobic, but the second cell was anoxic and nitrified liquor was returned to it from the end of the oxic cells. Mode 1 and Mode 2 were further divided into many ‘runs' and the flow rate varied between 12,550 m3 d−1 and 25,270 m3 d−1 , corresponding to retention times of 7.3 hours and 3.6 hours, respectively. Throughout the experimental period the mean value of influent (primary effluent) total-P concentration was 3.38 mg 1−1 , and that of the final effluent was 0.47 mg 1−1 . A cumulated frequency curve of the data showed that about 93% of measured effluent total-P was below 1.0 mg l−1 . Therefore, it can be concluded that with these influent total-P levels, biological phosphorus removal processes can sufficiently satisfy the effluent standard of 1 mg 1−1 total-P. Even when the process was operated as a Modified Phoredox Process, no obstruction to phosphorus removal because of nitrification was observed and phosphorus removal remained good. However, since the sewage treatment plant treated influent from a combined sewerage system, phosphorus removal was sometimes affected by heavy rainfalls. In such cases phosphorus release in the anaerobic cell was insufficient because of increased influent NOx concentration and accordingly increased denitrification level in the anaerobic cell. Therefore, as a result, enhanced phosphorus uptake in the following cells could not be observed. Higher process stability can be expected if an effective countermeasure to high influent NOx concentration can be made. Influence of flow rate fluctuation on the process was also studied. The treatment train was operated for a week under a daily flow rate fluctuation pattern which ranged between 460 m3 hr−1 and 820 m3 hr−1 . Nevertheless, the effluent total-P concentration showed no increase and stayed constantly lower than 0.5 mg 1−1. The oxidation reduction potential (ORP) was an effective control index to evaluate the degree of phosphorus release in the anaerobic cell. Water temperature did not affect phosphorus release and uptake rates.


2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 503-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.F. Gonçalves ◽  
F. Rogalla

This work describes laboratory scale research about Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) in a submerged biofilter under Anaerobic/Oxic (A/O) alternation and continuous feed. Its main purpose is to detail the behaviour of the reactor throughout the anaerobic and the aerobic phases of the A/O cycle, to study the importance of the anaerobic phase in the selection of the EBPR bacteria in the biofilm and to evaluate the consumption and the importance of the organic substrate during the anaerobic phase. The mass balance over the Phosphorus (P) element indicates that long anaerobic phases (6 h) are more efficient than short ones (3 h) as a selector of EBPR bacteria in biofilms. In both comparisons, thespecific mass of P released in a 6 h period represents almost 50% more than the amount of P release in the shorter period (3 h). However, the presence of rapidly biodegradable COD in the influent of the anaerobic phase is a more effective selector, more important than the duration of the anaerobic phase: by doubling the amount of acetic acid in the influent, a similar 50% increase of P-release can be achieved at short anaerobic periods of 3 h. The effect of the strategy adopted in this study, focusing on selecting EBPR bacteria in biofilm, is shown by the P levels of 4% (total P/SST) in the sludge removed from the BF by backwashing in all periods.


Euphytica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 217 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Eifler ◽  
Jürgen Enno Wick ◽  
Bernd Steingrobe ◽  
Christian Möllers

AbstractPhytic acid is the major organic phosphorus storage compound in rapeseed. Following oil extraction, the defatted meal is used in feed mixtures for livestock. However, monogastric pigs and chickens can only poorly metabolize phytate. Hence, their excrements are rich in phosphorus (P), which when applied as manure may lead to eutrophication of surface waters. The aim of the present study was to analyze the genetic variation for total and organic P concentration (i.e. mainly phytate) in rapeseed and to compare the results with soybean. Two sets of rapeseed material were tested in field experiments in different environments with varying soil P levels and harvested seeds were used for seed quality analysis. Results revealed significant genotypic differences in total seed P concentration, which ranged from 0.47 to 0.94%. Depending on the experiment, the heritability for total P concentration ranged from 52 to 93%. The organic P portion of total P concentration was above 90% for current rapeseed hybrids. In both sets, there was a significant positive correlation between seed protein and P concentration. A NIRS calibration for total P concentration in intact seeds showed in cross validation a standard error of 0.05% and a coefficient of determination of R2 = 0.83. Total P concentration of soybean seeds and meal was between 0.55 and 0.65%, and around 1.1% for rapeseed meal. Rapeseed meal had a twofold higher ratio of total P to nitrogen concentration as compared to soybean which could be considered adverse when the meal is used for feeding livestock.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhu ◽  
Anchi Wu ◽  
Guoyi Zhou

AbstractPhosphorus (P) is an important element in terrestrial ecosystems and plays a critical role in soil quality and ecosystem productivity. Soil total P distributions have undergone large spatial changes as a result of centuries of climate change. It is necessary to study the characteristics of the horizontal and vertical distributions of soil total P and its influencing factors. In particular, the influence of climatic factors on the spatial distribution of soil total P in China’s forest ecosystems remain relatively unknown. Here, we conducted an intensive field investigation in different forest ecosystems in China to assess the effect of climatic factors on soil total P concentration and distribution. The results showed that soil total P concentration significantly decreased with increasing soil depth. The spatial distribution of soil total P increased with increasing latitude and elevation gradient but decreased with increasing longitude gradient. Random forest models and linear regression analyses showed that the explanation rate of bioclimatic factors and their relationship with soil total P concentration gradually decreased with increasing soil depths. Variance partitioning analysis demonstrated that the most important factor affecting soil total P distribution was the combined effect of temperature and precipitation factor, and the single effect of temperature factors had a higher explanation rate compare with the single effect of precipitation factors. This work provides a new farmework for the geographic distribution pattern of soil total P and the impact of climate variability on P distribution in forest ecosystems.


1997 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine S.M. Ku ◽  
David R. Hershey

Poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch `V-14 Glory') grown as single-pinched plants and received constant fertigation of Hoagland solution with N at 210 mg·L-1 of 100% NO3-N or 60% NO3-N : 40% NH4-N; P at 7.8 and 23 mg·L-1; and leaching fractions (LFs) of 0, 0.2, or 0.4. The P at 23 mg·L-1 used in this study was about half the P concentration typically provided from a 20N-4.4P-16.6K fertilizer at 200 mg·L-1 N fertigation. The total P applied via fertigation ranged from 51 mg at the 0 LF to 360 mg at the 0.4 LF. The leachate P concentration ranged from 0.2 to 46 mg·L-1. With P at 7.8 mg·L-1, the percentage of total P recovered in the leachate was 6% to 7%. At 23 mg·L-1 P fertigation, however, the total P recovered in the leachate with 60% NO3-N treatment was 2-times greater than with 100% NO3-N treatment. This result is attributed to a lower substrate pH, which resulted from NH4-N uptake and nitrification processes with 60% NO3-N fertigation. The P concentration in the recently matured leaves with 7.8 mg·L-1 P fertigation was in the normal range of 0.3% to 0.6%. Fertigation P can be reduced by up to 80% and still be sufficient for producing quality poinsettias. Reducing the fertigation P concentration is beneficial because it reduces P leaching, reduces fertilizer costs, and reduces luxury consumption.


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Kowalczewska-Madura ◽  
Renata Dondajewska ◽  
Ryszard Gołdyn ◽  
Joanna Rosińska ◽  
Stanisław Podsiadłowski

The urban Swarzędzkie Lake, into which sewage had been diverted many years ago, was still characterised by low ecological status. Three restoration methods were used in order to improve the water quality, i.e. aeration of the waters overlying the bottom sediments, inactivation of phosphorus in the water column with iron sulphate and magnesium chloride and biomanipulation with pike stocking. The aim of the research was to define seasonal and spatial changes of phosphorus internal loading from bottom sediments and to compare this with previous years. We also considered changes in the process of P release when the restoration treatments were limited after 3 yr from 3 methods to 1 method. The highest phosphorus release from bottom sediments was found in the profundal zone, where in summer periods it would reach up to 29.2 mgP m−2 day−1. The lowest P release was observed in the littoral zone, down to a depth of 3 m, where it did not exceed 10.0 mgP m−2 day−1. 31% of the whole load of P released from the bottom sediments was originated from this zone. The research showed an increase of phosphorus release in the first years of restoration treatment and a systematic decrease at all stations in the following years.


2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurea L. Lemes da Silva ◽  
Mariana C. Hennemann ◽  
Mauricio M. Petrucio

Temporal and spatial variations of organic and inorganic forms of phosphorus in the sediments of a subtropical oligo-mesotrophic shallow lake were investigated in relation to water column parameters, sediment characteristics and benthic fauna. The main results found were: 1) Phosphorus (P)  concentration varied seasonally, with organic P and total P  increasing in the sediments in warmer periods; 2) Sediment spatial variation, in terms of grain size composition and organic matter content, influenced P concentrations; 3) quantities and qualities of P in the sediments were positively correlated with water parameters, especially DO and NO3, Chl-a,  water temperature, pH, and total P. Negative correlations were observed between %OP and DO in sites 1, 3 and 4, and with NO3 in sites 2, 3 and 4; 4) benthic functional feeding groups showed significant relationships with temporal variation in sediment P concentration, including gathering-collectors, shredders, filterers and filtering-collectors. The results suggest a high importance of temperature mediated control of sediment-P release, both directly, through its direct effects on primary production and decomposition rates, and indirectly through its effects on other water and sediment parameters, especially dissolved oxygen concentration.


Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharina S. Nisbeth ◽  
Søren Jessen ◽  
Ole Bennike ◽  
Jacob Kidmose ◽  
Kasper Reitzel

This study explores the under-investigated issue of groundwater-borne geogenic phosphorus (P) as the potential driving factor behind accumulation of P in lake sediment. The annual internally released P load from the sediment of the shallow, hypereutrophic and groundwater-fed lake, Nørresø, Denmark, was quantified based on total P (TP) depth profiles. By comparing this load with previously determined external P loadings entering the lake throughout the year 2016–2017, it was evident that internal P release was the immediate controller of the trophic state of the lake. Nevertheless, by extrapolating back through the Holocene, assuming a groundwater P load corresponding to the one found at present time, the total groundwater P input to the lake was found to be in the same order of magnitude as the total deposit P in the lake sediment. This suggests that groundwater-transported P was the original source of the now internally cycled P. For many lakes, internal P cycling is the immediate controller of their trophic state. Yet, this does not take away the importance of the external and possibly geogenic origin of the P accumulating in lake sediments, and subsequently being released to the water column.


Science ◽  
1915 ◽  
Vol 42 (1084) ◽  
pp. 507-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bouyoucos ◽  
M. M. McCool

Soil Research ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 719 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Moroni ◽  
P. J. Smethurst ◽  
G. K. Holz

Several soil analyses were used to estimate available N in surface soils (0–10 cm) over a 2-year period at 5 sites that supported 1- to 4-year-old Eucalyptus nitens plantations, and once in subsoils (10–120 cm) at 3 of these sites. Soils were derived from basalt (1 site previously pasture, 1 Pinus radiate, and 2 native forest) or siltstone (previously native forest). Soil analyses examined were total N, total P, total C, anaerobically mineralisable N (AMN), hot KCl-extractable N (hot KCl-N), and NH4+ and NO3– in soil solution and KCl extracts. AMN, KCl-extractable NH4+ and NO3–, and soil solution NH4+ and NO3– varied considerably with time, whereas hot KCl-N, total N, total P, and total C were temporally stable except for a gradual decline in total C with time at one site. Only total P was correlated with net N mineralisation (NNM) across all sites (r2 = 0.91, P < 0.05, n = 5). At 2–3 years after planting, soil solution and KCl-extractable NO3– dropped below 0.1 mm N and 1 μg N/g soil, respectively, at sites with NNM ≤24 kg N/ha.year (n = 3). Sites with NNM ≤24 kg N/ha.year also had ≤0.8 Mg P/ha. Although concentrations of indices of soil N availability decreased with depth, the contribution of subsoil (10–120 cm depth) to total profile N availability was estimated to be at least twice that of the top 10 cm. At an ex-pasture site, high concentrations of mineral N were found at 75–105 cm depths (KCl-extractable N, 289.3 μg N/g soil; 2.8 mm mineral N in soil solution), which may have become available to plantations as their root systems developed.


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