Nutritive value of timothy fertilized with chloride or chloride-containing liquid swine manure

Chloride fertilization of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) decreases forage dietary cation-anion difference to an acceptable value [(<250 mmol_c/kg of dry matter (DM)] for dry dairy cows (Bos taurus). However, high Cl concentrations in forages as a result of fertilization might affect nutritive value. Two experiments were used to evaluate the effects of chloride fertilization on timothy spring growth and summer regrowth by determining concentrations of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), in vitro true digestibility of DM (IVTD), and in vitro digestibility of NDF (dNDF). In an inorganic fertilization experiment, forages grown at 4 locations were fertilized with CaCl₂ (0, 80, 160, and 240 kg of Cl/ha per yr) or NH₄Cl (160 kg of Cl/ha per yr) in combination with 2 N application rates (70 and 140 kg of N/ha per yr). The increase in Cl fertilization rate affected forage NDF concentration (+1.4%), IVTD (−0.8%), and dNDF (−1.2%) only at the highest rate of N fertilization, but this effect was not of biological importance. Crude protein concentration was not affected by Cl fertilization. Both Cl fertilizer types had a similar impact on forage nutritive value. In an organic fertilization experiment, forages grown at 2 locations received 1 of 7 experimental treatments [unfertilized control, inorganic fertilizer, raw liquid swine manure (LSM), and liquid fractions of 4 pretreated LSM types (decanted, filtered, anaerobically digested, and flocculated)] that provided, respectively, 0, 60, 41, 44, 44, 36, and 101 kg of Cl/ha per yr. The last 6 fertilizer treatments also provided 140 kg of N/ha per yr. The IVTD, dNDF, and concentration of NDF in timothy forage were not affected by the Cl content of the different LSM types. Nitrogen fertilization increased concentration of forage NDF and decreased IVTD and dNDF, but this effect was not biologically important. In both experiments, soil types and harvests had a negligible effect on forage nutritive value. Organic or inorganic Cl fertilizers applied to decrease timothy dietary cation-anion difference have little or no effect on forage nutritive value.     

Increased production of biogas from cowdung by adding other agricultural waste materials

It was found that the addition of nitrogenous materials, such as casein, urea or urine, increased the extem of decomposition of cowdung, resulting in higher gas production. The effect appears to be due to the maintenance of pH > 7 during fermentation. With the addition of urea or CaCO₃, materials such as. dry leaves and cane sugar have yielded high proportions of methane in the gas mixtures and these additions also increased the rate of gas production by promoting anaerobic conditions in the medium. Addition of cellulose also increased the rate but the gas mixture obtained had a lower methane content.     

Bioaccumulation of organic chemicals in contaminated soils: evaluation of bioassays with earthworms

Earthworms live in close contact with the soil and can thus be considered representative for the bioavailability of chemicals at contaminated sites. Bioavailability can either be assessed by analyzing earthworms from contaminated locations or by exposing laboratory-reared specimens to soil samples from the field (bioassays). In this study, we investigate the relevance of bioassays by using an extended experimental design (to identify signs of depletion of the bioavailable phase by the earthworms) and by using two species of earthworm (the standard test species Eisenia andrei and the field-relevant Aporrectodea caliginosa). Furthermore, bioassay results are compared to body residues of worms collected from the field site: a heavily polluted polder, amended with dredge spoil. We focused on telodrin, dieldrin, hexachlorobenzene, and eight PCBs. With our bioassay design, it was shown that depletion was unlikely, although more subtle effects could have occurred (e.g., changes in sorption during the experiments). E. andrei is a good choice for bioassays because its body residues correlate well to those in A. caliginosa, as well as to those in the field-collected worms. Nevertheless, E. andrei accumulated slightly more than the other species and appeared to be more sensitive to the conditions in soil from one of our sites.     

Agronomic value of urban waste and the growth of ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in a calciorthid soil amended with this waste

The influence of the composting process on the agronomic value of urban waste (UW) from Murcia (south-eastern Spain) was studied. UW compost had a higher percentage of P, K and nitrate N than fresh UW, as well as a higher cation exchange capacity and a more stable organic matter. By contrast, total N content and values of extractable P/ total P × 100 ratio were lower. The addition of fresh UW to a calciorthid soil had an initially depressive effect on rxegrass (Lolium perenne) yield, which disappeared with time as this waste matured in the soil. No depressive effect was observed when composted UW was applied. When soil was amended with high doses of UW compost, yields were always significantly greater than the control. The uncomposted waste induced a large concentration of macroelements (except N) in the plants of the first harvest. Plants grown in amended soil had a higher concentration of Fe, Mn and Zn than the control.     

Biotransformation and accumulation of arsenic in soil amended with seaweed

For many coastal regions of the world, it has been common practice to apply seaweed to the land as a soil improver and fertilizer. Seaweed is rich in arsenosugars and has a tissue concentration of arsenic up to 100 micro/g g(-1). These arsenic species are relatively nontoxic to humans; however, in the environment they may accumulate in the soil and decompose to more toxic arsenic species. The aim of this study was to determine the fate and biotransformation of these arsenosugars in soil using HPLC-ICP-MS analysis. Data from coastal soils currently manured with seaweeds were used to investigate if arsenic was accumulating in these soils. Long-term application of seaweed increased arsenic concentrations in these soils up to 10-fold (0.35 mg of As kg(-1) for nonagronomic peat, 4.3 mg of As kg(-1) for seaweed-amended peat). The biotransformation of arsenic was studied in microcosm experiments in which a sandy (machair) soil, traditionally manured with seaweed, was amended with Laminaria digitata and Fucus vesiculosus. In both seaweed species, the arsenic occurs in the form of arsenosugars (85%). The application of 50 g of seaweed to 1 kg of soil leads to an increase of arsenic in the soils, and the dominating species found in the soil pore water were dimethylarsinic acid (DMA(V)) and the inorganic species arsenate (As(V)) and arsenite (As(III)) after the initial appearance of arsenosugars. A proposed decomposition pathway of arsenosugars is discussed in which the arsenosugars are transformed to DMA(V) and further to inorganic arsenic without appreciable amounts of methylarsonic acid (MA(V)). Commercially available seaweed-based fertilizers contain arsenic concentration between 10 and 50 mg kg(-1). The arsenic species in these fertilizers depends on the manufacturing procedure. Some contain mainly arsenosugars while others contain mainly DMA(V) and inorganic arsenic. With the application rates suggested by the manufacturers, the application of these fertilizers is 2 orders of magnitude lower than the maximum permissible sewage sludge load for arsenic (varies from 0.025 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) in Styria, Austria, to 0.7 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) in the U.K.), while a direct seaweed application would exceed the maximum arsenic load by at least a factor of 2.     

Bioaccumulation of organochlorines in crows from an indian open waste dumping site: evidence for direct transfer of dioxin-like congeners from the contaminated soil

To assess the significance of waste dumping sites as a source of chemical contamination to ecosystems, we analyzed the residue levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other organochlorines in the breast muscle of crows from a dumping site in the south of Chennai city, South India. Crows from the dumping site contained significantly higher total TEQs (60 +/- 27 pg/g lipid wt) than those from the reference sites (26 +/- 18 pg/g lipid wt). Especially, certain dioxin-like coplanar PCB congeners (Co-PCBs), such as CB-77 and CB-105, whose source is commercial PCBs,were significantly higher in crows from the dumping site than those from the reference sites. Profiles of PCDDs/DFs and Co-PCBs in crows from the dumping site were similar to those of soil at the same site, which was confirmed by principal component analysis. Furthermore, significant positive correlations were obtained between the congener-specific bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of PCDDs/DFs estimated from concentrations in crows and soil from the dumping site and the theoretical BCFs calculated from water-particle and lipid-water partitioning coefficients. On the other hand, the estimated BCFs had significant negative correlations with the molecular weight of PCDDs/DFs, indicating that molecular size limits their bioaccumulation. These results suggest that dioxin-like congeners in the soil of the dumping site were transferred directly to the crows through the ingestion of on-site garbage contaminated with soil, rather than through trophic transfer in the ecosystem. The present study provides insight into the ecological impacts of dumping sites.     

Comparison of neem or oregano with thiram on organic matter decomposition of a sand loam soil amended with compost,and on soil biological activity

BACKGROUND: Oregano essential oil and neem have been reported to be effective against soil‐borne pathogens and nematodes. The possibility of having an effect on soil properties was the aim of this investigation. Moreover, thiram, a common widely used chemical pesticide, was used for comparison. RESULTS: The effects of all three above‐mentioned substances were investigated during an incubation experiment, for 15 weeks. Crushed neem pellets were added at 1.0, 2.0 or 3.0 g per 50 g of soil. Oregano dry matter was applied at 0.2, 0.4 or 0.6 g per 50 g of soil. Finally, thiram was applied at 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 g per 50 g of soil. The addition of neem resulted in a decrease in organic carbon mineralisation, higher than that of oregano, but not as prominently as thiram. The addition of neem resulted in an increase in the content of nitrate, organic P, bioavailable P, bioavailable K and bioavailable Mn. Oregano had a slight negative effect on organic matter biodegradation, but caused an increase of nutritional mineral elements. Microbe colonies in soil were increased by the addition of neem cake granules, whereas oregano and thiram treatments caused a decrease. The addition of thiram reduced nitrate and available Mn contents, but at the lowest dose increased organic P and available K. Thiram reduced prominently available Cu at the upper rates, but it increased these forms at the lowest rate, while available Zn content was increased in two lowest rates. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicated that neem or oregano could be applied to the soil without any extremely negative effect on the available forms of nutritional mineral elements, as thiram does. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Testosterone-mineralizing culture enriched from swine manure: characterization of degradation pathways and microbial community composition

Environmental releases and fate of steroid sex hormones from livestock and wastewater treatment plants are of increasing regulatory concern. Despite the detection of these hormones in manures, biosolids, and the environment, little attention has been paid to characterization of fecal bacteria capable of hormone degradation. The enrichments of (swine) manure-borne bacteria capable of aerobic testosterone degradation were prepared and the testosterone mineralization pathway was elucidated. Six DNA sequences of bacteria from the Proteobacteria phylum distributed among the genera Acinetobacter, Brevundimonas, Comamonas, Sphingomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Rhodobacter were identified in a testosterone-degrading enriched culture with testosterone as the sole carbon source. Three degradation products of testosterone were identified as androstenedione, androstadienedione, and dehydrotestosterone using commercially available reference standards, liquid chromatography-UV diode array detection, and liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF/MS). Three additional degradation products of testosterone were tentatively identified as 9α-hydroxytestosterone, 9α-hydroxyandrostadienedione or 3-hydroxy-9,10-secoandrosta-1,3,5(10)-triene-9,17-dione, and 9α-hydroxydehydrotestosterone or 9α-hydroxyandrostenedione using LC-TOF/MS. When (14)C-testosterone was introduced to the enriched culture, 49-68% of the added (14)C-testosterone was mineralized to (14)CO(2) within 8 days of incubation. The mineralization of (14)C-testosterone followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics in the enriched culture with half-lives (t(1/2)) of 10-143 h. This work suggests that Proteobacteria play an important environmental role in degradation of steroid sex hormones and that androgens have the potential to be mineralized during aerobic manure treatment or after land application to agricultural fields by manure-borne bacteria.     

农产品废弃物中纤维素的提取及其在食品工业中的应用

纤维素是自然界中分布最广、储量最大的天然高分子材料,具有生物相容性好、可再生和可生物降解等优势.通过光合作用,植物每年可合成的纤维素有数亿万t.其提取与利用一直以来都是研究的热点.本文主要对纤维素提取方法及纤维素在食品工业中的应用进行了阐述.首先介绍了纤维素的分子结构特点、化学性质等,总结并对比分析了纤维素常用提取方法...     

Biomimetic extraction of PAHs and PCBs from soil with octadecyl-modified silica disks to predict their availability to earthworms

We developed a model to predict the availability of PAHs and PCBs to earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris L.) in soils. We related the uptake of PAHs and PCBs by earthworms to the extraction with octadecyl-modified silica disks (C18 disks). Eleven soils (data set A) were used to develop the model, and 14 additional soils (data set B) were used to validate it independently. The biota-to-soil accumulation factors (BSAFs) of higher molecular weight PAHs (> or =202 g mol(-1)) and PCBs were higher than the corresponding Cl8 disk-soil partition coefficients (Kdisk) in the soils of data set A. This suggested that PAHs and PCBs were not only partitioned between soil and earthworms but also selectively ingested or metabolized. Nevertheless, we could predict the BSAFs of individual PAHs and PCBs for data set A by regression equations of log BSAF on log Kdisk (r=0.47-0.87). To predict the BSAFs of all PAHs and PCBs, respectively, we derived a model for each compound class that uses Kdisk and K(ow) values. Both the compound and the compound-class specific model were suitable to predict the BSAFs of PAHs and PCBs in data set B within a factor of 10-15.     

Organochlorine pesticides in agricultural soil and vegetables from Tianjin, China

Samples of eight types of vegetables, the rhizosphere soils, and bulk soils were collected from two sites (A and B) in Tianjin, China for the determination of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and metabolites (DDXs). The average concentrations of total HCHs and DDXs in the bulk soils were 3.6 and 80.1 ng/g for site A and 102 and 235 ng/g for site B, respectively. Relative accumulations of HCHs and DDXs in the rhizosphere soil from site A but not site B were demonstrated. The concentrations of total HCHs and DDXs in vegetable roots were 3.6-60 and 4.2-73 ng/g for site A and 15-152 and 7.1-136 ng/g for site B, respectively. Difference in bioaccumulation among various vegetables, especially between tuber and fibrous vegetables was significant. DDXs in spinach and cauliflower from site B and lindane (gamma-HCH) in cauliflower from both sites and violet from site B exceeded the maximum residual limits. Linear correlation of log-transformed HCHs and DDXs contents between the vegetable roots and the rhizosphere soils suggests the direct uptake of HCHs and DDXs.     

Evidence for bioavailability of Au nanoparticles from soil and biodistribution within earthworms (Eisenia fetida)

Because Au nanoparticles (NPs) are resistant to oxidative dissolution and are easily detected, they have been used as stable probes for the behavior of nanomaterials within biological systems. Previous studies provide somewhat limited evidence for bioavailability of Au NPs in food webs, because the spatial distribution within tissues and the speciation of Au was not determined. In this study, we provide multiple lines of evidence, including orthogonal microspectroscopic techniques, as well as evidence from biological responses, that Au NPs are bioavailable from soil to a model detritivore (Eisenia fetida). We also present limited evidence that Au NPs may cause adverse effects on earthworm reproduction. This is perhaps the first study to demonstrate that Au NPs can be taken up by detritivores from soil and distributed among tissues. We found that primary particle size (20 or 55 nm) did not consistently influence accumulated concentrations on a mass concentration basis; however, on a particle number basis the 20 nm particles were more bioavailable. Differences in bioavailability between the treatments may have been explained by aggregation behavior in pore water. The results suggest that nanoparticles present in soil from activities such as biosolids application have the potential to enter terrestrial food webs.     

Measurement of DDT fluxes from a historically treated agricultural soil in Canada

Organocohlorine pesticide (OCP) residues in agricultural soils are of concern due to the uptake of these compounds by crops, accumulation in the foodchain, and reemission from soils to the atmosphere. Although it has been about three decades since DDT was banned for agricultural uses in Canada, residues persist in soils of some agricultural areas. Emission of DDT compounds to the atmosphere from a historically treated field in southern Ontario was determined in fall 2004 and spring 2005. The sigmaDDTs concentration in the high organic matter (71%) soil was 19 +/- 4 microg g(-1) dry weight. Concentration gradients in the air were measured at 5, 20, 72, and 200 cm above soil using glass fiber filter-polyurethane foam cartridges. Air concentrations of sigmaDDTs averaged 5.7 +/- 5.1 ng m(-3) at 5 cm and decreased to 1.3 +/- 0.8 ng m(-3) at 200 cm and were 60-300 times higher than levels measured at a background site 30 km away. Soil-air fugacity fractions, fs/(fs + fa), of p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDT ranged from 0.42 to 0.91 using air concentrations measured above the soil and > or = 0.99 using background air concentrations, indicating that the soil was a net source to the background air. Fractionation of DDT compounds during volatilization was predicted using either liquid-phase vapor pressures (PL) or octanol-air partition coefficients (KOA). Relative emissions of p,p'-DDE and p,p'-DDT were better described by PL than KOA, whereas either PL or KOA successfully accounted for the fractionation of p,p'-DDT and o,p'-DDT. Soil-to-air fluxes were calculated from air concentration gradients and turbulent exchange coefficients determined from micrometeorological measurements. Average fluxes of sigmaDDTs were 90 +/- 24 ng m(-2) h(-1) in fall and 660 +/- 370 ng m(-2) h(-1) in spring. Higher soil temperatures in spring accounted for the higher fluxes. A volatilization half-life of approximately 200 y was estimated for sigmaDDT in the upper 5 cm of the soil column, assuming the average flux rate for 12 h d-(1) over 8 months of the year. Thus, in the absence of other dissipation processes, the soil will continue to be a source of atmospheric contamination for a very long time.     

绿肥、鸡粪和钙肥使用对新垦红壤土壤肥力和烟草生长的影响

两年的盆栽试验结果表明:种植绿肥提高了土壤有机质的含量,显著改善土壤微生物的活力和微生物功能多样性。施用钙肥显著促进了烟草生长,增加叶片数、叶长和叶宽,与单施化肥相比,烟叶干重增加6.1倍;而鸡粪肥配施化肥更加显著地促进了烟草的生长,与单施化肥处理相比烟叶干重增加24.2倍。施用钙肥和鸡粪肥料显著提高了烟草对营养元素的吸收量。在鸡粪肥料与化肥配施的基础上再施用钙肥虽然也增加了烟叶Ca和Mg的吸收量,但却显著降低了烟叶P、K、B、Mn的吸收量。 因此 鸡粪与化肥配施后,再施用钙肥的作用不大。所以,在该基地新垦红壤上种植绿肥、使用优质禽畜粪肥将是获得较好的烟叶产、质量的前提措施。       

Enrichment of heavy metals in sediment resulting from soil erosion on agricultural fields

Heavy metal pollution of soil and water is often associated with industry, but in this paper we demonstrate that water erosion on agricultural soil which has received only agrochemicals has enriched sediment metal concentrations to toxic levels which breach many accepted standards for soils and sediments. Eight 0.1 ha erosion plots with different cultivation treatments were monitored over a 6 year period for surface runoff, soil loss, and Cr, Cu, Pb, and Ni concentrations. Mean concentrations of these heavy metals were up to 3.98 times higher in the sediment than in the parent soil and in some erosion events the sediment had 13.5 times the concentration of metals in the soil. All the sediment heavy metal concentrations were significantly correlated (p < 0.01) with the clay and silt sized fractions of the sediment and with carbon content. The erosion was a highly selective process enriching the detached material in silt, clay, and organic carbon. This was particularly true in smaller erosion events. Sediment metal concentrations tended to follow the shape of runoff hydrographs, although the pattern changed from storm to storm.