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Huddell AM, Thapa R, Marcillo GS, Abendroth LJ, Ackroyd VJ, Armstrong SD, Asmita G, Bagavathiannan MV, Balkcom KS, Basche A, Beam S, Bradley K, Canisares LP, Darby H, Davis AS, Devkota P, Dick WA, Evans JA, Everman WJ, de Almeida TF, Flessner ML, Fultz LM, Gailans S, Hashemi M, Haymaker J, Helmers MJ, Jordan N, Kaspar TC, Ketterings QM, Kladivko E, Kravchenko A, Law EP, Lazaro L, Leon RG, Liebert J, Lindquist J, Loria K, McVane JM, Miller JO, Mulvaney MJ, Nkongolo NV, Norsworthy JK, Parajuli B, Pelzer C, Peterson C, Poffenbarger H, Poudel P, Reiter MS, Ruark M, Ryan MR, Samuelson S, Sawyer JE, Seehaver S, Shergill LS, Upadhyaya YR, VanGessel M, Waggoner AL, Wallace JM, Wells S, White C, Wolters B, Woodley A, Ye R, Youngerman E, Needelman BA, Mirsky SB. U.S. cereal rye winter cover crop growth database. Sci Data 2024; 11:200. [PMID: 38351049 PMCID: PMC10864324 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-02996-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Winter cover crop performance metrics (i.e., vegetative biomass quantity and quality) affect ecosystem services provisions, but they vary widely due to differences in agronomic practices, soil properties, and climate. Cereal rye (Secale cereale) is the most common winter cover crop in the United States due to its winter hardiness, low seed cost, and high biomass production. We compiled data on cereal rye winter cover crop performance metrics, agronomic practices, and soil properties across the eastern half of the United States. The dataset includes a total of 5,695 cereal rye biomass observations across 208 site-years between 2001-2022 and encompasses a wide range of agronomic, soils, and climate conditions. Cereal rye biomass values had a mean of 3,428 kg ha-1, a median of 2,458 kg ha-1, and a standard deviation of 3,163 kg ha-1. The data can be used for empirical analyses, to calibrate, validate, and evaluate process-based models, and to develop decision support tools for management and policy decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Huddell
- Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
| | - Resham Thapa
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Lori J Abendroth
- USDA-ARS, Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Victoria J Ackroyd
- Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | | | - Gautam Asmita
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | | | | | - Andrea Basche
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Shawn Beam
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | | | - Heather Darby
- University of Vermont Extension, St. Albans, VT, USA
| | - Adam S Davis
- USDA-ARS, Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Urbana, IL, USA
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Pratap Devkota
- West Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Jay, FL, USA
| | - Warren A Dick
- School of Environment and Resources, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA
| | | | - Wesley J Everman
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Michael L Flessner
- School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Lisa M Fultz
- School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Masoud Hashemi
- Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Haymaker
- Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech, Painter, VA, USA
| | - Matthew J Helmers
- Iowa Nutrient Research Center, Department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Nicholas Jordan
- Agronomy and Plant Genetics Department, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Thomas C Kaspar
- USDA-ARS, National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Quirine M Ketterings
- Nutrient Management Spear Program, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Eileen Kladivko
- Department of Agronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Alexandra Kravchenko
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Eugene P Law
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Lauren Lazaro
- Blue River Technology, and Lousiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Ramon G Leon
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Jeffrey Liebert
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, US
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - John Lindquist
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Kristen Loria
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, US
| | - Jodie M McVane
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jarrod O Miller
- Carvel Research and Education Center, University of Delaware, Georgetown, DE, USA
| | - Michael J Mulvaney
- Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, USA
| | | | - Jason K Norsworthy
- University of Arkansas Systems Division of Agriculture, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Binaya Parajuli
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Florence, SC, USA
| | - Christopher Pelzer
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, US
| | - Cara Peterson
- Department of Plant Science & Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Hanna Poffenbarger
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Pratima Poudel
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Florence, SC, USA
| | - Mark S Reiter
- Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech, Painter, VA, USA
| | - Matt Ruark
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Matthew R Ryan
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, US
| | - Spencer Samuelson
- Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - John E Sawyer
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Sarah Seehaver
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | | | - Yogendra Raj Upadhyaya
- West Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Jay, FL, USA
| | - Mark VanGessel
- Carvel Research and Education Center, University of Delaware, Georgetown, DE, USA
| | - Ashley L Waggoner
- Department of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - John M Wallace
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Samantha Wells
- Agronomy and Plant Genetics Department, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Charles White
- Department of Plant Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Bethany Wolters
- Department of Agriculture, Geosciences and Natural Resources, University of Tennessee at Martin, Martin, TN, USA
| | - Alex Woodley
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Rongzhong Ye
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Florence, SC, USA
| | - Eric Youngerman
- Soil and Crop Sciences Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, US
| | - Brian A Needelman
- Department of Environmental Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Steven B Mirsky
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Station, Beltsville, MD, USA
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Walia MK, Dick WA. Gypsum and carbon amendments influence carbon fractions in two soils in Ohio, USA. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283722. [PMID: 37014898 PMCID: PMC10072480 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbon sequestration as influenced by management practices such as soil amendments is not yet fully understood. Gypsum and crop residues can improve soil properties, but few studies have focused on their combined effect on soil C fractions. The objective of this greenhouse study was to determine how treatments affected different forms of C, i.e., total C, permanganate oxidizable C (POXC), and inorganic C in 5 soil layers (0-2, 2-4, 4-10, 10-25, and 25-40 cm). Treatments were glucose (4.5 Mg ha-1), crop residues (13.4 Mg ha-1), gypsum (26.9 Mg ha-1) and an untreated control. Treatments were applied to two contrasting soil types in Ohio (USA)-Wooster silt loam and Hoytville clay loam. The C measurements were made one year after the treatment applications. Total C and POXC contents were significantly higher in Hoytville soil as compared to Wooster soil (P < 0.05). Across both Wooster and Hoytville soils, the addition of glucose increased total C significantly by 7.2% and 5.9% only in the top 2 cm and 4 cm layers of soil, respectively, compared to the control treatment, and residue additions increased total C from 6.3-9.0% in various soil layers to a depth of 25 cm. Gypsum addition did not affect total C concentrations significantly. Glucose addition resulted in a significant increase in calcium carbonate equivalent concentrations in the top 10 cm of Hoytville soil only, and gypsum addition significantly (P < 0.10) increased inorganic C, as calcium carbonate equivalent, in the lowest layer of the Hoytville soil by 32% compared to the control. The combination of glucose and gypsum increased inorganic C levels in Hoytville soils by creating sufficient amounts of CO2 that then reacted with Ca within the soil profile. This increase in inorganic C represents an additional way C can be sequestered in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maninder K Walia
- The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Warren A Dick
- The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, United States of America
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Kost D, Ladwig KJ, Chen L, DeSutter TM, Espinoza L, Norton LD, Smeal D, Torbert HA, Watts DB, Wolkowski RP, Dick WA. Meta-Analysis of Gypsum Effects on Crop Yields and Chemistry of Soils, Plant Tissues, and Vadose Water at Various Research Sites in the USA. J Environ Qual 2018; 47:1284-1292. [PMID: 30272800 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2018.04.0163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Gypsum has a long history as a soil amendment. Information on how flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum affects soil, water, and plant properties across a range of climates and soils is lacking. We conducted a meta-analysis using data from 10 field sites in the United States (Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). Each site used three rates each of mined and FGD gypsums plus an untreated control treatment. Gypsum rates included a presumed optimal agronomic rate plus one rate lower and one rate higher than the optimal. Gypsum was applied once at the beginning of each study, and then data were collected for 2 to 3 yr. The meta-analyses used response ratios () calculated by dividing the treatment value by the control value for crop yield or for each measured element in plant, soil, and vadose water. These values were tested for their significance with values. Most values varied only slightly from 1.00. Gypsum significantly changed more values from 1.00 for vadose water than for soil or crop tissue in terms of numbers of elements affected (11 for water, 7 for soil, and 8 for crop tissue). The highest value for soil was 1.57 (Ca) which was similar for both mined and FGD gypsum, for crop tissue was 1.46 (Sr) for mined gypsum, and for vadose water was 4.22 (S) for FGD gypsum. The large increase in Ca and S is often a desired response to gypsum application. Lowest values occurred in crop tissue for Mg (0.89) with FGD gypsum and for Ni (0.92 or 0.93) with both gypsums. Although some sites showed crop yield responses to gypsum, the overall mean values for mined gypsum (0.987) and for FGD gypsum (1.00) were not significantly different from 1.00 in this short-term study.
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Wu M, Li W, Dick WA, Ye X, Chen K, Kost D, Chen L. Bioremediation of hydrocarbon degradation in a petroleum-contaminated soil and microbial population and activity determination. Chemosphere 2017; 169:124-130. [PMID: 27870933 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.11.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Bioremediation of hydrocarbon degradation in petroleum-polluted soil is carried out by various microorganisms. However, little information is available for the relationships between hydrocarbon degradation rates in petroleum-contaminated soil and microbial population and activity in laboratory assay. In a microcosm study, degradation rate and efficiency of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), alkanes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in a petroleum-contaminated soil were determined using an infrared photometer oil content analyzer and a gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Also, the populations of TPH, alkane, and PAH degraders were enumerated by a modified most probable number (MPN) procedure, and the hydrocarbon degrading activities of these degraders were determined by the Biolog (MT2) MicroPlates assay. Results showed linear correlations between the TPH and alkane degradation rates and the population and activity increases of TPH and alkane degraders, but no correlation was observed between the PAH degradation rates and the PAH population and activity increases. Petroleum hydrocarbon degrading microbial population measured by MPN was significantly correlated with metabolic activity in the Biolog assay. The results suggest that the MPN procedure and the Biolog assay are efficient methods for assessing the rates of TPH and alkane, but not PAH, bioremediation in oil-contaminated soil in laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manli Wu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710055, China
| | - Wei Li
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710055, China
| | - Warren A Dick
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - Xiqiong Ye
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710055, China
| | - Kaili Chen
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No.13 Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710055, China
| | - David Kost
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - Liming Chen
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691, USA.
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King KW, Williams MR, Dick WA, LaBarge GA. Decreasing Phosphorus Loss in Tile-Drained Landscapes Using Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum. J Environ Qual 2016; 45:1722-1730. [PMID: 27695765 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2016.04.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Elevated phosphorus (P) loading from agricultural nonpoint-source pollution continues to impair inland waterbodies throughout the world. The application of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum to agricultural fields has been suggested to decrease P loading because of its high calcium content and P sorbing potential. A before-after control-impact paired field experiment was used to examine the water quality effects of successive FGD gypsum applications (2.24 Mg ha; 1 ton acre each) to an Ohio field with high soil test P levels (>480 ppm Mehlich-3 P). Analysis of covariance was used to compare event discharge, dissolved reactive P (DRP), and total P (TP) concentrations and loadings in surface runoff and tile discharge between the baseline period (86 precipitation events) and Treatment Period 1 (42 precipitation events) and Treatment Period 2 (84 precipitation events). Results showed that, after the first application of FGD gypsum, event mean DRP and TP concentrations in treatment field tile water were significantly reduced by 21 and 10%, respectively, and DRP concentrations in surface runoff were significantly reduced by 14%; however, no significant reductions were noted in DRP or TP loading. After the second application, DRP and TP loads were significantly reduced in surface runoff (DRP, 41%; TP 40%), tile discharge (DRP, 35%; TP, 15%), and combined (surface + tile) discharge (DRP, 36%; TP, 38%). These findings indicate that surface application of FGD gypsum can be used as a tool to address elevated P concentrations and loadings in drainage waters.
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Mao Y, Li X, Dick WA, Chen L. Remediation of saline-sodic soil with flue gas desulfurization gypsum in a reclaimed tidal flat of southeast China. J Environ Sci (China) 2016; 45:224-232. [PMID: 27372137 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Salinization and sodicity are obstacles for vegetation reconstruction of coastal tidal flat soils. A study was conducted with flue gas desulfurization (FGD)-gypsum applied at rates of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60Mg/ha to remediate tidal flat soils of the Yangtze River estuary. Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), exchangeable sodium (ExNa), pH, soluble salt concentration, and composition of soluble salts were measured in 10cm increments from the surface to 30cm depth after 6 and 18months. The results indicated that the effect of FGD-gypsum is greatest in the 0-10cm mixing soil layer and 60Mg/ha was the optimal rate that can reduce the ESP to below 6% and decrease soil pH to neutral (7.0). The improvement effect was reached after 6months, and remained after 18months. The composition of soluble salts was transformed from sodic salt ions mainly containing Na(+), HCO3(-)+CO3(2-) and Cl(-) to neutral salt ions mainly containing Ca(2+) and SO4(2-). Non-halophyte plants were survived at 90%. The study demonstrates that the use of FGD-gypsum for remediating tidal flat soils is promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumei Mao
- East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Xiaping Li
- East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China.
| | - Warren A Dick
- The Ohio State University, The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
| | - Liming Chen
- The Ohio State University, The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
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Sengupta A, Dick WA. Bacterial Community Diversity in Soil Under two Tillage Practices as Determined by Pyrosequencing. Microb Ecol 2015; 70:853-9. [PMID: 25930203 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-015-0609-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The ability of soil to provide ecosystem services is dependent on microbial diversity, with 80-90 % of the processes in soil being mediated by microbes. There still exists a knowledge gap in the types of microorganisms present in soil and how soil management affects them. However, identification of microorganisms is severely limited by classical culturing techniques that have been traditionally used in laboratories. Metagenomic approaches are increasingly becoming common, with current high-throughput sequencing approaches allowing for more in-depth analysis. We conducted a preliminary analysis of bacterial diversity in soils from the longest continuously maintained no-till (NT) plots in the world (52 years) and in adjacent plow-till (PT) plots in Ohio, USA managed similarly except for tillage. Bacterial diversity was determined using a culture-independent approach of high-throughput pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were predominant in both samples but the NT soil had a higher number of reads, bacterial richness, and five unique phyla. Four unique phyla were observed in PT and 99 % of the community had relative abundance of <1 %. Plowing and secondary tillage tend to homogenize the soil and reduces the unique (i.e., diverse) microenvironments where microbial populations can reside. We conclude that tillage leads to fewer dominant species being present in soil and that these species contribute to a higher percentage of the total community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi Sengupta
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center/The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA
| | - Warren A Dick
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center/The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, 44691, USA.
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Chen L, Stehouwer R, Tong X, Kost D, Bigham JM, Dick WA. Surface coal mine land reclamation using a dry flue gas desulfurization product: Short-term and long-term water responses. Chemosphere 2015; 134:459-465. [PMID: 26001939 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Abandoned coal-mined lands are a worldwide concern due to their potential negative environmental impacts, including erosion and development of acid mine drainage. A field study investigated the use of a dry flue gas desulfurization product for reclamation of abandoned coal mined land in USA. Treatments included flue gas desulfurization product at a rate of 280 Mg ha(-1) (FGD), FGD at the same rate plus 112 Mg ha(-1) yard waste compost (FGD/C), and conventional reclamation that included 20 cm of re-soil material plus 157 Mg ha(-1) of agricultural limestone (SOIL). A grass-legume sward was planted after treatment applications. Chemical properties of surface runoff and tile water (collected from a depth of 1.2m below the ground surface) were measured over both short-term (1-4 yr) and long-term (14-20 yr) periods following reclamation. The pH of surface runoff water was increased from approximately 3, and then sustained at 7 or higher by all treatments for up to 20 yr, and the pH of tile flow water was also increased and sustained above 5 for 20 yr. Compared with SOIL, concentrations of Ca, S and B in surface runoff and tile flow water were generally increased by the treatments with FGD product in both short- and long-term measurements and concentrations of the trace elements were generally not statistically increased in surface runoff and tile flow water over the 20-yr period. However, concentrations of As, Ba, Cr and Hg were occasionally elevated. These results suggest the use of FGD product for remediating acidic surface coal mined sites can provide effective, long-term reclamation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Chen
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University/The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH, USA
| | - Richard Stehouwer
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Xiaogang Tong
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University/The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH, USA; College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dave Kost
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University/The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH, USA
| | - Jerry M Bigham
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Warren A Dick
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University/The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, OH, USA.
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Zhang Q, Dick WA. Growth of soil bacteria, on penicillin and neomycin, not previously exposed to these antibiotics. Sci Total Environ 2014; 493:445-453. [PMID: 24956077 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.05.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2013] [Revised: 05/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that bacteria, in the natural environment (e.g. the soil), can exhibit naturally occurring resistance/degradation against synthetic antibiotics. Our aim was to assess whether soils, not previously exposed to synthetic antibiotics, contained bacterial strains that were not only antibiotic resistant, but could actually utilize the antibiotics for energy and nutrients. We isolated 19 bacteria from four diverse soils that had the capability of growing on penicillin and neomycin as sole carbon sources up to concentrations of 1000 mg L(-1). The 19 bacterial isolates represent a diverse set of species in the phyla Proteobacteria (84%) and Bacteroidetes (16%). Nine antibiotic resistant genes were detected in the four soils but some of these genes (i.e. tetM, ermB, and sulI) were not detected in the soil isolates indicating the presence of unculturable antibiotic resistant bacteria. Most isolates that could subsist on penicillin or neomycin as sole carbon sources were also resistant to the presence of these two antibiotics and six other antibiotics at concentrations of either 20 or 1000 mg L(-1). The potentially large and diverse pool of antibiotic resistant and degradation genes implies ecological and health impacts yet to be explored and fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qichun Zhang
- College of Environmental and Resource Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029 China
| | - Warren A Dick
- The Ohio State University, The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OSU/OARDC), Wooster, OH 44691, United States.
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Dick WA. Soils and human health. J Environ Qual 2014; 43:418-419. [PMID: 25602576 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2013.11.0465br] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
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Chen L, Kost D, Tian Y, Guo X, Watts D, Norton D, Wolkowski RP, Dick WA. Effects of gypsum on trace metals in soils and earthworms. J Environ Qual 2014; 43:263-72. [PMID: 25602559 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2012.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Mined gypsum has been beneficially used for many years as an agricultural amendment. A large amount of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum is produced by removal of SO from flue gas streams when fuels with high S content are burned. The FGD gypsum, similar to mined gypsum, can enhance crop production. However, information is lacking concerning the potential environmental impacts of trace metals, especially Hg, in the FGD gypsum. Flue gas desulfurization and mined gypsums were evaluated to determine their ability to affect concentrations of Hg and other trace elements in soils and earthworms. The study was conducted at four field sites across the United States (Ohio, Indiana, Alabama, and Wisconsin). The application rates of gypsums ranged from 2.2 Mg ha in Indiana to 20 Mg ha in Ohio and Alabama. These rates are 2 to 10 times higher than typically recommended. The lengths of time from gypsum application to soil and earthworm sampling were 5 and 18 mo in Ohio, 6 mo in Indiana, 11 mo in Alabama, and 4 mo in Wisconsin. Earthworm numbers and biomass were decreased by FGD and mined gypsums in Ohio. Among all the elements examined, Hg was slightly increased in soils and earthworms in the FGD gypsum treatments compared with the control and the mined gypsum treatments. The differences were not statistically significant except for the Hg concentration in the soil at the Wisconsin site. Selenium in earthworms in the FGD gypsum treatments was statistically higher than in the controls but not higher than in the mined gypsum treatments at the Indiana and Wisconsin sites. Bioaccumulation factors for nondepurated earthworms were statistically similar or lower for the FGD gypsum treatments compared with the controls for all elements. Use of FGD gypsum at normal recommended agricultural rates seems not to have a significant impact on concentrations of trace metals in earthworms and soils.
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Abstract
Interest in using gypsum as a management tool to improve crop yields and soil and water quality has recently increased. Abundant supply and availability of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum, a by-product of scrubbing sulfur from combustion gases at coal-fired power plants, in major agricultural producing regions within the last two decades has attributed to this interest. Currently, published data on the long-term sustainability of FGD gypsum use in agricultural systems is limited. This has led to organization of the American Society of Agronomy's Community "By-product Gypsum Uses in Agriculture" and a special collection of nine technical research articles on various issues related to FGD gypsum uses in agricultural systems. A brief review of FGD gypsum, rationale for the special collection, overviews of articles, knowledge gaps, and future research directions are presented in this introductory paper. The nine articles are focused in three general areas: (i) mercury and other trace element impacts, (ii) water quality impacts, and (iii) agronomic responses and soil physical changes. While this is not an exhaustive review of the topic, results indicate that FGD gypsum use in sustainable agricultural production systems is promising. The environmental impacts of FGD gypsum are mostly positive, with only a few negative results observed, even when applied at rates representing cumulative 80-year applications. Thus, FGD gypsum, if properly managed, seems to represent an important potential input into agricultural systems.
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Kost D, Chen L, Guo X, Tian Y, Ladwig K, Dick WA. Effects of flue gas desulfurization and mined gypsums on soil properties and on hay and corn growth in eastern ohio. J Environ Qual 2014; 43:312-21. [PMID: 25602565 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2012.0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Gypsum (CaSO·2HO) is a quality source of Ca and S and has various beneficial uses that can improve agricultural production. This study was conducted to compare rates of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum and commercially available agricultural (i.e., mined) gypsum as soil amendments on soils typical of eastern Ohio or western Pennsylvania. Two field experiments were conducted, one involving a mixed grass hay field and the other corn ( L.). Gypsum was applied once at rates of 0.2, 2.0, and 20 Mg ha and a seventh treatment was a zero rate control. Corn grain yields response to gypsum was mixed with significant differences between low and high gypsum rates in 2010 but not between gypsum and no gypsum treatments. In the hay study, the low and intermediate gypsum rates generally did not result in any significant changes compared with the control treatment. At the high rate of 20 Mg ha, the following results were observed for the hay study: (i) both gypsums generally increased Ca, S, and soluble salts (electrical conductivity) in the topsoil and subsoil, when compared with the control; (ii) the FGD gypsum decreased Mg in soil when compared with all other treatments, and mined gypsum decreased Mg when compared with the control; and (iii) there were few effects on soil concentrations of trace elements, including Hg. Also at the high application rate, hay yield for the first cutting (May) in 2009 and 2010 was significantly less for mined and FGD gypsum compared with the control, but increased yields in subsequent cutting resulted in no significant treatment differences in total annual hay yield for 2008, 2009, or 2010 or cumulative yield for 2008 to 2010. Overall, for the hay study, the absence of significant soil chemical effects for the intermediate gypsum rate and the decrease in soil Mg concentrations for the high gypsum rate indicate that an application rate of approximately 2.0 Mg ha would be optimal for this soil.
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Wu M, Chen L, Tian Y, Ding Y, Dick WA. Degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by microbial consortia enriched from three soils using two different culture media. Environ Pollut 2013; 178:152-8. [PMID: 23570783 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Revised: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
A consortium composed of many different bacterial species is required to efficiently degrade polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in oil-contaminated soil. We obtained six PAH-degrading microbial consortia from three oil-contaminated soils using two different isolation culture media. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and sequence analyses of amplified 16s rRNA genes confirmed the bacterial community was greatly affected by both the culture medium and the soil from which the consortia were enriched. Three bacterial consortia enriched using malt yeast extract (MYE) medium showed higher degradation rates of PAHs than consortia enriched using Luria broth (LB) medium. Consortia obtained from a soil and then added back to that same soil was more effective in degrading PAHs than adding, to the same soil, consortia isolated from other, unrelated soils. This suggests that inoculum used for bioremediation should be from the same, or very similar nearby soils, as the soil that is actually being bioremediated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manli Wu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, No. 13 Yanta Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710055, China
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16
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Drozd M, Merrick NN, Sanad YM, Dick LK, Dick WA, Rajashekara G. Evaluating the occurrence of host-specific , general fecal indicators, and bacterial pathogens in a mixed-use watershed. J Environ Qual 2013; 42:713-725. [PMID: 23673938 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2012.0359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Fecal contamination of water is very common, and, in the United States, prevention is complicated by the colossal span of waterways (>3.5 million miles), heterogeneous sources of pollution, and competing interests in water monitoring. The focus of this study was the Upper Sugar Creek Watershed, a mixed-use watershed with many headwater streams and one of the most contaminated waterways in Ohio. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and host-specific PCR for were evaluated for the potential to discern sources of fecal contamination. Pathogen-specific qPCR and culturable by most probable number (MPN) were compared at 21 established water quality monitoring sites in the watershed headwaters. Lower numbers of ruminant-specific markers were detected in the base flow water samples compared with the human-specific marker, suggesting the presence of hotspots of human fecal contamination. qPCR and MPN showed significant correlation ( = 0.57; < 0.001). Correlation between general fecal indicator and pathogen concentrations was weak or nonexistent. Coexistence of and human-specific was common ( = 0.015). qPCR may have a greater potential for predicting fecal contamination due to its sensitivity, rapid analysis, and availability of host-specific assays. However, the lack of a strong correlation between pathogens and general fecal indicators suggests that assessment of health risk associated with fecal contamination will require a complement of approaches.
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Tian Y, Chen L, Gao L, Michel FC, Keener HM, Klingman M, Dick WA. Composting of waste paint sludge containing melamine resin and the compost's effect on vegetable growth and soil water quality. J Hazard Mater 2012; 243:28-36. [PMID: 23127275 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Revised: 09/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/07/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Melamine resin (MR) is introduced to the environment from many industrial effluents, including waste paint sludge (WPS) from the automobile industry. Melamine resin contains a high nitrogen (N) content and is a potential N source during composting. In this study, two carbon sources, waste paper (WP) and plant residue (PR), were used to study their effects on composting of WPS. Additional work tested the WPS-composts effects on plant growth and soil water quality. After 84 days of composting, 85% and 54% of the initial MR was degraded in WP- and PR-composts, respectively. The limiting factor was that the MR created clumps during composting so that decomposition was slowed. Compared to the untreated control, both WP- and PR-composts increased growth of cucumber (Cucumis sativus), radish (Raphanus sativus) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Concentrations of trace elements in plants and soil water did not rise to a level that would preclude WPS-composts from being used as a soil amendment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Tian
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan Xilu, Beijing 100193, PR China
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Yousef LF, Wojno M, Dick WA, Dick RP. Lipid profiling of the soybean pathogen Phytophthora sojae using Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAMEs). Fungal Biol 2012; 116:613-9. [PMID: 22559921 DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2012.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2011] [Accepted: 02/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Phytophthora sojae is a destructive soilborne pathogen of soybean, but currently there is no rapid or commercially available testing for its infestation level in soil. For growers, such information would greatly improve their ability to make management decisions to minimize disease damage to soybean crops. Fatty acid profiling of P. sojae holds potential for determining the prevalence of this pathogen in soil. In this study, the Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) profile of P. sojae was determined in pure culture, and the profile was subsequently evaluated for its potential use in detecting the pathogen in soil. The predominant fatty acids in the FAME profile of P. sojae are the unsaturated 18C fatty acids (18:1ω9 and 18:2ω6) followed by the saturated and unsaturated 16C fatty acids (16:0 and 16:1ω7). FAME analysis of P. sojae zoospores showed two additional long-chain saturated fatty acids (20:0 and 22:0) that were not detected in the mycelium of this organism. Addition of a known number of zoospores of P. sojae to soil demonstrated that fatty acids such as 18:1ω9, 18:2ω6, 20:1ω9, 20:4ω6, and 22:1ω9 could be detected and quantified against the background levels of fatty acids present in soil. These results show the potential for using selected FAMEs of P. sojae as a marker for detecting this pathogen in soybean fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Fayez Yousef
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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19
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Tian Y, Chen L, Gao L, Michel FC, Wan C, Li Y, Dick WA. Composting of waste paint sludge containing melamine resin as affected by nutrients and gypsum addition and microbial inoculation. Environ Pollut 2012; 162:129-137. [PMID: 22243857 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2011] [Revised: 09/29/2011] [Accepted: 10/01/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Melamine formaldehyde resins have hard and durable properties and are found in many products, including automobile paints. These resins contain high concentrations of nitrogen and, if properly composted, can yield valuable products. We evaluated the effects of starter compost, nutrients, gypsum and microbial inoculation on composting of paint sludge containing melamine resin. A bench-scale composting experiment was conducted at 55 °C for 91 days and then at 30 °C for an additional 56 days. After 91 days, the composts were inoculated with a mixed population of melamine-degrading microorganisms. Melamine resin degradation after the entire 147 days of composting varied between 73 and 95% for the treatments with inoculation of microorganisms compared to 55-74% for the treatments without inoculation. Degradation was also enhanced by nutrients and gypsum additions. Our results infer that large scale composting of melamine resins in paint sludge is possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Tian
- Department of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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20
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Tian Y, Chen L, Gao L, Wu M, Dick WA. Comparison of three methods for detection of melamine in compost and soil. Sci Total Environ 2012; 417-418:255-262. [PMID: 22264915 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Revised: 12/01/2011] [Accepted: 12/03/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent product recalls and food safety incidents due to melamine (MM) adulteration or contamination have caused a worldwide food security concern. This has led to many methods being developed to detect MM in foods, but few methods haves been reported that can rapidly and reliably measure MM in environmental samples. To meet this need, a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection method, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit, and an enzyme-linked rapid colorimetric assay (RCA) test kit were evaluated for their ability to accurately measure MM concentrations in compost and soil samples. All three methods accurately detected MM concentrations if no MM degradation products, such as ammeline (AMN), ammelide (AMD) and cyanuric acid (CA), were present in an aqueous sample. In the presence of these MM degradation products, the HPLC yielded more accurate concentrations than the ELISA method and there was no significant (P>0.05) difference between the HPLC and RCA methods. However, if samples were purified by SPE or prepared with blocking buffer, the ELISA method accurately measured MM concentrations, even in the presence of the MM degradation products. The HPLC method generally outperformed the RCA method for measuring MM in soil extracts but gave similar results for compost extracts. The number of samples that can be analyzed by the ELISA and RCA methods in a 24-hour time period is much greater than by the HPLC method. Thus the RCA method would seem to be a good screening method for measuring MM in compost and soil samples and the results obtained could then be confirmed by the HPLC method. The HPLC method, however, also allows simultaneous measurement of MM and its degradation products of AMD, AMN and CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Tian
- Depatment of Vegetable Science, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, 2 Yuanmingyuan Xilu, Beijing 100193, China
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Yang H, McCoy EL, Grewal PS, Dick WA. Dissolved nutrients and atrazine removal by column-scale monophasic and biphasic rain garden model systems. Chemosphere 2010; 80:929-934. [PMID: 20542315 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2010] [Revised: 05/11/2010] [Accepted: 05/12/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Rain gardens are bioretention systems that have the potential to reduce peak runoff flow and improve water quality in a natural and aesthetically pleasing manner. We compared hydraulic performance and removal efficiencies of nutrients and atrazine in a monophasic rain garden design versus a biphasic design at a column-scale using simulated runoff. The biphasic rain garden was designed to increase retention time and removal efficiency of runoff pollutants by creating a sequence of water saturated to unsaturated conditions. We also evaluated the effect of C substrate availability on pollutant removal efficiency in the biphasic rain garden. Five simulated runoff events with various concentrations of runoff pollutants (i.e. nitrate, phosphate, and atrazine) were applied to the monophasic and biphasic rain gardens once every 5d. Hydraulic performance was consistent over the five simulated runoff events. Peak flow was reduced by approximately 56% for the monophasic design and 80% for the biphasic design. Both rain garden systems showed excellent removal efficiency of phosphate (89-100%) and atrazine (84-100%). However, significantly (p<0.001) higher removal of nitrate was observed in the biphasic (42-63%) compared to the monophasic rain garden (29-39%). Addition of C substrate in the form of glucose increased removal efficiency of nitrate significantly (p<0.001), achieving up to 87% removal at a treatment C/N ratio of 2.0. This study demonstrates the importance of retention time, environmental conditions (i.e. saturated/unsaturated conditions), and availability of C substrate for bioremediation of pollutants, especially nitrates, in rain gardens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanbae Yang
- Environmental Science Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, 590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Smucker AJM, Wang W, Kravchenko AN, Dick WA. Forms and functions of meso and micro-niches of carbon within soil aggregates. J Nematol 2010; 42:84-86. [PMID: 22736842 PMCID: PMC3380512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2010] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Soil aggregates include sand/silt/clay, water, ion and organic matter contents combined with natural dry/wet (D/W) cycling alters both the formation and function of intra-aggregate pore continuity, connectivity, dead-end storage volumes, and tortuosity. Surface aggregates in the 0-5 cm depths of most soils experience from 34 to 57 D/W cycles that exceed differences in water contents >10%. Both the rates of drying or wetting, (intensity) and the D/W range of soil water contents (severity) alter the transport of water, C and N through micro and mesofaunal habitats among multiple size domains. This report identifies micro-niche locations of accumulating soil C within soil aggregate regions that may affect nematode residence sites and migration pathways. Recent advances in X-ray microtomography enable the examination of intact pore networks within soil aggregates at resolutions as small as 4 microns. Geostatistical and multi-fractal methods provide concise characteristics of pore spatial distributions within the aggregates and are useful for comparing these alterations among soils. Aggregates subjected to multiple D/W cycles developed greater spatial correlations that parallel increases in the (13)C sorption within aggregate interiors were compared with locations of soil microbial communities. Past research indicates microbial activities within the soil aggregate matrix are spatially heterogeneous due to complex pore geometries within aggregates. Illumination of the "blackbox" interiors of soil aggregates includes a discussion of natural and anthropogenic alterations of solution flow and carbon sequestration by soil aggregates containing biophysical gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvin J M Smucker
- Crop and Soil Sciences Department, Michigan State University, Michigan, USA
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Guo X, Shi H, Chen L, Dick WA. Alkali-activated complex binders from class C fly ash and Ca-containing admixtures. J Hazard Mater 2010; 173:480-486. [PMID: 19767143 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.08.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2009] [Revised: 08/12/2009] [Accepted: 08/25/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Processes that maximize utilization of industrial solid wastes are greatly needed. Sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solution were used to create alkali-activated complex binders (AACBs) from class C fly ash (CFA) and other Ca-containing admixtures including Portland cement (PC), flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG), and water treatment residual (WTR). Specimens made only from CFA (CFA100), or the same fly ash mixed with 40 wt% PC (CFA60-PC40), with 10 wt% FGDG (CFA90-FGDG10), or with 10 wt% WTR (CFA90-WTR10) had better mechanical performance compared to binders using other mix ratios. The maximum compressive strength of specimens reached 80.0 MPa. Geopolymeric gel, sodium polysilicate zeolite, and hydrated products coexist when AACB reactions occur. Ca from CFA, PC, and WTR precipitated as Ca(OH)(2), bonded in geopolymers to obtain charge balance, or reacted with dissolved silicate and aluminate species to form calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel. However, Ca from FGDG probably reacted with dissolved silicate and aluminate species to form ettringite. Utilization of CFA and Ca-containing admixtures in AACB is feasible. These binders may be widely utilized in various applications such as in building materials and for solidification/stabilization of other wastes, thus making the wastes more environmentally benign.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Guo
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials, Tongji University, Ministry of Education, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
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Ramirez NE, Wang P, Lejeune J, Shipitalo MJ, Ward LA, Sreevatsan S, Dick WA. Effect of tillage and rainfall on transport of manure-applied Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts through soil. J Environ Qual 2009; 38:2394-2401. [PMID: 19875795 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2008.0432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Most waterborne outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis have been attributed to agricultural sources due to the high prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in animal wastes and manure spreading on farmlands. No-till, an effective conservation practice, often results in soil having higher water infiltration and percolation rates than conventional tillage. We treated six undisturbed no-till and six tilled soil blocks (30 by 30 by 30 cm) with 1 L liquid dairy manure containing 10(5) C. parvum oocysts per milliliter to test the effect of tillage and rainfall on oocyst transport. The blocks were subjected to rainfall treatments consisting of 5 mm or 30 mm in 30 min. Leachate was collected from the base of the blocks in 35-mL increments using a 64-cell grid lysimeter. Even before any rain was applied, approximately 300 mL of water from the liquid manure (30% of that applied) was transported through the no-till soil, but none through the tilled blocks. After rain was applied, a greater number and percentage of first leachate samples from the no-till soil blocks compared to the tilled blocks tested positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. In contrast to leachate, greater numbers of oocysts were recovered from the tilled soil, itself, than from the no-till soil. Although tillage was the most important factor affecting oocyst transport, rainfall timing and intensity were also important. To minimize transport of Cryptosporidium in no-till fields, manure should be applied at least 48 h before heavy rainfall is anticipated or methods of disrupting the direct linkage of surface soil to drains, via macropores, need to be used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norma E Ramirez
- Food Animal Health Research Program, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
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Yang H, Florence DC, McCoy EL, Dick WA, Grewal PS. Design and hydraulic characteristics of a field-scale bi-phasic bioretention rain garden system for storm water management. Water Sci Technol 2009; 59:1863-1872. [PMID: 19448324 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2009.186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A field-scale bioretention rain garden system was constructed using a novel bi-phasic (i.e. sequence of anaerobic to aerobic) concept for improving retention and removal of storm water runoff pollutants. Hydraulic tests with bromide tracer and simulated runoff pollutants (nitrate-N, phosphate-P, Cu, Pb, and Zn) were performed in the system under a simulated continuous rainfall. The objectives of the tests were (1) to determine hydraulic characteristics of the system, and (2) to evaluate the movement of runoff pollutants through the system. For the 180 mm/24 h rainfall, the bi-phasic bioretention system effectively reduced both peak flow (approximately 70%) and runoff volume (approximately 42%). The breakthrough curves (BTCs) of bromide tracer suggest that the transport pattern of the system is similar to dispersed plug flow under this large runoff event. The BTCs of bromide showed mean 10% and 90% breakthrough times of 5.7 h and 12.5 h, respectively. Under the continuous rainfall, a significantly different transport pattern was found between each runoff pollutant. Nitrate-N was easily transported through the system with potential leaching risk from the initial soil medium, whereas phosphate-P and metals were significantly retained indicating sorption-mediated transport. These findings support the importance of hydraulics, in combination with the soil medium, when creating bioretention systems for bioremediation that are effective for various rainfall sizes and intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Yang
- Environmental Science Graduate Program, The Ohio State University-OARDC, Wooster, OH, USA.
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Rotenberg D, Joshi R, Benitez MS, Chapin LG, Camp A, Zumpetta C, Osborne A, Dick WA, Gardener BBM. Farm Management Effects on Rhizosphere Colonization by Native Populations of 2,4-Diacetylphloroglucinol-Producing Pseudomonas spp. and Their Contributions to Crop Health. Phytopathology 2007; 97:756-766. [PMID: 18943607 DOI: 10.1094/phyto-97-6-0756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Analyses of multiple field experiments indicated that the incidence and relative abundance of root-colonizing phlD+ Pseudomonas spp. were influenced by crop rotation, tillage, organic amendments, and chemical seed treatments in subtle but reproducible ways. In no-till corn plots, 2-year rotations with soybean resulted in plants with approximately twofold fewer phlD+ pseudomonads per gram of root, but 3-year rotations with oat and hay led to population increases of the same magnitude. Interestingly, tillage inverted these observed effects of cropping sequence in two consecutive growing seasons, indicating a complex but reproducible interaction between rotation and tillage on the rhizosphere abundance of 2,4-diacetlyphloroglucinol (DAPG) producers. Amending conventionally managed sweet corn plots with dairy manure compost improved plant health and also increased the incidence of root colonization when compared with nonamended plots. Soil pH was negatively correlated to rhizosphere abundance of phlD+ pseudomonads in no-till and nonamended soils, with the exception of the continuous corn treatments. Chemical seed treatments intended to control fungal pathogens and insect pests on corn also led to more abundant populations of phlD in different tilled soils. However, increased root disease severity generally was associated with elevated levels of root colonization by phlD+ pseudomonads in no-till plots. Interestingly, within a cropping sequence treatment, correlations between the relative abundance of phlD and crop stand or yield were generally positive on corn, and the strength of those correlations was greater in plots experiencing more root disease pressure. In contrast, such correlations were generally negative in soybean, a difference that may be partially explained by difference in application of N fertilizers and soil pH. Our findings indicate that farming practices can alter the relative abundance and incidence of phlD+ pseudomonads in the rhizosphere and that practices that reduce root disease severity (i.e., rotation, tillage, and chemical seed treatment) are not universally linked to increased root colonization by DAPG-producers.
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Lee YB, Bigham JM, Dick WA, Jones FS, Ramsier C. Influence of soil pH and application rate on the oxidation of calcium sulfite derived from flue gas desulfurization. J Environ Qual 2007; 36:298-304. [PMID: 17215239 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2006.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Calcium sulfite hemihydrate (CaSO(3).0.5H2O), a common byproduct of coal-fired utilities, is fairly insoluble and can decompose to release toxic SO2 under highly acidic soil conditions; however, it can also oxidize to form gypsum. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of application rate and soil pH on the oxidation of calcium sulfite under laboratory conditions. Oxidation rates measured by release of SO4-S to solution decreased with increasing application rate. Leachate SO4-S from soils amended with 1.0 to 3.0 g kg-1 CaSO3 increased over a 21 to 28 d period before reaching a plateau. At 4 g kg-1, maximum SO4-S release was delayed until Week 7. Oxidation and release of SO4-S from soil amended with 3.0 g kg-1 calcium sulfite increased markedly with decreasing soil pH. After only 3 d incubation, the concentrations of SO4-S in aqueous leachates were 77, 122, 170, 220, and 229 mg L-1 for initial soil pH values of 7.8, 6.5, 5.5, 5.1, and 4.0, respectively. At an initial soil pH value of 4.0, oxidation/dissolution did not increase much after 3 d. At higher pH values, oxidation was maximized after 21 d. These results suggest that autumn surface applications of calcium sulfite in no-till systems should permit ample time for oxidation/dissolution reactions to occur without introducing biocidal effects related to oxygen scavenging. Soil and annual crops can thus benefit from additions of soluble Ca and SO4 if calcium sulfite is applied in advance of spring planting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y B Lee
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State Univ., 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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28
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Nicomrat D, Dick WA, Tuovinen OH. Microbial populations identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization in a constructed wetland treating acid coal mine drainage. J Environ Qual 2006; 35:1329-37. [PMID: 16825452 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2005.0325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms are an integral part of the biogeochemical processes in wetlands, yet microbial communities in sediments within constructed wetlands receiving acid mine drainage (AMD) are only poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize the microbial diversity and abundance in a wetland receiving AMD using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. Seasonal samples of oxic surface sediments, comprised of Fe(III) precipitates, were collected from two treatment cells of the constructed wetland system. The pH of the bulk samples ranged between pH 2.1 and 3.9. Viable counts of acidophilic Fe and S oxidizers and heterotrophs were determined with a most probable number (MPN) method. The MPN counts were only a fraction of the corresponding FISH counts. The sediment samples contained microorganisms in the Bacteria (including the subgroups of acidophilic Fe- and S-oxidizing bacteria and Acidiphilium spp.) and Eukarya domains. Archaea were present in the sediment surface samples at < 0.01% of the total microbial community. The most numerous bacterial species in this wetland system was Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, comprising up to 37% of the bacterial population. Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans was also abundant. Heterotrophs in the Acidiphilium genus totaled 20% of the bacterial population. Leptospirillum ferrooxidans was below the level of detection in the bacterial community. The results from the FISH technique from this field study are consistent with results from other experiments involving enumeration by most probable number, dot-blot hybridization, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analyses and with the geochemistry of the site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duongruitai Nicomrat
- Environmental Science Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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29
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Chen L, Dick WA, Kost D. Circulating fluidized bed combustion product addition to acid soil: alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) composition and environmental quality. J Agric Food Chem 2006; 54:4758-65. [PMID: 16787025 DOI: 10.1021/jf0603275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
To reduce S emissions, petroleum coke with a high concentration of S was combusted with limestone in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boiler. The combustion process creates a bed product that has potential for agricultural uses. This CFB product is often alkaline and enriched in S and other essential plant nutrients, but also contains high concentrations of Ni and V. Agricultural land application of CFB product is encouraged, but little information is available related to plant responses and environmental impacts. CFB product and agricultural lime (ag-lime) were applied at rates of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 times the soil's lime requirement (LR) to an acidic soil (Wooster silt loam). The 2.0x LR application rate of CFB product was equivalent to 67.2 Mg ha(-1). Alfalfa yield was increased 4.6 times by CFB product and 3.8 times by ag-lime compared to untreated control. Application of CFB product increased the concentration of V in soil and alfalfa tissue, but not in soil water, and increased the concentration of Ni in soil and soil water, but not in alfalfa tissue. However, these concentrations did not reach levels that might cause environmental problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Chen
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA
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30
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Nicomrat D, Dick WA, Tuovinen OH. Assessment of the microbial community in a constructed wetland that receives acid coal mine drainage. Microb Ecol 2006; 51:83-9. [PMID: 16400536 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-005-0267-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2004] [Accepted: 04/16/2005] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Constructed wetlands are used to treat acid drainage from surface or underground coal mines. However, little is known about the microbial communities in the receiving wetland cells. The purpose of this work was to characterize the microbial population present in a wetland that was receiving acid coal mine drainage (AMD). Samples were collected from the oxic sediment zone of a constructed wetland cell in southeastern Ohio that was treating acid drainage from an underground coal mine seep. Samples comprised Fe(III) precipitates and were pretreated with ammonium oxalate to remove interfering iron, and the DNA was extracted and purified by agarose gel electrophoresis prior to amplification of portions of the 16S rRNA gene. Amplified products were separated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and DNA from seven distinct bands was excised from the gel and sequenced. The sequences were matched to sequences in the GenBank bacterial 16S rDNA database. The DNA in two of the bands yielded matches with Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and the DNA in each of the remaining five bands was consistent with one of the following microorganisms: Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, strain TRA3-20 (a eubacterium), strain BEN-4 (an arsenite-oxidizing bacterium), an Alcaligenes sp., and a Bordetella sp. Low bacterial diversity in these samples reflects the highly inorganic nature of the oxic sediment layer where high abundance of iron- and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria would be expected. The results we obtained by molecular methods supported our findings, obtained using culture methods, that the dominant microbial species in an acid receiving, oxic wetland are A. thiooxidans and A. ferrooxidans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duongruitai Nicomrat
- Environmental Science Graduate Program, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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31
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Kost DA, Bigham JM, Stehouwer RC, Beeghly JH, Fowler R, Traina SJ, Wolfe WE, Dick WA. Chemical and physical properties of dry flue gas desulfurization products. J Environ Qual 2005; 34:676-686. [PMID: 15758120 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2005.0676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Beneficial and environmentally safe recycling of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) products requires detailed knowledge of their chemical and physical properties. We analyzed 59 dry FGD samples collected from 13 locations representing four major FGD scrubbing technologies. The chemistry of all samples was dominated by Ca, S, Al, Fe, and Si and strong preferential partitioning into the acid insoluble residue (i.e., coal ash residue) was observed for Al, Ba, Be, Cr, Fe, Li, K, Pb, Si, and V. Sulfur, Ca, and Mg occurred primarily in water- or acid-soluble forms associated with the sorbents or scrubber reaction products. Deionized water leachates (American Society for Testing and Materials [ASTM] method) and dilute acetic acid leachates (toxicity characteristic leaching procedure [TCLP] method) had mean pH values of >11.2 and high mean concentrations of S primarily as SO(2-)4 and Ca. Concentrations of Ag, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, and Se (except for ASTM Se in two samples) were below drinking water standards in both ASTM and TCLP leachates. Total toxicity equivalents (TEQ) of dioxins, for two FGD products used for mine reclamation, were 0.48 and 0.53 ng kg(-1). This was similar to the background level of the mine spoil (0.57 ng kg(-1)). The FGD materials were mostly uniform in particle size. Specific surface area (m2 g(-1)) was related to particle size and varied from 1.3 for bed ash to 9.5 for spray dryer material. Many of the chemical and physical properties of these FGD samples were associated with the quality of the coal rather than the combustion and SO2 scrubbing processes used.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kost
- School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USA
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32
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33
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Chen L, Dick WA, Nelson S. Flue gas desulfurization by-products additions to acid soil: alfalfa productivity and environmental quality. Environ Pollut 2001; 114:161-168. [PMID: 11504338 DOI: 10.1016/s0269-7491(00)00220-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products are created when coal is burned and SO2 is removed from the flue gases. These FGD by-products are often alkaline and contain many plant nutrients. Land application of FGD by-products is encouraged but little information is available related to plant responses and environmental impacts concerning such use. Agricultural lime (ag-lime) and several new types of FGD by-products which contain either vermiculite or perlite were applied at 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 times the soil's lime requirement (LR) rate to an acidic soil (Wooster silt loam). The highest FGD by-products application rate was equivalent to 75.2 Mg ha(-1). Growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was significantly increased compared to the untreated control in the second year after treatment with yields for the 1 x LR rate of FGD approximately 7-8 times greater compared to the untreated control and 30% greater than for the commercial ag-lime. Concentrations of Mo in alfalfa were significantly increased by FGD by-products application, compared to the untreated control, while compared to the ag-lime treatment, concentrations of B increased and Ba decreased. No soil contamination problems were observed, even at the 2xLR rate, indicating these materials can be safely applied to agricultural soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Chen
- School of Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Wooster 44691, USA
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34
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Zhang W, Han DY, Dick WA, Davis KR, Hoitink HA. Compost and compost water extract-induced systemic acquired resistance in cucumber and Arabidopsis. Phytopathology 1998; 88:450-5. [PMID: 18944926 DOI: 10.1094/phyto.1998.88.5.450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT A biocontrol agent-fortified compost mix, suppressive to several diseases caused by soilborne plant pathogens, induced systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in cucumber against anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare and in Arabidopsis against bacterial speck caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola KD4326. A peat mix conducive to soilborne diseases did not induce SAR. The population size of P. syringae pv. maculicola KD4326 was significantly lower in leaves of Arabidopsis plants grown in the compost mix compared to those grown in the peat mix. Autoclaving destroyed the SAR-inducing effect of the compost mix, and inoculation of the autoclaved mix with nonautoclaved compost mix or Pantoea agglomerans 278A restored the effect, suggesting the SAR-inducing activity of the compost mix was biological in nature. Topical sprays with water extract prepared from the compost mix reduced symptoms of bacterial speck and the population size of pathogenic KD4326 in Arabidopsis grown in the peat mix but not in the compost mix. The peat mix water extract applied as a spray did not control bacterial speck on plants grown in either mix. Topical sprays with salicylic acid (SA) reduced the severity of bacterial speck on plants in the peat mix but did not further reduce the severity of symptoms on plants in the compost mix. The activity of the compost water extract was heat-stable and passed through a 0.2-mum membrane filter. beta-1,3-Glucanase activity was low in cucumber plants grown in either mix, but when infected with C. orbiculare, this activity was induced to significantly higher levels in plants grown in the compost mix than in plants grown in the peat mix. Similar results were obtained for beta-D-glucuronidase (GUS) activity driven by a PR2 (beta-1,3-glucanase) gene promoter in transgenic Arabidopsis plants grown in the compost or peat mix. GUS activity was induced with topical sprays of the compost water extract or SA in plants not inoculated with the pathogen, suggesting that compost-induced disease suppression more than likely involved the potentiation of resistance responses rather than their activation and that compost-induced SAR differed from SAR induced by pathogens, SA, or compost water extract.
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35
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Shao Z, Dick WA, Behki RM. An improved Escherichia coli-Rhodococcus shuttle vector and plasmid transformation in Rhodococcus spp. using electroporation. Lett Appl Microbiol 1995; 21:261-6. [PMID: 7576519 DOI: 10.1111/j.1472-765x.1995.tb01056.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The genetic studies of metabolically diverse Rhodococcus spp. have been hampered by the lack of a system of introducing exogenous DNA. The authors improved an existing Escherichia coli-Rhodococcus shuttle vector (pMVS301) by removing much of the DNA not needed for replication and adding a multicloning site. This improved vector (pBS305) is 7.9 kb in length. Its ability to transform Rhodococcus was tested using electroporation parameters optimized for introduction of pMVS301 into Rhodococcus. Transformation efficiencies as high as 10(5) cfu micrograms-1 DNA were obtained although efficiencies varied depending on the Rhodococcus strain tested. The improved vector pBS305 offers great utility for genetic studies of Rhodococcus because its small size enables movement of large inserts of DNA into Rhodococcus, it has multicloning sites, contains a highly selective thiostrepton marker, and can be replicated in both E. coli and Rhodococcus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Shao
- Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
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36
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Assaf NA, Dick WA. Spheroplast formation and plasmid isolation from Rhodococcus spp. Biotechniques 1993; 15:1010-2, 1014-5. [PMID: 8292332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The genus Rhodococcus comprises aerobic gram-positive actinomycetes that show considerable morphological and metabolic diversity and are known to be involved in the development of plant diseases and degradation of environmental pollutants. We describe a method for cell lysis and large plasmid DNA isolation from Rhodococcus by creating lysozyme susceptible cells by predigestion with the enzyme mutanolysin. Mutanolysin action resulted in the liberation of reducing sugars and free amino acids from the peptidoglycan layers of the cell wall. A 1-h predigestion with mutanolysin followed by a 0.5-h incubation with lysozyme resulted in spheroplast formation. Complete lysis of cells and efficient isolation of intact large plasmid DNA (108 kb) from wild-type Rhodococcus strains was confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- N A Assaf
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
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37
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Morra MJ, Dick WA. Mechanisms of H
2
S Production from Cysteine and Cystine by Microorganisms Isolated from Soil by Selective Enrichment. Appl Environ Microbiol 1991; 57:1413-7. [PMID: 16348483 PMCID: PMC182963 DOI: 10.1128/aem.57.5.1413-1417.1991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S) is a major component of biogenic gaseous sulfur emissions from terrestrial environments. However, little is known concerning the pathways for H
2
S production from the likely substrates, cysteine and cystine. A mixed microbial culture obtained from cystine-enriched soils was used in assays (50 min, 37°C) with 0.05 M Tris-HCl (pH 8.5), 25 μmol of
l
-cysteine, 25 μmol of
l
-cystine, and 0.04 μmol of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate. Sulfide was trapped in a center well containing zinc acetate, while pyruvate was measured by derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. Sulfide and total pyruvate production were 17.6 and 17.2 nmol mg of protein
-1
min
-1
, respectively. Dithiothreitol did not alter reaction stoichiometry or the amount of H
2
S and total pyruvate, whereas
N
-ethylmaleimide reduced both H
2
S and total pyruvate production equally. The amount of H
2
S produced was reduced by 96% when only
l
-cystine was included as the substrate in the assay and by 15% with the addition of propargylglycine, a specific suicide inhibitor of cystathionine γ-lyase. These data indicate that the substrate for the reaction was cysteine and the enzyme responsible for H
2
S and pyruvate production was cysteine desulfhydrase (EC 4.4.1.1). The enzyme had a
K
m
of 1.32 mM and was inactivated by temperatures greater than 60°C. Because cysteine is present in soil and cysteine desulfhydrase is an inducible enzyme, the potential for H
2
S production by this mechanism exists in terrestrial environments. The relative importance of this mechanism compared with other processes involved in H
2
S production from soil is unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Morra
- Department of Agronomy, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio 44691-6900
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