title: Lability of drinking water treatment residuals (WTR) immobilized phosphorus: aging and pH effects.
abstract: Time constraints associated with conducting long-term (>20 yr) field experiments to test the stability of drinking water treatment residuals (WTR) sorbed phosphorus (P) inhibit improved understanding of the fate of sorbed P in soils when important soil properties (e.g., pH) change. We used artificially aged samples to evaluate aging and pH effects on lability of WTR-immobilized P. Artificial aging was achieved through incubation at elevated temperatures (46 or 70 degrees C) for 4.5 yr, and through repeated wetting and drying for 2 yr. Using a modified isotopic ((32)P) dilution technique, coupled with a stepwise acidification procedure, we monitored changes in labile P concentrations over time. This technique enabled evaluation of the effect of pH on the lability of WTR-immobilized P. Within the pH range of 4 to 7, WTR amendment, coupled with artificial aging, ultimately reduced labile P concentrations by > or = 75% relative to the control (no-WTR) samples. Soil samples with different physicochemical properties from two 7.5-yr-old, one-time WTR-amended field sites were utilized to validate the trends observed with the artificially aged samples. Despite the differences in physicochemical properties among the three (two field-aged and one artificially aged) soil samples, similar trends of aging and pH effects on lability of WTR-immobilized P were observed. Labile P concentrations of the WTR-amended field-aged samples of the two sites decreased 6 mo after WTR amendment and the reduction persisted for 7.5 yr, ultimately resulting in > or = 70% reduction, compared to the control plots. We conclude that WTR application is capable of reducing labile P concentration in P-impacted soils, doing so for a long time, and that within the commonly encountered range of pH values for agricultural soils WTR-immobilized P should be stable.
authors.affiliation: Soil and Water Sci. Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl 32611-0510, USA. agyin@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Sampson
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Agyin-Birikorang
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D006358:Hot Temperature; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000737:chemistry*; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*; D014867:Water; D014881:Water Supply
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014867:Water; D010758:Phosphorus