Chapter 25 Remediation of arsenical pesticide applied soils using water treatment residuals: Preliminary greenhouse results

Rupali Datta, Dibyendu Sarkar, Hussein Hussein, Chacharee Therapong

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Long-term application of arsenical pesticides in agricultural fields has resulted in increased background concentration of this toxic metalloid in soils. In addition, leaching of arsenic (As) from chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood found in decks, docks, playground equipment, and garden construction has contributed further to soil As contamination. Arsenic contamination is particularly severe in cattle dipping vat sites, where soil As concentrations range between 700 and 2000 mg kg-1. Plants growing in As-contaminated soils could pose a potential health hazard on human and livestock populations. Several studies have successfully used water treatment residuals (WTRs) to bind phosphorus (P) in soils, resulting in reduced P in runoff from fields, which would otherwise cause P-enrichment, and eutrophication of water bodies. Since P and As exhibit very similar chemical properties, it is logical to assume that As, like P, will be similarly and significantly retained by WTRs. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the use of various WTRs as low-cost chemical amendments to bind As in pesticide-applied soils, reducing As availability to plants. Rice was used as the test crop. Soils contaminated with arsenical pesticides and amended with two types of WTRs (Al and Fe) were used for a greenhouse column study. Rice was grown in the columns for a period of six months. The results obtained in this study show that both Al- and Fe-WTRs are very effective in reducing phytoavailable As in the soils. Addition of WTRs resulted in considerable improvement in the growth of rice plants in comparison to control plants with no WTR added, in which growth of rice was severely impaired. While Al-WTR was more effective in reducing As concentration in rice plants, Fe-WTR was more effective in improving the growth of rice in As-contaminated soils.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationConcepts and Applications in Environmental Geochemistry
EditorsDibyendu Sarkar, Rupali Datta, Robyn Hannigan
Pages543-559
Number of pages17
DOIs
StatePublished - 2007

Publication series

NameDevelopments in Environmental Science
Volume5
ISSN (Print)1474-8177

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