Sample records for control phosphorus release

  1. Leachate Concentrations of Ammonium, Nitrate, and Phosphorus as Affected by Nutrient Release from Four Different Types of Controlled-Release Fertilizers and Crop Development of Containerized Waxleaf Privet.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and phosphorus in irrigation leachate were measured weekly over a 47-week period from a high-fertility, neutral-pH substrate into which four types of 12-month controlled-release fertilizers (Osmocote, Nutricote, Polyon, or Multicote) were incorporated. Containers...

  2. Leachate Concentrations of Ammonium, Nitrate, and Phosphorus as Affected by Nutrient Release From Four Different Types of Controlled-Release Fertilizers and Crop Development of Containerized Azaleas

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Concentrations of ammonium, nitrate, and phosphorus in irrigation leachate were measured weekly over a 47-week period from a low-fertility, acid-based substrate into which four types of 12-month controlled-release fertilizers (Osmocote, Nutricote, Polyon, or Multicote) were incorporated. Containers ...

  3. Effects of biological activity, light, temperature and oxygen on phosphorus release processes at the sediment and water interface of Taihu Lake, China.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xia; Jin, Xiangcan; Yao, Yang; Li, Lihe; Wu, Fengchang

    2008-04-01

    Effects of biological activity, light, temperature and oxygen on the phosphorus (P) release processes at the sediment and water interface of a shallow lake, Taihu Lake, China, were investigated. The results show that organisms at the sediment and water interface can stimulate P release from sediments, and their metabolism can alter the surrounding micro-environmental conditions. The extent of P release and its effects on P concentration in the overlying water were affected by factors such as light, temperature and dissolved oxygen. The organism biomass increased as temperature increased, which was beneficial for P release. Dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentrations in the corresponding overlying water were mainly controlled by light. P release occurred in both aerobic and anoxic conditions with the presence of organisms. However in the presence of light , P release in an anoxic environment was much greater than in an aerobic environment, which may stimulate alga bloom and result in an increase in total phosphorus (TP) in the overlying water. This information aids the understanding of P biogeochemical cycling at the interface and its relationship with eutrophication in shallow lakes.

  4. Implications of nutrient release from iron metal for microbial regrowth in water distribution systems.

    PubMed

    Morton, Siyuan C; Zhang, Yan; Edwards, Marc A

    2005-08-01

    Control of microbial regrowth in iron pipes is a major challenge for water utilities. This work examines the inter-relationship between iron corrosion and bacterial regrowth, with a special focus on the potential of iron pipe to serve as a source of phosphorus. Under some circumstances, corroding iron and steel may serve as a source for all macronutrients necessary for bacterial regrowth including fixed carbon, fixed nitrogen and phosphorus. Conceptual models and experimental data illustrate that levels of phosphorus released from corroding iron are significant relative to that necessary to sustain high levels of biofilm bacteria. Consequently, it may not be possible to control regrowth on iron surfaces by limiting phosphorus in the bulk water.

  5. Characterization of phosphorus leaching from phosphate waste rock in the Xiangxi River watershed, Three Gorges Reservoir, China.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Li-Guo; Liang, Bing; Xue, Qiang; Yin, Cheng-Wei

    2016-05-01

    Phosphate mining waste rocks dumped in the Xiangxi River (XXR) bay, which is the largest backwater zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), are treated as Type I industry solid wastes by the Chinese government. To evaluate the potential pollution risk of phosphorus leaching from phosphate waste rocks, the phosphorus leaching behaviors of six phosphate waste rock samples with different weathering degrees under both neutral and acidic conditions were investigated using a series of column leaching experiments, following the Method 1314 standard of the US EPA. The results indicate that the phosphorus release mechanism is solubility-controlled. Phosphorus release from waste rocks increases as pH decreases. The phosphorus leaching concentration and cumulative phosphorus released in acidic leaching conditions were found to be one order of magnitude greater than that in neutral leaching conditions. In addition, the phosphorus was released faster during the period when environmental pH turned from weak alkalinity to slight acidity, with this accelerated release period appearing when L/S was in the range of 0.5-2.0 mL/g. In both neutral and acidic conditions, the average values of Total Phosphorus (TP), including orthophosphates, polyphosphates and organic phosphate, leaching concentration exceed the availability by regulatory (0.5 mg/L) in the whole L/S range, suggesting that the phosphate waste rocks stacked within the XXR watershed should be considered as Type II industry solid wastes. Therefore, the phosphate waste rocks deposited within the study area should be considered as phosphorus point pollution sources, which could threaten the adjacent surface-water environment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of Polyphosphate-accumulating Organisms on Phosphorus Mobility in Variably Saturated Sand Columns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stockton, M.; Rojas, C.; Regan, J. M.; Saia, S. M.; Buda, A. R.; Carrick, H. J.; Walter, M. T.

    2016-12-01

    Excessive application of phosphorus-containing fertilizer along with incomplete knowledge about the factors affecting phosphorus transport and mobility has allowed for a growing number of cases of eutrophication in water bodies. Previous research on enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) systems used in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has identified polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) that are known to accumulate and release phosphorus depending on aerobic/anaerobic conditions. Under anaerobic conditions, intracellular polyphosphate (poly-P) bodies are hydrolyzed releasing phosphate, while under aerobic conditions phosphate is taken up and poly-P inclusions are reformed. The presence of PAOs outside of WWTPs has been shown, but their potential impact on phosphorus mobility in other contexts is not as well known. To study that potential impact, sand columns were subjected to alternating cycles of saturation and unsaturation to mimic variably saturated soils and the resultant anaerobic and aerobic conditions that select for PAOs in a WWTP. Pore water samples collected from sterile control columns and columns inoculated with PAOs from a WWTP were compared during each cycle to monitor changes in dissolved inorganic phosphate and total phosphorus concentrations. In addition, continuous redox data were collected to confirm reducing conditions developed during periods of saturation. Sand particles will be subjected to FISH and DAPI staining to visualize PAOs using probes developed for PAOs in EBPR processes and to determine if changes in intracellular poly-P are detectable between the two cycles in the inoculated columns. Studying the effects of PAOs on phosphorus mobility in these controlled column experiments can contribute to understanding phosphorus retention and release by naturally occurring PAOs in terrestrial system, which ultimately can improve the development of management practices that mitigate phosphorus pollution of water bodies.

  7. A bench-scale assessment for phosphorus release control of sediment by an oxygen-releasing compound (ORC).

    PubMed

    Yang, Jie; Lin, Feng K; Yang, Lei; Hua, Dan Y

    2015-01-01

    The effects of oxygen-releasing compound (ORC) on the control of phosphorus (P) release as well as the spatial and temporal distribution of P fractions in sediment were studied through a bench-scale test. An ORC with an extended oxygen-releasing capacity was prepared. The results of the oxygen-releasing test showed that the ORC provided a prolonged period of oxygen release with a highly effective oxygen content of 60.6% when compared with powdery CaO2. In the bench-scale test, an ORC dose of 180 g·m(-2) provided a higher inhibition efficiency for P release within 50 days. With the application of the ORC, the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration and redox potential (ORP) of the overlying water were notably improved, and the dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) was maintained below 0.689 mg·L(-1) compared to 2.906 mg·L(-1) without the ORC treatment. According to the P fractions distribution, the summation of all detectable P fractions in each sediment layer exhibited an enhanced accumulation tendency with the application of ORC. Higher phosphorus retention efficiencies were observed in the second and third layers of sediment from days 10 to 20 with the ORC. Phosphorus was trapped mainly in the form of iron bound P (Fe-P) and organically bound P (O-P) in sediment with the ORC, whereas the effects of the ORC on exchangeable P (EX-P), apatite-associated P (A-P) and detrital P (De-P) in the sediment sample were not significant. The microbial activities of the sediment samples demonstrated that both the dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) in the upper sediment layer increased with the ORC treatment, which indicated that the mineralization of P was accelerated and the microbial biomass was increased. As the accumulation of P suppressed the release of P, the sediment exhibited an increased P retention efficiency with the application of the ORC.

  8. Modeling of phosphorus fluxes produced by wild fires at watershed scales.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matyjasik, M.; Hernandez, M.; Shaw, N.; Baker, M.; Fowles, M. T.; Cisney, T. A.; Jex, A. P.; Moisen, G.

    2017-12-01

    River runoff is one of the controlling processes in the terrestrial phosphorus cycle. Phosphorus is often a limiting factor in fresh water. One of the factors that has not been studied and modeled in detail is phosporus flux produced from forest wild fires. Phosphate released by weathering is quickly absorbed in soils. Forest wild fires expose barren soils to intensive erosion, thus releasing relatively large fluxes of phosphorus. Measurements from three control burn sites were used to correlate erosion with phosphorus fluxes. These results were used to model phosphorus fluxes from burned watersheds during a five year long period after fires occurred. Erosion in our model is simulated using a combination of two models: the WEPP (USDA Water Erosion Prediction Project) and the GeoWEPP (GIS-based Water Erosion Prediction Project). Erosion produced from forest disturbances is predicted for any watershed using hydrologic, soil, and meteorological data unique to the individual watersheds or individual slopes. The erosion results are modified for different textural soil classes and slope angles to model fluxes of phosphorus. The results of these models are calibrated using measured concentrations of phosphorus for three watersheds located in the Interior Western United States. The results will help the United States Forest Service manage phosporus fluxes in national forests.

  9. SAMPLING STRATEGIES FOR ESTIMATING THE MAGNITUDE AND IMPORTANCE OF INTERNAL PHOSPHORUS SUPPLIES IN LAKES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The physical and chemical factors controlling sediment release and water column cycling of phosphorus and other nutrients (internal loading) are discussed within a 'systems' framework. Applying the systems approach, time-dependent nutrient storage within identified compartments, ...

  10. Phosphorus recovery from biogas slurry by ultrasound/H2O2 digestion coupled with HFO/biochar adsorption process.

    PubMed

    He, Xuemeng; Zhang, Tao; Ren, Hongqiang; Li, Guoxue; Ding, Lili; Pawlowski, Lucjan

    2017-02-01

    Phosphorus (P) recovery from biogas slurry has recently attracted considerable interest. In this work, ultrasound/H 2 O 2 digestion coupled with ferric oxide hydrate/biochar (HFO/biochar) adsorption process was performed to promote P dissolution, release, and recovery from biogas slurry. The results showed that the optimal total phosphorus release efficiency was achieved at an inorganic phosphorus/total phosphorus ratio of 95.0% at pH 4, 1mL of added H 2 O 2 , and ultrasonication for 30min. The P adsorption by the HFO/biochar followed pseudo second-order kinetics and was mainly controlled by chemical processes. The Langmuir-Freundlich model matched the experimental data best for P adsorption by HFO/biochar at 298 and 308K, whereas the Freundlich model matched best at 318K. The maximum amount of P adsorbed was 220mg/g. The process was endothermic, spontaneous, and showed an increase in disorder at the solid-liquid interface. The saturated adsorbed HFO/biochar continually releases P and is most suitable for use in an alkaline environment. The amount of P released reached 29.1mg/g after five extractions. P mass balance calculation revealed that 11.3% of the total P can be made available. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Calculation of temperatures in condensed phase of burning PMMA by equation of Michelson, Mullar and Le Chatelier

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turgumbayeva, R. Kh; Abdikarimov, M. N.; Sagintayeva, S. S.

    2018-05-01

    Results of studying an aerosol of the dioxide of sulfur and pentoxide of phosphorus released into the atmosphere by the chemical company for processing of phosphorit are presented. Influence of the direction and speed of wind on sulfur dioxide distribution and pentoxide of phosphorus in a ground layer of the atmosphere is studied, and the points of the direction of wind leading to pollution of the atmosphere of the nearby city are allocated. The statistical analysis of environmental pollution is carried out by the method of the correlation and regression analysis. The equations of dependence of the amount of the sulfur dioxide and pentoxide of phosphorus, released into the atmosphere, on the volume, released by the enterprise of production, are defined. The obtained results are recommended for control, regulation and management of the environment.

  12. Study on the changes of nitrogen and phosphorus release with time from sediment in Taihu Lake after ecological dredging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Xiaodong; Wu, Sushu; Zhu, Min; Weng, Songgan; Guo, Liuchao

    2017-06-01

    The changes of nitrogen and phosphorus release with time from sediment in Taihu Lake after ecological dredging were tested in laboratory. Experiment results showed that in a simulated environment of Taihu Lake, dredging was effective to reduce the endogenous pollution release, and the effect weakened gradually along with time. When the velocity of flow increased, nitrogen and phosphorus release intensity increased, so did the largest nitrogen and phosphorus emission. Considered the resedimentation, the release of nitrogen and phosphorus were similar in the area of five years after dredging and just dredging. Re-dredging should be considered.

  13. Monitoring pH and electric conductivity in an EBPR sequencing batch reactor.

    PubMed

    Serralta, J; Borrás, L; Blanco, C; Barat, R; Seco, A

    2004-01-01

    This paper presents laboratory-scale experimentation carried out to study enhanced biological phosphorus removal. Two anaerobic aerobic (A/O) sequencing batch reactors (SBR) have been operated during more than one year to investigate the information provided by monitoring pH and electric conductivity under stationary and transient conditions. Continuous measurements of these parameters allow detecting the end of anaerobic phosphorus release, of aerobic phosphorus uptake and of initial denitrification, as well as incomplete acetic acid uptake. These results suggest the possibility of using pH and electric conductivity as control parameters to determine the length of both anaerobic and aerobic phases in an A/O SBR. More valuable information provided by monitoring pH and electric conductivity is the relation between the amount of phosphorus released and the conductivity increase observed during the anaerobic stages and which group of bacteria (heterotrophic or polyphosphate accumulating) is carrying out the denitrification process.

  14. Comparison of controlled release and soluble granular fertilizers on cranberry growth, yield, and soil nutrients

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Cranberry growers are looking for ways to reduce off-site movement of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) may increase nutrient uptake efficiency in cranberry and decrease potential for nutrient leaching or lateral movement into drainage. Data regarding N and P in...

  15. Anaerobic phosphate release from activated sludge with enhanced biological phosphorus removal. A possible mechanism of intracellular pH control

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bond, P.L.; Keller, J.; Blackall, L.L.

    The biochemical mechanisms of the wastewater treatment process known as enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) are presently described in a metabolic model. The authors investigated details of the EBPR model to determine the nature of the anaerobic phosphate release and how this may be metabolically associated with polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) formation. Iodoacetate, an inhibitor of glycolysis, was found to inhibit the anaerobic formation of PHA and phosphate release, supporting the pathways proposed in the EBPR metabolic model. In the metabolic model, it is proposed that polyphosphate degradation provides energy for the microorganisms in anaerobic regions of these treatment systems. Other investigationsmore » have shown that anaerobic phosphate release depends on the extracellular pH. The authors observed that when the intracellular pH of EBPR sludge was raised, substantial anaerobic phosphate release was caused without volatile fatty acid (VFA) uptake. Acidification of the sludge inhibited anaerobic phosphate release even in the presence of VFA. from these observations, the authors postulate that an additional possible role of anaerobic polyphosphate degradation in EBPR is for intracellular pH control. Intracellular pH control may be a metabolic feature of EBPR, not previously considered, that could have some use in the control and optimization of EBPR.« less

  16. Effects of pH, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, and Flow Rate on Phosphorus Release Processes at the Sediment and Water Interface in Storm Sewer

    PubMed Central

    Li, Haiyan; Li, Mingyi; Zhang, Xiaoran

    2013-01-01

    The effects of pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and flow rate on the phosphorus (P) release processes at the sediment and water interface in rainwater pipes were investigated. The sampling was conducted in a residential storm sewer of North Li Shi Road in Xi Cheng District of Beijing on August 3, 2011. The release rate of P increased with the increase of pH from 8 to 10. High temperature is favorable for the release of P. The concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in the overlying water increased as the concentration of DO decreased. With the increase of flow rate from 0.7 m s−1 to 1.1 m s−1, the concentration of TP in the overlying water increased and then tends to be stable. Among all the factors examined in the present study, the flow rate is the primary influence factor on P release. The cumulative amount of P release increased with the process of pipeline runoff in the rainfall events with high intensities and shorter durations. Feasible measures such as best management practices and low-impact development can be conducted to control the P release on urban sediments by slowing down the flow rate. PMID:24349823

  17. Acetate injection into anaerobic settled sludge for biological P-removal in an intermittently aerated reactor.

    PubMed

    Ahn, K H; Yoo, H; Lee, J W; Maeng, S K; Park, K Y; Song, K G

    2001-01-01

    Injecting acetate into the sludge layer during the settling and decanting periods was adopted to enhance phosphorus release inside the sludge layer during those periods and phosphorus uptake during the subsequent aeration period in a KIST Intermittently Decanted Extended Aeration (KIDEA) process. The relationship among nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal was investigated in detail and analyzed with a qualitative floc model. Dependencies of nitrification on the maximum DO level during the aerobic phase and phosphorus release on residual nitrate concentration during the settling phase were significant. High degree of nitrification resulted that phosphorus release inside the sludge layer was significantly interfered with nitrate due to the limitation of available acetate and the carbon sources from influent. Such limitation was related to the primary utilization of organic substance for denitrification in the outer layer of the floc and the retarded mass transfer into the inner layer of the floc. Nevertheless, effects of acetate injection on both denitrification and phosphorus release during the settling phase were significant. Denitrification rate after acetate injection was two times as high as that before acetate injection, and phosphorus release reached about 14 mg PO4(3-)-P/g MLVSS/hr during the decanting phase after the termination of denitrification inside the sludge layer. Extremely low level of maximum DO (around 0.5 mg/L) during the aerobic phase may inhibited nitrification, considerably, and thus nearly no nitrate was present. However, the absence of nitrate increased when the phosphorus release rate was reached up to 33 mg PO4(3-)-P/g MLVSS/hr during the settling and decanting phase, and nearly all phosphorus was taken up during subsequent aerobic phase. Since the sludge layer could function as a blocking layer, phosphorus concentrations in the supernatant was not influenced by the released phosphorus inside the sludge layer during the settling and decanting period. Phosphorus removal was directly (for uptake) and indirectly (for release) dependent on the median and maximum DO concentration during the aerobic phase, and those optimal values may exist within the range from 0.2 to 0.6 mg/L and 0.4 to 1.2 mg/L, respectively.

  18. Geo-engineering experiments in two urban ponds to control eutrophication.

    PubMed

    Waajen, Guido; van Oosterhout, Frank; Douglas, Grant; Lürling, Miquel

    2016-06-15

    Many urban ponds experience detrimental algal blooms as the result of eutrophication. During a two year field experiment, the efficacy of five in situ treatments to mitigate eutrophication effects in urban ponds was studied. The treatments targeted the sediment phosphorus release and were intended to switch the ponds from a turbid phytoplankton-dominated state to a clear-water state with a low phytoplankton biomass. Two eutrophic urban ponds were each divided into six compartments (300-400 m(2); 210-700 m(3)). In each pond the following treatments were tested: dredging in combination with biomanipulation (involving fish biomass control and the introduction of macrophytes) with and without the addition of the flocculant polyaluminiumchloride, interception and reduction of sediment phosphorus release with lanthanum-modified bentonite (Phoslock(®)) in combination with biomanipulation with and without polyaluminiumchloride; biomanipulation alone; and a control. Trial results support the hypothesis that the combination of biomanipulation and measures targeting the sediment phosphorus release can be effective in reducing the phytoplankton biomass and establishing and maintaining a clear-water state, provided the external phosphorus loading is limited. During the experimental period dredging combined with biomanipulation showed mean chlorophyll-a concentrations of 5.3 and 6.2 μg L(-1), compared to 268.9 and 52.4 μg L(-1) in the control compartments. Lanthanum-modified bentonite can be an effective alternative to dredging and in combination with biomanipulation it showed mean chlorophyll-a concentrations of 5.9 and 7.6 μg L(-1). Biomanipulation alone did not establish a clear-water state or only during a limited period. As the two experimental sites differed in their reaction to the treatments, it is important to choose the most promising treatment depending on site specific characteristics. In recovering the water quality status of urban ponds, continuing attention is required to the concurrent reduction of external phosphorus loading and to maintaining an appropriate fish community. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Enhancing phosphorus release from waste activated sludge containing ferric or aluminum phosphates by EDTA addition during anaerobic fermentation process.

    PubMed

    Zou, Jinte; Zhang, Lili; Wang, Lin; Li, Yongmei

    2017-03-01

    The effect of ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) addition on phosphorus release from biosolids and phosphate precipitates during anaerobic fermentation was investigated. Meanwhile, the impact of EDTA addition on the anaerobic fermentation process was revealed. The results indicate that EDTA addition significantly enhanced the release of phosphorus from biosolids, ferric phosphate precipitate and aluminum phosphate precipitate during anaerobic fermentation, which is attributed to the complexation of metal ions and damage of cell membrane caused by EDTA. With the optimal EDTA addition of 19.5 mM (0.41 gEDTA/gSS), phosphorus release efficiency from biosolids was 82%, which was much higher than that (40%) without EDTA addition. Meanwhile, with 19.5 mM EDTA addition, almost all the phosphorus in ferric phosphate precipitate was released, while only 57% of phosphorus in aluminum phosphate precipitate was released. This indicates that phosphorus in ferric phosphate precipitate was much easier to be released than that in aluminum phosphate precipitate during anaerobic fermentation of sludge. In addition, proper EDTA addition facilitated the production of soluble total organic carbon and volatile fatty acids, as well as solid reduction during sludge fermentation, although methane production could be inhibited. Therefore, EDTA addition can be used as an alternative method for recovering phosphorus from waste activated sludge containing ferric or aluminum precipitates, as well as recovery of soluble carbon source. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium applied individually or as a slow release or controlled release fertilizer increase growth

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has restricted concentrated animal feeding operation(CAFO) release of waste products into U.S. waters. These waste products must be disposed of using best management practices. Most of the waste is spread on cropland, but some operations have found ot...

  1. Evaluation of a novel oxidation ditch system for biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal from domestic sewage.

    PubMed

    Chen, X; Fujiwara, T; Ohtoshi, K; Inamori, S; Nakamachi, K; Tsuno, H

    2010-01-01

    A novel oxidation ditch system using anaerobic tanks and innovative dual dissolved oxygen (DO) control technology is proposed for biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal from domestic sewage. A continuous bench-scale experiment running for more than 300 days was performed to evaluate the system. Monitoring and controlling the airflow and recirculation flow rate independently using DO values at two points along the ditch permitted maintenance of aerobic and anoxic zone ratios of around 0.30 and 0.50, respectively. The ability to optimize aerobic and anoxic zone ratios using the dual DO control technology meant that a total nitrogen removal efficiency of 83.2-92.9% could be maintained. This remarkable nitrogen removal performance minimized the nitrate recycle to anaerobic tanks inhibiting the phosphorus release. Hence, the total phosphorus removal efficiency was also improved and ranged within 72.6-88.0%. These results demonstrated that stabilization of the aerobic and anoxic zone ratio by dual DO control technology not only resulted in a marked improvement of nitrogen removal, but it also enhanced phosphorus removal.

  2. Anaerobic fermentation combined with low-temperature thermal pretreatment for phosphorus-accumulating granular sludge: Release of carbon source and phosphorus as well as hydrogen production potential.

    PubMed

    Zou, Jinte; Li, Yongmei

    2016-10-01

    Releases of organic compounds and phosphorus from phosphorus-accumulating granular sludge (PGS) and phosphorus-accumulating flocculent sludge (PFS) during low-temperature thermal pretreatment and anaerobic fermentation were investigated. Meanwhile, biogas production potential and microbial community structures were explored. The results indicate that much more soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and phosphorus were released from PGS than from PFS via low-temperature thermal pretreatment because of the higher extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) content in PGS and higher ratio of phosphorus reserved in EPS. Furthermore, PGS contains more anaerobes and dead cells, resulting in much higher SCOD and volatile fatty acids release from PGS than those from PFS during fermentation. PGS fermentation facilitated the n-butyric acid production, and PGS exhibited the hydrogen production potential during fermentation due to the presence of hydrogen-producing bacteria. Therefore, anaerobic fermentation combined with low-temperature thermal pretreatment can facilitate the recovery of carbon and phosphorus as well as producing hydrogen from PGS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. [Effects of carbon sources, temperature and electron acceptors on biological phosphorus removal].

    PubMed

    Han, Yun; Xu, Song; Dong, Tao; Wang, Bin-Fan; Wang, Xian-Yao; Peng, Dang-Cong

    2015-02-01

    Effects of carbon sources, temperature and electron acceptors on phosphorus uptake and release were investigated in a pilot-scale oxidation ditch. Phosphorus uptake and release rates were measured with different carbon sources (domestic sewage, sodium acetate, glucose) at 25 degrees C. The results showed that the minimum phosphorus uptake and release rates of glucose were 5.12 mg x (g x h)(-1) and 6.43 mg x (g x h)(-1), respectively, and those of domestic sewage are similar to those of sodium acetate. Phosphorus uptake and release rates increased with the increase of temperature (12, 16, 20 and 25 degrees C) using sodium acetate as carbon sources. Anoxic phosphorus uptake rate decreased with added COD. Electron acceptors (oxygen, nitrate, nitrite) had significant effects on phosphorus uptake rate and their order was in accordance with oxygen > nitrate > nitrite. The mass ratio of anoxic P uptake and N consumption (P(uptake)/N (consumption)) of nitrate and nitrite were 0.96 and 0.65, respectively.

  4. Novel concept of the smart NIR-light-controlled drug release of black phosphorus nanostructure for cancer therapy.

    PubMed

    Qiu, Meng; Wang, Dou; Liang, Weiyuan; Liu, Liping; Zhang, Yin; Chen, Xing; Sang, David Kipkemoi; Xing, Chenyang; Li, Zhongjun; Dong, Biqin; Xing, Feng; Fan, Dianyuan; Bao, Shiyun; Zhang, Han; Cao, Yihai

    2018-01-16

    A biodegradable drug delivery system (DDS) is one the most promising therapeutic strategies for cancer therapy. Here, we propose a unique concept of light activation of black phosphorus (BP) at hydrogel nanostructures for cancer therapy. A photosensitizer converts light into heat that softens and melts drug-loaded hydrogel-based nanostructures. Drug release rates can be accurately controlled by light intensity, exposure duration, BP concentration, and hydrogel composition. Owing to sufficiently deep penetration of near-infrared (NIR) light through tissues, our BP-based system shows high therapeutic efficacy for treatment of s.c. cancers. Importantly, our drug delivery system is completely harmless and degradable in vivo. Together, our work proposes a unique concept for precision cancer therapy by external light excitation to release cancer drugs. If these findings are successfully translated into the clinic, millions of patients with cancer will benefit from our work.

  5. Enhanced phosphorus reduction in simulated eutrophic water: a comparative study of submerged macrophytes, sediment microbial fuel cells, and their combination.

    PubMed

    Xu, Peng; Xiao, Enrong; Xu, Dan; Li, Juan; Zhang, Yi; Dai, Zhigang; Zhou, Qiaohong; Wu, Zhenbin

    2018-05-01

    The phosphorus reduction in water column was attempted by integrating sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) with the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis. A comparative study was conducted to treat simulated water rich in phosphate with a control and three treatments: SMFC alone (SMFC), submerged macrophytes alone (macophyte), and combined macrophytes and fuel cells (M-SMFC). All treatments promoted phosphorus flux from the water column to sediments. Maximum phosphorus reduction was obtained in proportion to the highest stable phosphorus level in sediments in M-SMFC. For the initial phosphate concentrations of 0.2, 1, 2, and 4 mg/L, average phosphate values in the overlying water during four phases decreased by 33.3% (25.0%, 8.3%), 30.8% (5.1%, 17.9%), 36.5% (27.8%, 15.7%), and 36.2% (0.7%, 22.1%) for M-SMFC (macrophyte, SMFC), compared with the control. With macrophyte treatment, the obvious phosphorus release from sediments was observed during the declining period. However, such phenomenon was significantly inhibited with M-SMFC. The electrogenesis bacteria achieved stronger phosphorus adsorption and assimilation was significantly enriched on the closed-circuit anodes. The higher abundance of Geobacter and Pseudomonas in M-SMFC might in part explain the highest phosphorus reduction in the water column. M-SMFC treatment could be promising to control the phosphorus in eutrophic water bodies.

  6. Nitrifying aerobic granular sludge fermentation for releases of carbon source and phosphorus: The role of fermentation pH.

    PubMed

    Zou, Jinte; Pan, Jiyang; He, Hangtian; Wu, Shuyun; Xiao, Naidong; Ni, Yongjiong; Li, Jun

    2018-07-01

    The effect of fermentation pH (uncontrolled, 4 and 10) on the releases of carbon source and phosphorus from nitrifying aerobic granular sludge (N-AGS) was investigated. Meanwhile, metal ion concentration and microbial community characterization were explored during N-AGS fermentation. The results indicated that N-AGS fermentation at pH 10 significantly promoted the releases of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) and total volatile fatty acids (TVFAs). However, SCOD and TVFA released from N-AGS were inhibited at pH 4. Moreover, acidic condition promoted phosphorus release (mainly apatite) from N-AGS during anaerobic fermentation. Nevertheless, alkaline condition failed to increase phosphorus concentration due to the formation of chemical-phosphate precipitates. Compared with the previously reported flocculent sludge fermentation, N-AGS fermentation released more SCOD and TVFAs, possibly due to the greater extracellular polymeric substances content and some hydrolytic-acidogenic bacteria in N-AGS. Therefore, N-AGS alkaline fermentation facilitated the carbon source recovery, while N-AGS acidic fermentation benefited the phosphorus recovery. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  7. Bacterial dissolution of fluorapatite as a possible source of elevated dissolved phosphate in the environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, Mu-hua; Ngwenya, Bryne T.; Wang, Lin; Li, Wenchao; Olive, Valerie; Ellam, Robert M.

    2011-10-01

    In order to understand the contribution of geogenic phosphorus to lake eutrophication, we have investigated the rate and extent of fluorapatite dissolution in the presence of two common soil bacteria ( Pantoea agglomerans and Bacillus megaterium) at T = 25 °C for 26 days. The release of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and rare earth elements (REE) under biotic and abiotic conditions was compared to investigate the effect of microorganism on apatite dissolution. The release of Ca and P was enhanced under the influence of bacteria. Apatite dissolution rates obtained from solution Ca concentration in the biotic reactors increased above error compared with abiotic controls. Chemical analysis of biomass showed that bacteria scavenged Ca, P, and REE during their growth, which lowered their fluid concentrations, leading to apparent lower release rates. The temporal evolution of pH in the reactors reflected the balance of apatite weathering, solution reactions, bacterial metabolism, and potentially secondary precipitation, which was implied in the variety of REE patterns in the biotic and abiotic reactors. Light rare earth elements (LREE) were preferentially adsorbed to cell surfaces, whereas heavy rare earth elements (HREE) were retained in the fluid phase. Decoupling of LREE and HREE could possibly be due to preferential release of HREE from apatite or selective secondary precipitation of LREE enriched phosphates, especially in the presence of bacteria. When corrected for intracellular concentrations, both biotic reactors showed high P and REE release compared with the abiotic control. We speculate that lack of this correction explains the conflicting findings about the role of bacteria in mineral weathering rates. The observation that bacteria enhance the release rates of P and REE from apatite could account for some of the phosphorus burden and metal pollution in aquatic environments.

  8. An evaluation of the phosphorus storage capacity of an anaerobic/aerobic sequential batch biofilm reactor.

    PubMed

    Chiou, Ren-Jie; Yang, Yi-Rong

    2008-07-01

    The aim of this work was to assess the phosphorus storage capability of the polyphosphate (poly-P) accumulating organisms (PAO) in the biofilm using a sequential batch biofilm reactor (SBBR). In the anaerobic phase, the specific COD uptake rates increases from 0.05 to 0.22 (mg-COD/mg-biomass/h) as the initial COD increases and the main COD uptake activity occurs in the initial 30 min. The polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) accumulation from 18 to 38 (mg-PHA/g-biomass) and phosphorus release from 20 to 60 (mg-P/L) share a similar trend. The adsorbed COD cannot be immediately transformed to PHAs. Since the PHAs' demand per released phosphorus is independent of the initial COD, the enhancement of the PHA accumulation would be of benefit to phosphorus release. The only requirement is to have an initial amount of substrate that will result in sufficient PHA accumulation (approximately 20 mg-PHA/g-biomass) for phosphorus release. During the aerobic phase, the aeration should not only provide sufficient dissolved oxygen, but should also enhance the mass transfer and the diffusion. In other words, the limitation to the phosphorus storage capability always occurs during the anaerobic phase, not the aerobic phase.

  9. Effect of water-column pH on sediment-phosphorus release rates in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fisher, Lawrence H.; Wood, Tamara M.

    2004-01-01

    Sediment-phosphorus release rates as a function of pH were determined in laboratory experiments for sediment and water samples collected from Shoalwater Bay in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, in 2001. Aerial release rates for a stable sediment/water interface that is representative of the sediment surface area to water column volume ratio (1:3) observed in the lake and volumetric release rates for resuspended sediment events were determined at three different pH values (8.1, 9.2, 10.2). Ambient water column pH (8.1) was maintained by sparging study columns with atmospheric air. Elevation of the water column pH to 9.2 was achieved through the removal of dissolved carbon dioxide by sparging with carbon dioxide-reduced air, partially simulating water chemistry changes that occur during algal photosynthesis. Further elevation of the pH to 10.2 was achieved by the addition of sodium hydroxide, which doubled average alkalinities in the study columns from about 1 to 2 milliequivalents per liter. Upper Klamath Lake sediments collected from the lake bottom and then placed in contact with lake water, either at a stable sediment/water interface or by resuspension, exhibited an initial capacity to take up soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) from the water column rather than release phosphorus to the water column. At a higher pH this initial uptake of phosphorus is slowed, but not stopped. This initial phase was followed by a reversal in which the sediments began to release SRP back into the water column. The release rate of phosphorus 30 to 40 days after suspension of sediments in the columns was 0.5 mg/L/day (micrograms per liter per day) at pH 8, and 0.9 mg/L/day at pH 10, indicating that the higher pH increased the rate of phosphorus release by a factor of about two. The highest determined rate of release was approximately 10% (percent) of the rate required to explain the annual internal loading to Upper Klamath Lake from the sediments as calculated from a lake-wide mass balance and observed in total phosphorus data collected at individual locations.

  10. [Release and supplement of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from jellyfish (Nemopilema nomurai) decomposition in seawater].

    PubMed

    Qu, Chang-feng; Song, Jin-ming; Li, Ning; Li, Xue-gang; Yuan, Hua-mao; Duan, Li-qin

    2016-01-01

    Abstract: Jellyfish bloom has been increasing in Chinese seas and decomposition after jellyfish bloom has great influences on marine ecological environment. We conducted the incubation of Nemopilema nomurai decomposing to evaluate its effect on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus recycling of water column by simulated experiments. The results showed that the processes of jellyfish decomposing represented a fast release of biogenic elements, and the release of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus reached the maximum at the beginning of jellyfish decomposing. The release of biogenic elements from jellyfish decomposition was dominated by dissolved matter, which had a much higher level than particulate matter. The highest net release rates of dissolved organic carbon and particulate organic carbon reached (103.77 ± 12.60) and (1.52 ± 0.37) mg · kg⁻¹ · h⁻¹, respectively. The dissolved nitrogen was dominated by NH₄⁺-N during the whole incubation time, accounting for 69.6%-91.6% of total dissolved nitrogen, whereas the dissolved phosphorus was dominated by dissolved organic phosphorus during the initial stage of decomposition, being 63.9%-86.7% of total dissolved phosphorus and dominated by PO₄³⁻-P during the late stage of decomposition, being 50.4%-60.2%. On the contrary, the particulate nitrogen was mainly in particulate organic nitrogen, accounting for (88.6 ± 6.9) % of total particulate nitrogen, whereas the particulate phosphorus was mainly in particulate. inorganic phosphorus, accounting for (73.9 ±10.5) % of total particulate phosphorus. In addition, jellyfish decomposition decreased the C/N and increased the N/P of water column. These indicated that jellyfish decomposition could result in relative high carbon and nitrogen loads.

  11. Phosphorus release from dairy manure, the manure-derived biochar, and their amended soil: effects of phosphorus nature and soil property.

    PubMed

    Liang, Yuan; Cao, Xinde; Zhao, Ling; Xu, Xiaoyun; Harris, Willie

    2014-07-01

    Land application of animal manure often risks excessive phosphorus (P) release into the surrounding water. The aim of this study was to convert the dairy manure into biochar, followed by their application into soil, and then to investigate P release from the manure and its derived biochar as well as from the manure- and biochar-amended soil. The results showed that P release was reduced when the manure was converted into biochar due to formation of less-soluble whitlockite [(Ca, Mg)(PO)]. The cumulative P released from biochar over 240 h was 0.26 g kg, a 76% reduction of that from the manure (1.07 g kg). The kinetic release of P from the manure was determined by the fast desorption process and was better fitted to Elovich equation, whereas P release from biochar was initially controlled by the diffusion process and then by slow but steady dissolution of (Ca,Mg)(PO), following the parabolic diffusion and linear models, respectively. When the manure or biochar was incorporated into the soil, P release in the CaCl and simulated acid rain water extraction from biochar-amended soil was consistently lower than that from the manure-amended soil during 210-d incubation. The lower P release in the biochar-amended soil was determined by stable P form (Ca, Mg)(PO) in the biochar itself, but less from the soil property effect. Results indicated that initial high P release from manure can be mitigated by converting the manure into biochar. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  12. Effects of electron acceptors on soluble reactive phosphorus in the overlying water during algal decomposition.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jinzhi; Jiang, Xia; Zheng, Binghui; Niu, Yuan; Wang, Kun; Wang, Wenwen; Kardol, Paul

    2015-12-01

    Endogenous phosphorus (P) release from sediments is an important factor to cause eutrophication and, hence, algal bloom in lakes in China. Algal decomposition depletes dissolved oxygen (DO) and causes anaerobic conditions and therefore increases P release from sediments. As sediment P release is dependent on the iron (Fe) cycle, electron acceptors (e.g., NO3 (-), SO4 (2-), and Mn(4+)) can be utilized to suppress the reduction of Fe(3+) under anaerobic conditions and, as such, have the potential to impair the release of sediment P. Here, we used a laboratory experiment to test the effects of FeCl3, MnO2, and KNO3 on soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentration and related chemical variables in the overlying water column during algal decomposition at different algal densities. Results showed that algal decomposition significantly depleted DO and thereby increased sediment Fe-bound P release. Compared with the control, addition of FeCl3 significantly decreased water SRP concentration through inhibiting sediment P release. Compared with FeCl3, addition of MnO2 has less potential to suppress sediment P release during algal decomposition. Algal decomposition has the potential for NO3 (-) removal from aquatic ecosystem through denitrification and by that alleviates the suppressing role of NO3 (-) on sediment P release. Our results indicated that FeCl3 and MnO2 could be efficient in reducing sediment P release during algal decomposition, with the strongest effect found for FeCl3; large amounts of NO3 (-) were removed from the aquatic ecosystem through denitrification during algal decomposition. Moreover, the amounts of NO3 (-) removal increased with increasing algal density.

  13. Evaluation of simulated dredging to control internal phosphorus release from sediments: Focused on phosphorus transfer and resupply across the sediment-water interface.

    PubMed

    Yu, Juhua; Ding, Shiming; Zhong, Jicheng; Fan, Chengxin; Chen, Qiuwen; Yin, Hongbin; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Yinlong

    2017-08-15

    Sediment dredging is an effective restoration method to control the internal phosphorus (P) loading of eutrophic lakes. However, the core question is that the real mechanism of dredging responsible for sediment internal P release still remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the P exchange across the sediment-water interface (SWI) and the internal P resupply ability from the sediments after dredging. The study is based on a one-year field simulation study in Lake Taihu, China, using a Rhizon soil moisture sampler, high-resolution dialysis (HR-Peeper), ZrO-Chelex diffusive gradients in thin film (ZrO-Chelex DGT), and P fractionation and adsorption isotherm techniques. The results showed low concentration of labile P in the pore water with a low diffusion potential and a low resupply ability from the sediments after dredging. The calculated flux of P from the post-dredged sediments decreased by 58% compared with that of non-dredged sediments. Furthermore, the resupply in the upper 20mm of the post-dredged sediments was reduced significantly after dredging (P<0.001). Phosphorus fractionation analysis showed a reduction of 25% in the mobile P fractions in the post-dredged sediments. Further analysis demonstrated that the zero equilibrium P concentration (EPC 0 ), partitioning coefficient (K p ), and adsorption capacity (Q max ) on the surface sediments increased after dredging. Therefore, dredging could effectively reduce the internal P resupply ability of the sediments. The reasons for this reduction are probably the lower contributions of mobile P fractions, higher retention ability, and the adsorption capacity of P for post-dredged sediments. Overall, this investigation indicated that dredging was capable of effectively controlling sediment internal P release, which could be ascribed to the removal of the surface sediments enriched with total phosphorus (TP) and/or organic matter (OM), coupled with the inactivation of P to iron (Fe) (hydr)oxides in the upper 20mm active layer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Factors influencing release of phosphorus from sediments in a high productive polymictic lake system.

    PubMed

    Solim, S U; Wanganeo, A

    2009-01-01

    Phosphorus (P) release rates from bottom sediments are high (20.6 mg/m(2)/day) in Dal Lake (India), a polymictic hyper-eutrophic lake. These gross release rates occur over a period of 72 days during summer only. Likewise, a net internal load of 11.3 tons was obtained from mass balance estimates. Significant proportion i.e. approximately 80% of 287.3 tons/yr of nitrate nitrogen (NO(3)-N) load is either eliminated by denitrification or gets entrapped for a short period in high macrophyte biomass of 3.2 kg/m(2) f.w., which eventually get decomposed and nitrogen (N) is released back. These processes result in low lake water NO(3)-N concentrations which potentially influence sediment phosphorus (P) release. Especially, nitrate nitrogen (NO(3)-N) <500 microg/L in the lake waters were associated with high P concentrations. Phosphorus was also observed to increase significantly in relation to temperature and pH, and it seems likely that release of phosphorus and ammonical nitrogen (NH(4)-N) depend on decomposition of rich reserves of organic matter (893 tons d.w. in superficial 10-cm bottom sediment layer). Lake P concentrations were significantly predicted by a multivariate regression model developed for the lake. This study describes significance of various lake water variables in relation to P-release from bottom sediments.

  15. Dynamic characteristics of sulfur, iron and phosphorus in coastal polluted sediments, north China.

    PubMed

    Sun, Qiyao; Sheng, Yanqing; Yang, Jian; Di Bonito, Marcello; Mortimer, Robert J G

    2016-12-01

    The cycling of sulfur (S), iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) in sediments and pore water can impact the water quality of overlying water. In a heavily polluted river estuary (Yantai, China), vertical profiles of fluxes of dissolved sulfide, Fe 2+ and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) in sediment pore water were investigated by the Diffusive Gradients in Thin films technique (DGT). Vertical fluxes of S, Fe, P in intertidal sediment showed the availability of DRP increased while the sulfide decreased with depth in surface sediment, indicating that sulfide accumulation could enhance P release in anoxic sediment. In sites with contrasting salinity, the relative dominance of iron and sulfate reduction was different, with iron reduction dominant over sulfate reduction in the upper sediment at an intertidal site but the reverse true in a freshwater site, with the other process dominating at depth in each case. Phosphate release was largely controlled by iron reduction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW OF THE DRAFT REGION 4 ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA scientists in Region 4 (Atlanta) conducted a review of data and information regarding hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This Region 4 staff assessment concluded that phosphorus, rather than nitrogen, may be the limiting nutrient controlling Gulf hypoxia. An unauthorized draft of the report was released in January of 2004. This report, because of its controversial conclusion regarding the role of phosphorus in Gulf hypoxia, caused a significant amount of concern among stakeholders. After considerable internal review by Region 4 EPA scientists, the Region released a significantly revised version of the draft report for a broader internal EPA review in April 2004. The report was revised based on the broader EPA review and released to the Hypoxia Task Force in August 2004, as an informational document with the specific purpose of encouraging discussion and posing questions for the reassessment of the Action Plan. The draft report,

  17. Microwave digestion-assisted HFO/biochar adsorption to recover phosphorus from swine manure.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Tao; Xu, Haoyu; Li, Huanhuan; He, Xinyue; Shi, Yuanji; Kruse, Andrea

    2018-04-15

    A sustainable management option for dealing with waste straw is to pyrolyze it to create biochar, which can then be used as a sorbent in pollution treatments, such as the recovery of phosphorus (P) from swine manure. However, the inability to directly capture soluble organic P (OP) and sparingly soluble P and the low selectivity of biochar remain key issues in this process. To overcome these, we investigated a microwave (MW) digestion pretreatment with a HFO/biochar adsorption process. The MW digestion-assisted treatment showed good performance for the solubilization of OP and sparingly soluble P. Optimized conditions (temperature=348K, time=45min, H 2 O 2 =3mL/30mL, HCl=0.13%) achieved an inorganic phosphorus (IP) release ratio of 83.98% and a total phosphorus (TP) release ratio of 91.83%. The P adsorption on the HFO/biochar was confirmed to follow pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating that the P adsorption process was mainly controlled by chemical processes. The Freundlich model offered the best fit to the experimental data. The maximum amount of P adsorbed on HFO/biochar was in the range of 51.71-56.15mg/g. Thermodynamic calculations showed that the P adsorption process was exothermic, spontaneous, and increased the disorder in the system. Saturated adsorbed HFO/biochar was able to continually release P and was most suitable for use in an alkaline soil. The amount of P released from saturated adsorbed HFO/biochar reached 8.16mg/g after five interval extractions. A P mass balance indicated that 8.76% of the TP was available after the solubilization, capture, and recovery processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Use of solid phosphorus fractionation data to evaluate phosphorus release from waste activated sludge.

    PubMed

    Pokhrel, S P; Milke, M W; Bello-Mendoza, R; Buitrón, G; Thiele, J

    2018-06-01

    Waste activated sludge (WAS) can become an important source of phosphorus (P). P speciation was examined under anaerobic conditions, with different pH (4, 6 and 8) and temperatures (10, 20 and 35 °C). Aqueous P was measured and an extraction protocol was used to find three solid phosphorus fractions. A pH of 4 and a temperature of 35 °C gave a maximum of 51% of total P solubilized in 22 days with 50% of total P solubilized in 7 days. Batch tests indicate that little pH depression is needed to release non-apatite inorganic P (including microbial polyphosphate), while a pH of 4 rather than 6 will release more apatite inorganic P, and that organic P is relatively more difficult to release from WAS. Fractionation analysis of P in WAS can aid in design of more efficient methods for P recovery from WAS. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Hydrologic regime controls soil phosphorus fluxes in restoration and undisturbed wetlands

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Aldous, A.; McCormick, P.; Ferguson, C.; Graham, S.; Craft, C.

    2005-01-01

    Many wetland restoration projects occur on former agricultural soils that have a history of disturbance and fertilization, making them prone to phosphorus (P) release upon flooding. To study the relationship between P release and hydrologic regime, we collected soil cores from three restoration wetlands and three undisturbed wetlands around Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon, U.S.A. Soil cores were subjected to one of three hydrologic regimes - flooded, moist, and dry - for 7.5 weeks, and P fluxes were measured upon reflooding. Soils from restoration wetlands released P upon reflooding regardless of the hydrologic regime, with the greatest releases coming from soils that had been flooded or dried. Undisturbed wetland soils released P only after drying. Patterns in P release can be explained by a combination of physical and biological processes, including the release of iron-bound P due to anoxia in the flooded treatment and the mineralization of organic P under aerobic conditions in the dry treatment. Higher rates of soil P release from restoration wetland soils, particularly under flooded conditions, were associated with higher total P concentrations compared with undisturbed wetland soils. We conclude that maintaining moist soil is the means to minimize P release from recently flooded wetland soils. Alternatively, prolonged flooding provides a means of liberating excess labile P from former agricultural soils while minimizing continued organic P mineralization and soil subsidence. ?? 2005 Society for Ecological Restoration International.

  20. Hydrology and Soil Manipulations of Iron-Rich Ditch Mesocosms Provide Little Evidence of Phosphorus Capture within the Profile.

    PubMed

    Ruppert, David E; Needelman, Brian A; Kleinman, Peter J A; Rabenhorst, Martin C; Momen, Bahram; Wester, David B

    2017-05-01

    Agricultural drainage ditches function as first-order streams and affect nutrient management. Soil mesocosms from a ditch featuring a vertical (increasing upward) gradient in iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) were subjected to hydraulic and soil treatments. These manipulations mimicked aspects of dredging and controlled drainage and inspected the soil release and retention of P. Treatments did not remove P from simulated groundwater. Throughput water either gained in P (lack of dredging, especially under Fe-reducing conditions) or had P concentrations indistinguishable from input water (dredging). Undredged mesocosms, when Fe-reducing, released Fe and P simultaneously. Simultaneous release of P and Fe from our Fe-reducing mesocosms indicates a mechanism whereby P capture occurs by Fe precipitation upon emergence to aerated surficial waters. Upwelling and surficial phases of ditch hydrology and the lowering of the ditch surface on dredging complicate interpretation of traditional means of describing ditch P retention and release. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  1. Evaluation of pollution levels due to the use of consumer fertilizers under Florida conditions.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-08-01

    The Florida Department of Transportation has taken steps to reduce the amount of phosphorus and the time release of fertilizer compounds in all of its operations. Consequently, there may be a reduction in the mass of phosphorus being released to adja...

  2. Phosphorus dynamics in long-term flooded, drained and reflooded soils

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    In flooded areas, soils are often exposed to standing water and subsequent drainage, thus over fertilization can release excess phosphorus (P) into surface water and groundwater. To investigate P release and transformation processes in flooded alkaline soils, we flooded-drained-reflooded two soils f...

  3. Results of a preimpoundment water-quality study of Swatara Creek, Pennsylvania

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fishel, David K.; Richardson, J.E.

    1986-01-01

    The impoundment will act as a sediment trap and thus reduce the concentrations of total phosphorus, iron, aluminum, lead, copper, and zinc immediately downstream from the impoundment. Large storm discharges and releases from the hypolimnion of the reservoir to attain the winter-pool level may contain low oxygen concentrations and elevated concentrations of iron, aluminum, lead, copper, and zinc. Unless conservation releases from the multi-level release gates are carefully controlled, low dissolved-oxygen levels and high metal concentrations may degrade the downstream water quality and be detrimental to the aquatic community.

  4. Enhancement of sediment phosphorus release during a tunnel construction across an urban lake (Lake Donghu, China).

    PubMed

    Wang, Siyang; Li, Hui; Xiao, Jian; Zhou, Yiyong; Song, Chunlei; Bi, Yonghong; Cao, Xiuyun

    2016-09-01

    Tunnel construction in watershed area of urban lakes would accelerate eutrophication by inputting nutrients into them, while mechanisms underlying the internal phosphorus cycling as affected by construction events are scarcely studied. Focusing on two main pathways of phosphorus releasing from sediment (enzymatic mineralization and anaerobic desorption), spatial and temporal variations in phosphorus fractionation, and activities of extracellular enzymes (alkaline phosphatase, β-1,4-glucosidase, leucine aminopeptidase, dehydrogenase, lipase) in sediment were examined, together with relevant parameters in interstitial and surface waters in a Chinese urban lake (Lake Donghu) where a subaqueous tunnel was constructed across it from October 2013 to July 2014. Higher alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) indicated phosphorus deficiency for phytoplankton, as illustrated by a significantly negative relationship between APA and concentration of dissolved total phosphorus (DTP). Noticeably, in the construction area, APAs in both sediment and surface water were significantly lower than those in other relevant basins, suggesting a phosphorus supply from some sources in this area. In parallel, its sediment gave the significantly lower iron-bound phosphorus (Fe(OOH)∼P) content, coupled with significantly higher ratio of iron (II) to total iron content (Fe(2+)/TFe) and dehydrogenase activities (DHA). Contrastingly, difference in the activities of sediment hydrolases was not significant between the construction area and other basins studied. Thus, in the construction area, subsidy of bioavailable phosphorus from sediment to surface water was attributable to the anaerobic desorption of Fe(OOH)∼P rather than enzymatic mineralization. Finally, there existed a significantly positive relationship between chlorophyll a concentration in surface water and Fe(OOH)∼P content in sediment. In short, construction activities within lakes may interrupt cycling patterns of phosphorus across sediment-water interface by enhancing release of redox-sensitive phosphate, and thereby facilitating phytoplankton growth in water column.

  5. Assessing past and present P Retention in Sediments in Lake Ontario (Bay of Quinte) by Reaction-Transport Diagenetic Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doan, Phuong; Berry, Sandra; Markovic, Stefan; Watson, Sue; Mugalingam, Shan; Dittrich, Maria

    2016-04-01

    Phosphorus (P) is an important macronutrient that can limit aquatic primary production and the risk of harmful algal blooms. Although there is considerable evidence that P release from sediments can represent a significant source of P and burial in sediments returns P to the geological sink; these processes have been poorly characterised. In this study, we applied a non-steady state reactive transport diagenetic model to gain insights into the dynamics of phosphorus binding forms in sediments and the phosphorus cycling of the Bay of Quinte, an embayment of Lake Ontario, Canada. The three basins of the bay (Belleville, Hay Bay and Napanee) that we investigated had differences in their phosphorus binding forms and phosphorus release, reflecting the distinct spatial temporal patterns of land use and urbanization levels in the watershed. Sediment cores from the three stations were collected during summer and under ice cover in 2013-14. Oxygen, pH and redox potential were monitored by microsensors; porewater and sediment solid matter were analyzed for P content, and a sequential extraction was used to analyze P binding forms. In the reaction-transport model, total phosphorus was divided into adsorbed phosphorus, phosphorus bound with aluminium, organic phosphorus, redox sensitive and apatite phosphorus. Using the fluxes of organic and inorganic matter as dynamic boundary conditions, we simulated the depth profiles of solute and solid components. The model closely reproduced the fractionation data of phosphorus binding forms and soluble reactive phosphorus. The past and present P fluxes were calculated and estimated; they related to geochemical conditions, and P binding forms in sediments. Our results show that P release from sediments is dominated by the redox-sentive P fraction accounting for higher percentage at Napanee station. The main P binding form that can be immobilized through diagenesis is apatite P contributing highest P retention at HayBay station. The mass balance of P was closed by our model.

  6. [Phosphorus removal characteristics by aerobic granules in normal molasses wastewater after anaerobic treatment].

    PubMed

    Wang, Shuo; Yu, Shui-Li; Shi, Wen-Xin; Bao, Rui-Ling; Yi, Xue-Song; Li, Jian-Zheng

    2012-04-01

    COD decreased obviously in normal molasses wastewater after anaerobic treatment, however, concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus were still higher in the effluent which seriously damaged the ecological balance. In this study, aerobic granules cultivated in sequencing batch airlift reactor (SBAR) were carried out for treating the effluent; phosphorus removal processes and characteristics were discussed as well. The mean diameter of aerobic granules cultivated by multiple carbon sources (acetate, propionate and butyrate) was 1.7 mm. The average phosphorus removal efficiency was 90.9% and the level of phosphorus in effluent was only 1.3 mg x L(-1); TP released per COD consumed was 0.571 and the specific rate of TP released was 5.73 mg x (g x h)(-1). NO3(-) -N usage of phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs) improved during denitrifying process because the concentration of propionate and butyrate increased in multiple carbon sources which means the phosphorus uptake efficiency increased when per NO3(-) -N consumed. Phosphorus content represented a stronger correlation with magnesium, calcium and ferrum contents in aerobic granules and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), the phosphorus adsorption by EPS could enhance phosphorus removal. 61.9% of phosphorus accumulating organisms were denitrifying phosphorus accumulating organisms in aerobic granules and TP uptake per NO3(-) -N consumed was 1.14 which was higher than that of aerobic granules only cultivated by acetate.

  7. Effects of reduced return activated sludge flows and volume on anaerobic zone performance for a septic wastewater biological phosphorus removal system.

    PubMed

    Magro, Daniel; Elias, Steven L; Randall, Andrew Amis

    2005-01-01

    Enhanced biological phosphorous removal (EBPR) performance was found to be adequate with reduced return-activated sludge (RAS) flows (50% of available RAS) to the anaerobic tank and smaller-than-typical anaerobic zone volume (1.08 hours hydraulic retention time [HRT]). Three identical parallel biological nutrient removal pilot plants were fed with strong, highly fermented (160 mg/L volatile fatty acids [VFAs]), domestic and industrial wastewater from a full-scale wastewater treatment facility. The pilot plants were operated at 100, 50, 40, and 25% RAS (percent of available RAS) flows to the anaerobic tank, with the remaining RAS to the anoxic tank. In addition, varying anaerobic HRT (1.08 and 1.5 hours) and increased hydraulic loading (35% increase) were examined. The study was divided into four phases, and the effect of these process variations on EBPR were studied by having one different variable between two identical systems. The most significant conclusion was that returning part of the RAS to the anaerobic zone did not decrease EBPR performance; instead, it changed the location of phosphorous release and uptake. Bringing less RAS to the anaerobic and more to the anoxic tank decreased anaerobic phosphorus release and increased anoxic phosphorus release (or decreased anoxic phosphorus uptake). Equally important is that, with VFA-rich influent wastewater, excessive anaerobic volume was shown to hurt overall phosphorus removal, even when it resulted in increased anaerobic phosphorus release.

  8. Monitoring to assess progress toward meeting the Assabet River, Massachusetts, phosphorus total maximum daily load - Aquatic macrophyte biomass and sediment-phosphorus flux

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zimmerman, Marc J.; Qian, Yu; Yong Q., Tian

    2011-01-01

    In 2004, the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Total Phosphorus in the Assabet River, Massachusetts, was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The goal of the TMDL was to decrease the concentrations of the nutrient phosphorus to mitigate some of the instream ecological effects of eutrophication on the river; these effects were, for the most part, direct consequences of the excessive growth of aquatic macrophytes. The primary instrument effecting lower concentrations of phosphorus was to be strict control of phosphorus releases from four major wastewatertreatment plants in Westborough, Marlborough, Hudson, and Maynard, Massachusetts. The improvements to be achieved from implementing this control were lower concentrations of total and dissolved phosphorus in the river, a 50-percent reduction in aquatic-plant biomass, a 30-percent reduction in episodes of dissolved oxygen supersaturation, no low-flow dissolved oxygen concentrations less than 5.0 milligrams per liter, and a 90-percent reduction in sediment releases of phosphorus to the overlying water. In 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, initiated studies to evaluate conditions in the Assabet River prior to the upgrading of wastewater-treatment plants to remove more phosphorus from their effluents. The studies, completed in 2008, implemented a visual monitoring plan to evaluate the extent and biomass of the floating macrophyte Lemna minor (commonly known as lesser duckweed) in five impoundments and evaluated the potential for phosphorus flux from sediments in impounded and free-flowing reaches of the river. Hydrologically, the two study years 2007 and 2008 were quite different. In 2007, summer streamflows, although low, were higher than average, and in 2008, the flows were generally higher than in 2007. Visually, the effects of these streamflow differences on the distribution of Lemna were obvious. In 2007, large amounts of floating macrophytes accumulated behind bridge constrictions and dams; in 2008, high flows during the early part of the growing season carried floating macrophytes past bridges and over dams, minimizing accumulations. Samples of Lemna were collected and weighed to provide an estimate of Lemna biomass based on areal coverage during the summer growing seasons at eight sites in the five impoundments. Average estimated biomass during 2007 was approximately twice the 2008 biomass in each of the areas monitored. In 2007, in situ hyperspectral and high-resolution, multispectral data from the IKONOS satellite were obtained to evaluate the feasibility of using remote sensing to monitor the extent of aquatic plant growth in Assabet River impoundments. Three vegetation indices based on light reflectance were used to develop metrics with which the hyperspectral and satellite data were compared. The results of the comparisons confirmed that the high-resolution satellite imagery could differentiate among the common aquatic-plant associations found in the impoundments. The use of satellite imagery could counterbalance emphasis on the subjective judgment of a human observer, and airborne hyperspectral data can provide higher resolution imagery than multispectral satellite data. In 2007 and 2008, the potential for sediment flux of phosphorus was examined in free-flowing reaches of the river and in the two largest impoundments-Hudson and Ben Smith. These studies were undertaken to determine in situ flux rates prior to the implementation of the Assabet River Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for phosphorus and to compare these rates with those used in the development and evaluation of the TMDL. Water samples collected from a chamber placed on the river bottom were analyzed for total phosphorus and orthophosphorus. Ambient dissolved oxygen concentrations and seasonal temperature differences appeared to affect the rates of sequestration and sediment release of phosphorus. When dissolved oxygen concentrations remained relatively high in the chambers and when the temperature was relatively low, the tendency was for phosphorus concentrations to decrease in the chambers, indicating sediment sequestration of phosphorus; when dissolved oxygen concentrations dropped to near zero and temperatures were warmest, phosphorus concentrations increased in the chambers, indicating phosphorus flux from the sediment. The rates of release and sequestration in the in situ studies were generally comparable with the rates determined in laboratory studies of Assabet River sediment cores for State and Federal agencies. Sediment-core and chamber studies produced substantial sediment fluxes to the water column only under extremely low-DO or anaerobic conditions rarely found in the Assabet River impoundments; thus, sediment is not likely to be a major phosphorus source, especially when compared to the wastewater effluent, which sustains higher ambient concentrations. The regulatory agencies now (2011) have substantial laboratory and field data with which to determine the required 90-percent reduction in phosphorus flux after the completion of upgrades to the wastewater-treatment plants that discharge to the Assabet River.

  9. Water level fluctuations in a tropical reservoir: the impact of sediment drying, aquatic macrophyte dieback, and oxygen availability on phosphorus mobilization.

    PubMed

    Keitel, Jonas; Zak, Dominik; Hupfer, Michael

    2016-04-01

    Reservoirs in semi-arid areas are subject to water level fluctuations (WLF) that alter biogeochemical processes in the sediment. We hypothesized that wet-dry cycles may cause internal eutrophication in such systems when they affect densely vegetated shallow areas. To assess the impact of WLF on phosphorus (P) mobilization and benthic P cycling of iron-rich sediments, we tested the effects of (i) sediment drying and rewetting, (ii) the impact of organic matter availability in the form of dried Brazilian Waterweed (Egeria densa), and (iii) alternating redox conditions in the surface water. In principle, drying led to increased P release after rewetting both in plant-free and in plant-amended sediments. Highest P mobilization was recorded in plant amendments under oxygen-free conditions. After re-establishment of aerobic conditions, P concentrations in surface water decreased substantially owing to P retention by sediments. In desiccated and re-inundated sediments, P retention decreased by up to 30% compared to constantly inundated sediments. We showed that WLF may trigger biochemical interactions conducive to anaerobic P release. Thereby, E. densa showed high P release and even P uptake that was redox-controlled and superimposed sedimentary P cycling. Macrophytes play an important role in the uptake of P from the water but may be also a significant source of P in wet-dry cycles. We estimated a potential for the abrupt release of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) by E. densa of 0.09-0.13 g SRP per m(2) after each wet-dry cycle. Released SRP may exceed critical P limits for eutrophication, provoking usage restrictions. Our results have implications for management of reservoirs in semi-arid regions affected by WLF.

  10. The short-term effects of prescribed burning on biomass removal and the release of nitrogen and phosphorus in a treatment wetland.

    PubMed

    White, J R; Gardner, L M; Sees, M; Corstanje, R

    2008-01-01

    Nutrient removal by constructed wetlands can decline over time due to the accumulation of organic matter. A prescribed burn is one of many management strategies used to remove detritus in macrophyte-dominated systems. We quantified the short-term effects on effluent water quality and the amount of aboveground detritus removed from a prescribed burn event. Surface water outflow concentrations were approximately three times higher for P and 1.5 times higher for total Kjeldhal nitrogen (TKN) following the burn event when compared to the control. The length of time over which the fire effect was significant (P < 0.05), 3 d for TKN and up to 23 d for P fractions. Over time, the concentration of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in the effluent decreased, but was compensated with increases in dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) and particulate phosphorus (PP), such that net total P remained the same. Total aboveground biomass decreased by 68.5% as a result of the burn, however, much of the live vegetation was converted to standing dead material. These results demonstrate that a prescribed burn can significantly decrease the amount of senescent organic matter in a constructed wetland. However, short-term nutrient releases following the burn could increase effluent nutrient concentrations. Therefore, management strategies should include hydraulically isolating the burned area immediately following the burn event to prevent nutrient export.

  11. Seagrass-Mediated Phosphorus and Iron Solubilization in Tropical Sediments

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Tropical seagrasses are nutrient-limited owing to the strong phosphorus fixation capacity of carbonate-rich sediments, yet they form densely vegetated, multispecies meadows in oligotrophic tropical waters. Using a novel combination of high-resolution, two-dimensional chemical imaging of O2, pH, iron, sulfide, calcium, and phosphorus, we found that tropical seagrasses are able to mobilize the essential nutrients iron and phosphorus in their rhizosphere via multiple biogeochemical pathways. We show that tropical seagrasses mobilize phosphorus and iron within their rhizosphere via plant-induced local acidification, leading to dissolution of carbonates and release of phosphate, and via local stimulation of microbial sulfide production, causing reduction of insoluble Fe(III) oxyhydroxides to dissolved Fe(II) with concomitant phosphate release into the rhizosphere porewater. These nutrient mobilization mechanisms have a direct link to seagrass-derived radial O2 loss and secretion of dissolved organic carbon from the below-ground tissue into the rhizosphere. Our demonstration of seagrass-derived rhizospheric phosphorus and iron mobilization explains why seagrasses are widely distributed in oligotrophic tropical waters. PMID:29149570

  12. Phosphorus fraction and phosphate sorption-release characteristics of the wetland sediments in the Yellow River Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Yuan; Xiao, Rong; Xie, Ying; Zhang, Mingxiang

    2018-02-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate phosphorus (P) fractions and phosphate sorption-release characteristics of the surface sediments regarding the wetland restoration in the Yellow River Delta (YRD). Sediments samples were collected from three typical sample plots: Phragmites australis community (p), Suaeda salsa community (s), and bare land (b) both in natural wetland (N) and restored wetland (R). The results showed that the mean content of TP was 541.58 mg/kg, and the rank order of P fractions were: inorganic phosphorus (IP) (65.6%) > residual phosphorus (RP) (24.9%) > organic phosphorus (OP) (9.5%). For sediments under the same land cover, TP and OP contents were significantly higher in natural wetlands than those in restored wetlands. This indicated that the restoration project really made a difference in TP content of sediments, and the decreased TP might result from decreased OP. For P kinetics sorption, a quick sorption mainly occurred within 0.5 h. The maximum phosphorus adsorption capacities (Qmax) ranging from 139.40 mg/kg to 224.06 mg/kg and the bonding energy constant (K) ranging from 0.33 mg/L to 1.37 mg/L were both obtained using a Langmuir model. In addition, Qmax, P release (Pr) and P release rates (Prr) were in the order of Nb > Np > Ns > Rb > Rp > Rs, Np > Rp > Ns > Rs = Nb > Rb and Rp > Ns > Rs > Rb > Np > Nb, respectively. This indicated that sediments from natural wetland could adsorb more P as well as release more P into overlying water, moreover, more content of P were left in sediments comparing to restored wetland. Sediments from bare land were more likely to retain P as a pool because of the highest sorption capacity while lowest release potential. Our study showed that P sorption-release and the quick sorption processes were mainly affected by sediment moisture, amorphous iron and aluminum oxides (Feox and Alox). Besides, Qmax was related to background value of sediments P. OP was the major P fraction adsorbed by sediments, and the P adsorbed by sediments was mainly adsorbed on Feox and Alox.

  13. Variation laws and release characteristics of phosphorus on surface sediment of Dongting Lake.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Guangrui; Yang, Ying

    2018-05-01

    The variation trend and growth rate of P were analyzed by the concentration of the phosphorus fraction on surface sediment of Dongting Lake from 2012 to 2016, to reveal the cumulative effect of P in the actual environment. Meanwhile, the adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm were employed to examine the P-release possibility of sediment, which predicts the yearly released sediment phosphorus in Dongting Lake. The actual growth rate of TP (Total Phosphorus) is 53 mg·(kg·year) -1 in East Dongting Lake, 39 mg·(kg·year) -1 in South Dongting Lake, and 29 mg·(kg·year) -1 in West Dongting Lake, while the sum of the phosphorus fraction growth rates has little difference from the rate of TP in sediments of the three areas of Dongting Lake. Furthermore, the Elovich model and the Langmuir crossover-type equations are established to present the adsorption characteristic of sediment in Dongting Lake; the result shows that the sediments play a source role for phosphorus in East and South Dongting Lake from zero equilibrium phosphorus concentration (EPC 0 ) in the present situation, but an adsorption effect on TP is shown in West Dongting Lake. When the conditions of environment change are ignored, the maximum P-sorption level in sediments of East Dongting Lake will reach in 2040 according to the actual growth rate of sediments, while that in West Dongting Lake and South Dongting Lake will be in 2046 and 2061, respectively.

  14. [Influence of decomposition of Cladophora sp. on phosphorus concentrations and forms in the overlying water].

    PubMed

    Hou, Jin-Zhi; Wei, Quan; Gao, Li; Sun, Wei-Ming

    2013-06-01

    Sediments were sampled in the dominated zone of Cladophora sp. in Rongcheng Swan Lake, and cultivated with algae in the laboratory to reveal the influence of Cladophora decomposition on concentrations and forms of phosphorus in the overlying water. Concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), dissolved total phosphorus (DTP), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), particulate phosphorus (PP) and dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) in overlying water were investigated, and some physicochemical parameters, such as dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and conductivity were monitored during the experiment. In addition, the influence of algae decomposition on P release from sediments was analyzed. Due to the decomposition of Cladophora, DO concentration in the overlying water declined remarkably and reached the anoxic condition (0-0.17 mg x L(-1)). The pH value of different treatments also decreased, and treatments with algae reduced by about 1 unit. Concentrations of TP and different P forms all increased obviously, and the increasing extent was larger with the adding algae amount. TP concentrations of different treatments varied from 0.04 mg x L(-1) to 1.34 mg x L(-1). DOP and PP were the main P forms in the overlying water in algae without sediments treatments, but SRP concentrations became much higher in algae with sediments treatments. The result showed that P forms released from decomposing Cladophora were mainly DOP and PP, and the Cladophora decomposition could also promote the sediments to release P into the overlying water.

  15. Release of Phosphorous Impurity from TiO2 Anatase and Rutile Nanoparticles in Aquatic Environments and Its Implications

    EPA Science Inventory

    Phosphorus-bearing materials as an additive have been popularly used in nanomaterial synthesis and the residual phosphorus within the nanoparticles (NPs) can be of an environmental concern. For instance, phosphorus within pristine commercial TiO2 NPs greatly influences the surfac...

  16. Herbivorous snails can increase water clarity by stimulating growth of benthic algae.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xiufeng; Taylor, William D; Rudstam, Lars G

    2017-11-01

    Eutrophication in shallow lakes is characterized by a switch from benthic to pelagic dominance of primary productivity that leads to turbid water, while benthification is characterized by a shift in primary production from the pelagic zone to the benthos associated with clear water. A 12-week mesocosm experiment tested the hypothesis that the herbivorous snail Bellamya aeruginosa stimulates the growth of pelagic algae through grazing on benthic algae and through accelerating nutrient release from sediment. A tube-microcosm experiment using 32 P-PO 4 as a tracer tested the effects of the snails on the release of sediment phosphorus (P). The mesocosm experiment recorded greater total nitrogen (TN) concentrations and a higher ratio of TN:TP in the overlying water, and a higher light intensity and biomass of benthic algae as measured by chlorophyll a (Chl a) in the snail treatment than in the control. Concentrations of total phosphorus (TP), total suspended solids (TSSs), and inorganic suspended solids (ISSs) in the overlying water were lower in the snail treatment than in the control, though no significant difference in Chl a of pelagic algae between the snail treatment and control was observed. In the microcosm experiment, 32 P activity in the overlying water was higher in the snail treatment than in the control, indicating that snails accelerated P release from the sediment. Our interpretation of these results is that snails enhanced growth of benthic algae and thereby improved water clarity despite grazing on the benthic algae and enhancing P release from the sediment. The rehabilitation of native snail populations may therefore enhance the recovery of eutrophic shallow lakes to a clear water state by stimulating growth of benthic algae.

  17. Controls on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter in soils: A review

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kalbitz, K.; Solinger, S.; Park, J.H.

    Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soils plays an important role in the biogeochemistry of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, in pedogenesis, and in the transport of pollutants in soils. The aim of this review is to summarize the recent literature about controls on DOM concentrations and fluxes in soils. The authors focus on comparing results between laboratory and field investigations and on the differences between the dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen (DON), and phosphorus (DOP). Both laboratory and field studies show that litter and humus are the most important DOM sources in soils. However, it is impossible to quantifymore » the individual contributions of each of these sources to DOM release. In addition, it is not clear how changes in the pool sizes of litter or humus may affect DOM release. High microbial activity, high fungal abundance, and any conditions that enhance mineralization all promote high DOM concentrations. However, under field conditions, hydrologic variability in soil horizons with high carbon contents may be more important than biotic controls. In subsoil horizons with low carbon contents, DOM may be adsorbed strongly to mineral surfaces, resulting in low DOM concentrations in the soil solution. There are strong indications that microbial degradation of DOM also controls the fate of DOM in the soil.« less

  18. Phosphorus release from cyanobacterial blooms during their decline period in eutrophic Dianchi Lake, China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shenghua; Wang, Weilu; Zhang, Kaixiang; Xu, Peiyao; Lu, Yin

    2018-05-01

    The phosphorus (P) release from bloom-cyanobacterium during its decline period is one of the most important parts involved in lake P-biogeochemical cycle, which is an important nutrient self-regulating process to sustain eutrophic status in lakes. An in situ experiment was set up to study the phosphorus release mechanisms of cyanobacterial blooms in Dianchi Lake during its decline period. In the enclosure, the cyanobacteria were dying out gradually and this process further affected the water quality parameters and lead to P release from bloom-cyanobacteria. The pH and electric conductivity (EC) increased substantially, while the redox potential (ORP) decreased during the whole experimental period. Among all the released P forms, the orthophosphate (ortho-P) was the main released P form and accounted for 96.7 and 67.8% of the total phosphorus (TP) increment in the water and the TP reduction in algae respectively. According to the TP in sediment and lost P of overlying water column, it could be concluded that the ortho-P released from algae was absorbed by sediment as well. The release of TP, organic P (OP), and ortho-P from bloom-cyanobacteria all followed the first-order kinetics, and the release rate of ortho-P was much higher than that of OP (p < 0.05). Furthermore, according to the total extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) determination and related Pearson's correlation analysis, the release of TP and ortho-P from bloom-cyanobacteria would probably depend on the reduction of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) and colonial sheath disaggregation. In conclusion, a large amount of ortho-P was released and adsorbed by sediment gradually during cyanobacterial bloom decline period, and these bioavailable P could provide the sufficient nutrient for newborn cyanobacteria and could contribute to the construction of a new internal P cycle among sediment, water, and cyanobacterial bloom.

  19. [Effects of nitrogen application rates and straw returning on nutrient balance and grain yield of late sowing wheat in rice-wheat rotation].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shan; Shi, Zu-liang; Yang, Si-jun; Gu, Ke-jun; Dai, Ting-bo; Wang, Fei; Li, Xiang; Sun, Ren-hua

    2015-09-01

    Field experiments were conducted to study the effects of nitrogen application rates and straw returning on grain yield, nutrient accumulation, nutrient release from straw and nutrient balance in late sowing wheat. The results showed that straw returning together with appropriate application of nitrogen fertilizer improved the grain yield. Dry matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium accumulation increased significantly as the nitrogen application rate increased. At the same nitrogen application rate (270 kg N · hm(-2)), the dry matter, phosphorus and potassium accumulation of the treatment with straw returning were higher than that without straw returning, but the nitrogen accumulation was lower. Higher-rate nitrogen application promoted straw decomposition and nutrient release, and decreased the proportion of the nutrient released from straw after jointing. The dry matter, phosphorus and potassium release from straw showed a reverse 'N' type change with the wheat growing, while nitrogen release showed a 'V' type change. The nutrient surplus increased significantly with the nitrogen application rate. At the nitrogen application rate for the highest grain yield, nitrogen and potassium were surplus significantly, and phosphorus input could keep balance. It could be concluded that as to late sowing wheat with straw returning, applying nitrogen at 257 kg · hm(-2) and reducing potassium fertilizer application could improve grain yield and reduce nutrients loss.

  20. Modeling and mitigation of denitrification 'woodchip' bioreactor phosphorus releases during treatment of aquaculture wastewater

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Denitrification 'woodchip' bioreactors designed to remove nitrate from agricultural waters may either be phosphorus sources or sinks. A 24 d batch test showed woodchip leaching is an important source of phosphorus during bioreactor start-up with a leaching potential of approximately 20 -30 mg P per ...

  1. Characterizing the correlation between dephosphorization and solution pH in a calcined water treatment plant sludge.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Zhenming; Liu, Qidi; Li, Shuwen; Li, Fei; Zou, Jing; Liao, Xiaobin; Yuan, Baoling; Sun, Wenjie

    2018-04-26

    This study focused on characterizing the correlation between the dephosphorization process of calcined water treatment plant sludge (C-WTPS) and the solution initial pH in batch experiments. The specific aim was to illustrate the effect of different initial pH on the adsorption and desorption of phosphorous in C-WTPS. In addition, the effects of solution initial pH on the release of ammonia nitrogen and total organic carbon (TOC) from C-WTPS and the change of pH after adsorption were also investigated. The results demonstrated that the initial pH significantly influenced the adsorption of phosphorus on C-WTPS. When initial pH was increased from 3 to 10, the phosphorous absorption capacity reduced by 76.5%. Especially, when the initial pH reached to 11, the phosphorus adsorption capacity became a negative value, indicating that C-WTPS released phosphorus into the solution. The addition of C-WTPS to the solution had little impact on the initial pH of the solution. The absorbed phosphorous on C-WTPS was relatively stable in the pH range of 3 to 10. Nevertheless, when the solution pH was higher than 11, it can be easily released into the solution. Furthermore, by comparison with WTPS, C-WTPS released less ammonia nitrogen and TOC into the solution and adsorbed more phosphorus from the solution in the experimental pH range. Therefore, C-WTPS is more suitable to serve as a cost-effective sorbent for phosphorus removal.

  2. Processes Affecting Phosphorus and Copper Concentrations and Their Relation to Algal Growth in Two Supply Reservoirs in the Lower Coastal Plain of Virginia, 2002-2003, and Implications for Alternative Management Strategies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Speiran, Gary K.; Simon, Nancy S.; Mood-Brown, Maria L.

    2007-01-01

    Elevated phosphorus concentrations commonly promote excessive growth of algae in waters nationwide. When such waters are used for public supply, the algae can plug filters during treatment and impart tastes and odors to the finished water. This increases treatment costs and results in finished water that may not be of the quality desired for public supply. Consequently, copper sulfate is routinely applied to many reservoirs to control algal growth but only is a 'temporary fix' and must be reapplied at intervals that can range from more than 30 days in the winter to less than 7 days in the summer. Because copper has a maximum allowable concentration in public drinking water and can be toxic to aquatic life, water suppliers commonly seek to develop alternative, long-term strategies for managing reservoirs. Because these are nationwide issues and part of the mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to define and protect the quality of the Nation's water resources and better understand the physical, chemical, and biological processes in wetlands, lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries, investigations into these issues are important to the fulfillment of the mission of the USGS. The City of Newport News, Virginia, provides 50 million gallons per day of treated water for public supply from Lee Hall and Harwoods Mill Reservoirs (terminal reservoirs) to communities on the lower York-James Peninsula. About 3,500 pounds of copper sulfate are applied to each reservoir at 3- to 99-day intervals to control algal growth. Consequently, the USGS, in cooperation with the City of Newport News, investigated the effects of management practices and natural processes on phosphorus (the apparent growth-limiting nutrient), copper, and algal concentrations in the terminal reservoirs to provide information that can be used to develop alternative management strategies for the terminal reservoirs. Initial parts of the research evaluated circulation and stratification in the reservoirs because these factors affect phosphorus availability to algae. Results indicate that (1) water flows through both reservoirs in a 'plug-flow' manner; (2) little water in the lower part of Lee Hall Reservoir, into which pumped water enters, flows into the upper part of the reservoir and mixes with that water; (3) Lee Hall Reservoir generally does not stratify; and (4) Harwoods Mill Reservoir stratifies from April to June through September or October into an upper epilimnion that does not mix with water in the lower hypolimnion. The ratio of dissolved nitrogen to phosphorus concentrations (N:P) for sites in both reservoirs generally was greater than 20:1, indicating that phosphorus likely is the growth-limiting nutrient in both reservoirs. Phosphorus was present predominantly as suspended, rather than dissolved, species except in the hypolimnion of Harwoods Mill Reservoir and the natural inflow represented by Baptist Run. Because Harwoods Mill Reservoir stratified, field-measured physical and chemical characteristics and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus species changed sharply over short depth intervals in this reservoir. Dissolved phosphorus concentration increased from 0.015 to 0.057 milligrams per liter between a depth of 15 feet (ft) and the bottom (depth of 18 ft), indicating the release of phosphorus by the decomposition of organic material and(or) the reduction of iron oxides in bed sediment and the lower water column. Because the mixing boundary between the epilimnion and the hypolimnion likely was between depths of 6 and 10 ft, such sources in the hypolimnion would not contribute phosphorus to the growth of algae in the epilimnion from which water is withdrawn for supply until the breakdown of stratification in the fall. Furthermore, laboratory studies of samples from both reservoirs indicated that dissolved phosphorus was released from suspended particles at rates of 0.0007 to 0.0019 milligrams per liter per day. At these rates of release, particl

  3. Effects of changes in nutrient loading and composition on hypoxia dynamics and internal nutrient cycling of a stratified coastal lagoon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, Yafei; McCowan, Andrew; Cook, Perran L. M.

    2017-10-01

    The effects of changes in catchment nutrient loading and composition on the phytoplankton dynamics, development of hypoxia and internal nutrient dynamics in a stratified coastal lagoon system (the Gippsland Lakes) were investigated using a 3-D coupled hydrodynamic biogeochemical water quality model. The study showed that primary production was equally sensitive to changed dissolved inorganic and particulate organic nitrogen loads, highlighting the need for a better understanding of particulate organic matter bioavailability. Stratification and sediment carbon enrichment were the main drivers for the hypoxia and subsequent sediment phosphorus release in Lake King. High primary production stimulated by large nitrogen loading brought on by a winter flood contributed almost all the sediment carbon deposition (as opposed to catchment loads), which was ultimately responsible for summer bottom-water hypoxia. Interestingly, internal recycling of phosphorus was more sensitive to changed nitrogen loads than total phosphorus loads, highlighting the potential importance of nitrogen loads exerting a control over systems that become phosphorus limited (such as during summer nitrogen-fixing blooms of cyanobacteria). Therefore, the current study highlighted the need to reduce both total nitrogen and total phosphorus for water quality improvement in estuarine systems.

  4. Phosphorus mobility among sediments, water and cyanobacteria enhanced by cyanobacteria blooms in eutrophic Lake Dianchi.

    PubMed

    Cao, Xin; Wang, Yiqi; He, Jian; Luo, Xingzhang; Zheng, Zheng

    2016-12-01

    This study was focused on the phosphorus mobility among sediments, water and cyanobacteria in eutrophic Lake Dianchi. Four conditions lake water, water and algae, water and sediments, and three objects together were conducted to investigate the effects of cyanobacteria growth on the migration and transformation of phosphorus. Results showed a persistent correlation between the development of cyanobacterial blooms and the increase of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in the lake water under the condition of three objects together. Time-course assays measuring different forms of phosphorus in sediments indicated that inorganic phosphorus (IP) and NaOH-P were relatively more easier to migrate out of sediment to the water and cyanobacteria. Further studies on phosphorus mobility showed that up to 70.2% of the released phosphorus could be absorbed by cyanobacteria, indicating that sediment is a major source of phosphorus when external loading is reduced. Time-course assays also showed that the development of cyanobacterial blooms promoted an increase in pH and a decrease in the redox potential of the lake water. The structure of the microbial communities in sediments was also significantly changed, revealed a great impaction of cyanobacterial blooms on the microbial communities in sediments, which may contribute to phosphorus release. Our study simulated the cyanobacterial blooms of Lake Dianchi and revealed that the cyanobacterial blooms is a driving force for phosphorus mobility among sediments, water and cyanobacteria. The outbreak of algal blooms caused deterioration in water quality. The P in the sediments represented a significant supply for the growth of cyanobacteria. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Effect of Redox Conditions on Bacterial Community Structure in Baltic Sea Sediments with Contrasting Phosphorus Fluxes

    PubMed Central

    Steenbergh, Anne K.; Bodelier, Paul L. E.; Slomp, Caroline P.; Laanbroek, Hendrikus J.

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus release from sediments can exacerbate the effect of eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems. The flux of phosphorus from marine sediments to the overlying water is highly dependent on the redox conditions at the sediment-water interface. Bacteria are key players in the biological processes that release or retain phosphorus in marine sediments. To gain more insight in the role of bacteria in phosphorus release from sediments, we assessed the effect of redox conditions on the structure of bacterial communities. To do so, we incubated surface sediments from four sampling sites in the Baltic Sea under oxic and anoxic conditions and analyzed the fingerprints of the bacterial community structures in these incubations and the original sediments. This paper describes the effects of redox conditions, sampling station, and sample type (DNA, RNA, or whole-cell sample) on bacterial community structure in sediments. Redox conditions explained only 5% of the variance in community structure, and bacterial communities from contrasting redox conditions showed considerable overlap. We conclude that benthic bacterial communities cannot be classified as being typical for oxic or anoxic conditions based on community structure fingerprints. Our results suggest that the overall structure of the benthic bacterial community has only a limited impact on benthic phosphate fluxes in the Baltic Sea. PMID:24667801

  6. Effect of redox conditions on bacterial community structure in Baltic Sea sediments with contrasting phosphorus fluxes.

    PubMed

    Steenbergh, Anne K; Bodelier, Paul L E; Slomp, Caroline P; Laanbroek, Hendrikus J

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus release from sediments can exacerbate the effect of eutrophication in coastal marine ecosystems. The flux of phosphorus from marine sediments to the overlying water is highly dependent on the redox conditions at the sediment-water interface. Bacteria are key players in the biological processes that release or retain phosphorus in marine sediments. To gain more insight in the role of bacteria in phosphorus release from sediments, we assessed the effect of redox conditions on the structure of bacterial communities. To do so, we incubated surface sediments from four sampling sites in the Baltic Sea under oxic and anoxic conditions and analyzed the fingerprints of the bacterial community structures in these incubations and the original sediments. This paper describes the effects of redox conditions, sampling station, and sample type (DNA, RNA, or whole-cell sample) on bacterial community structure in sediments. Redox conditions explained only 5% of the variance in community structure, and bacterial communities from contrasting redox conditions showed considerable overlap. We conclude that benthic bacterial communities cannot be classified as being typical for oxic or anoxic conditions based on community structure fingerprints. Our results suggest that the overall structure of the benthic bacterial community has only a limited impact on benthic phosphate fluxes in the Baltic Sea.

  7. Fifteen-year study of environmental dredging effect on variation of nitrogen and phosphorus exchange across the sediment-water interface of an urban lake.

    PubMed

    Liu, Cheng; Zhong, Jicheng; Wang, Jianjun; Zhang, Lu; Fan, Chengxin

    2016-12-01

    Environmental dredging has been applied widely in Chinese lakes to reduce their internal nutrient loads. However, the efficacy of dredging to reduce internal loading of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and to improve water quality has been questioned by some researchers. In this study, the long-term (∼15 years) effects of dredging to reduce internal N and P loading in a closed, polluted urban lake were investigated. The results showed that the release of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) could be suppressed quickly after dredging, and that the dredging effect was sustained for about 18 months. A significant release of NH 4 + -N was discovered during the first 2-8 months after dredging, followed by maintenance of low-level release rates for about 21-32 months. The continuous inflowing of external pollution loading led to the increase in the release rates of SRP and NH 4 + -N. The external pollution loading was therefore reduced three years after dredging to strengthen the remediation effect. After that, high diffusive flux from the sediment was observed for both NH 4 + -N and SRP during summer seasons for about six years, followed by a decreasing trend. The NH 4 + -N concentration in the overlying water was reduced after the reduction of external loading, while a high concentration of SRP in the overlying water was still observed during summer seasons. In conclusion, the mid-term (<3 years) reduction of internal N and P loading could be achieved by dredging if the external pollution loading were not reduced. Achieving long-term control would require modification of external loading. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Study on Release Characteristics and Recovery of Nitrogen and Phosphorus during the Anaerobic Fermentation of Excess Sludge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Yuqian; Hu, Shulong

    2018-01-01

    Ammonia nitrogen and phosphate are produced from activated excess sludge under anaerobic conditions,and will cause eutrophication upon release to the environment. A study of sludge from a eutrophication was carried out, to obtain knowledge of the nitrogen and phosphorus release patterns of the excess sludge during anaerobic fermentation and the recycling efficiency of both nitrogen and phosphorus, by adding magnesium salt and alkali solution to the supernatant liquors. The results showed that the concentration of ammonia nitrogen and phosphate of the supernatant liquors continued to increase during the process of anaerobic digestion, and both reached a maximum in 12 days, at 41.56mg / L and 47.02 mg / L respectively. By adding magnesium salt to the supernatant with c(Mg): c(P) = 1.1:1, adjusting pH value to 9.0 ∼ 9.5, phosphorus recovery rate reached up to 95.0%, while the recovery rate of ammonia was 47.4%, resulting in the formation of a sediment of magnesium ammonium phosphate, or MAP, which may he used as a high-quality fertilizer.

  9. Benthic phosphorus regeneration in the Potomac River Estuary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Callender, E.

    1982-01-01

    The flux of dissolved reactive phosphate from Potomac riverine and estuarine sediments is controlled by processes occurring at the water-sediment interface and within surficial sediment. In situ benthic fluxes (0.1 to 2.0 mmoles m-2 day-1) are generally five to ten times higher than calculated diffusive fluxes (0.020 to 0.30 mmoles m-2 day-1). The discrepancy between the two flux estimates is greatest in the transition zone (river mile 50 to 70) and is attributd to macrofaunal irrigation. Both in situ and diffusive fluxes of dissolved reactive phosphate from Potomac tidal river sediments are low while those from anoxic lower estuarine sediments are high. The net accumulation rate of phosphorus in benthic sediment exhibits an inverse pattern. Thus a large fraction of phosphorus is retained by Potomac tidal river sediments, which contain a surficial oxidized layer and oligochaete worms tolerant of low oxygen conditions, and a large fraction of phosphorus is released from anoxic lower estuary sediments. Tidal river sediment pore waters are in equilibrium with amorphous Fe (OH)3 while lower estuary pore waters are significantly undersaturated with respect to this phase. Benthic regeneration of dissolved reactive phosphorus is sufficient to supply all the phosphorus requirements for net primary production in the lower tidal river and transition-zone waters of the Potomac River Estuary. Benthic regeneration supplies approximately 25% as much phosphorus as inputs from sewage treatment plants and 10% of all phosphorus inputs to the tidal Potomac River. When all available point source phosphorus data are put into a steady-state conservation of mass model and reasonable coefficients for uptake of dissolved phosphorus, remineralization of particulate phosphorus, and sedimentation of particulate phosphorus are used in the model, a reasonably accurate simulation of dissolved and particulate phosphorus in the water column is obtained for the summer of 1980. ?? 1982 Dr W. Junk Publishers.

  10. Plant litter decomposition and nutrient release in peatlands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bragazza, Luca; Buttler, Alexandre; Siegenthaler, Andy; Mitchell, Edward A. D.

    Decomposition of plant litter is a crucial process in controlling the carbon balance of peatlands. Indeed, as long as the rate of litter decomposition remains lower than the rate of above- and belowground litter production, a net accumulation of peat and, thus, carbon will take place. In addition, decomposition controls the release of important nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, the availability of which affects the structure and the functioning of plant communities. This chapter describes the role of the main drivers in affecting mass loss and nutrient release from recently deposited plant litter. In particular, the rate of mass loss of Sphagnum litter and vascular plant litter is reviewed in relation to regional climatic conditions, aerobic/anaerobic conditions, and litter chemistry. The rate of nutrient release is discussed in relation to the rate of mass loss and associated litter chemistry by means of a specific case study.

  11. Interacting Physical and Biological Processes Affecting Nutrient Transport Through Human Dominated Landscapes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Finlay, J. C.

    2015-12-01

    Human activities increasingly dominate biogeochemical cycles of limiting nutrients on Earth. Urban and agricultural landscapes represent the largest sources of excess nutrients that drive water quality degradation. The physical structure of both urban and agricultural watersheds has been extensively modified, and these changes have large impacts on water and nutrient transport. Despite strong physical controls over nutrient transport in human dominated landscapes, biological processes play important roles in determining the fates of both nitrogen and phosphorus. This talk uses examples from research in urban and agricultural watersheds in the Midwestern USA to illustrate interactions of physical and biological controls over nutrient cycles that have shifted nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) sources and cycling in unexpected ways in response to management changes. In urban watersheds, efforts to improve water quality have been hindered by legacy sources of phosphorus added to storm water through transport to drainage systems by vegetation. Similarly, reductions in field erosion in agricultural watersheds have not led to major reductions in phosphorus transport, because of continued release of biological sources of P. Where management of phosphorus has been most effective in reducing eutrophication of lakes, decreases in N removal processes have led to long term increases in N concentration and transport. Together, these examples show important roles for biological processes affecting nutrient movement in highly modified landscapes. Consideration of the downstream physical and biological responses of management changes are thus critical toward identification of actions that will most effectively reduce excess nutrients watersheds and coastal zones.

  12. Phosphorus-defect interactions during thermal annealing of ion implanted silicon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keys, Patrick Henry

    Ion implantation of dopant atoms into silicon generates nonequilibrium levels of crystal defects that can lead to the detrimental effects of transient enhanced diffusion (TED), incomplete dopant activation, and p-n junction leakage. In order to control these effects, it is vital to have a clear understanding of dopant-defect interactions and develop models that account for these interactions. This research focuses on experimentally investigating and modeling the clustering of phosphorus dopant atoms with silicon interstitials. Damage recovery of 40keV Si+ implants in phosphorus doped wells is experimentally analyzed. The effects of background phosphorus concentration, self implant dose, and anneal temperature are investigated. Phosphorus concentrations ranging from 2.0 x 1017 to 4.0 x 1019 cm-3 and Si+ doses ranging from 5.0 x 1013 cm-2 to 2.0 x 1014 cm-2 are studied during 650-800°C anneals. A dramatic reduction in the number of interstitials bound in {311} defects with increasing phosphorus background concentration is observed. It is suggested that the reduction of interstitials in {311} defects at high phosphorus concentrations is due to the formation of phosphorus-interstitial clusters (PICs). The critical concentration for clustering (approximately 1.0 x 1019 cm-3 at 750°C) is strongly temperature dependent and in close agreement with the kink concentration of phosphorus diffusion. Information gained from these "well experiments" is applied to the study of direct phosphorus implantation. An experimental study is conducted on 40keV phosphorus implanted to a dose of 1.0 x 1014 cm-2 during 650-800°C anneals. Electrically inactive PICs are shown to form at concentrations below the solid solubility limit due to high interstitial supersaturations. Data useful for developing a model to accurately predict phosphorus diffusion under nonequilibrium conditions are extracted from the experimental results. A cluster-mediated diffusion model is developed using the Florida Object Oriented Process Simulator (FLOOPS). The nucleation of defects is controlled by the diffusion-limited competition for excess interstitials between PICs and {311} clusters. The release of interstitials is driven by cluster dissolution. Modeling results show a strong correlation to those experimentally observed over a wide temporal and thermal domain using a single set of parameters. Improvements in process simulator accuracy are demonstrated with respect to dopant activation, TED, and dose loss.

  13. Phosphorus retention and sorption by constructed wetland soils in Southeast Ireland.

    PubMed

    Dunne, E J; Culleton, N; O'Donovan, G; Harrington, R; Daly, K

    2005-11-01

    It may be necessary to use constructed wetlands as a land use practice to mitigate phosphorus (P) loss from agriculture in Ireland. The objectives of this study were to determine the ability of two constructed wetland site soils to retain and sorb P. Intact soil/water column studies were used to determine P release/retention rates during a 30-day incubation period. Soil columns flooded with distilled water released P during the first 2 days; however, soluble reactive P (SRP) concentrations in overlying floodwaters decreased thereafter. Soils with overlying floodwaters spiked at 5 and 15 mg SRP L(-1) retained highest amounts of P (p < 0.05) with retention at these concentrations controlled by SRP in overlying waters. Retention rates by soils ranged between 0.3 and 60.9 mg Pm(-2) d(-1). Maximum P sorption capacity (Smax) was higher for wetland soils at Dunhill, Waterford (1464 mg P kg(-1)) in comparison to soils at Johnstown Castle, Wexford (618 mg P kg(-1)). Equilibrium P concentrations (EPC0) were low (in the microg SRP L(-1) range), indicating a high capacity of these soils to sorb P. Phosphorus sorption parameters were significantly related to ammonium oxalate extractable aluminium (Al) and iron (Fe) content of soils.

  14. Chemical treatment of contaminated sediment for phosphorus control and subsequent effects on ammonia-oxidizing and ammonia-denitrifying microorganisms and on submerged macrophyte revegetation.

    PubMed

    Lin, Juan; Zhong, Yufang; Fan, Hua; Song, Chaofeng; Yu, Chao; Gao, Yue; Xiong, Xiong; Wu, Chenxi; Liu, Jiantong

    2017-01-01

    In this work, sediments were treated with calcium nitrate, aluminum sulfate, ferric sulfate, and Phoslock®, respectively. The impact of treatments on internal phosphorus release, the abundance of nitrogen cycle-related functional genes, and the growth of submerged macrophytes were investigated. All treatments reduced total phosphorus (TP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in interstitial water, and aluminum sulfate was most efficient. Aluminum sulfate also decreased TP and SRP in overlying water. Treatments significantly changed P speciations in the sediment. Phoslock® transformed other P species into calcium-bound P. Calcium nitrate, ferric sulfate, and Phoslock® had negative influence on ammonia oxidizers, while four chemicals had positive influence on denitrifies, indicating that chemical treatment could inhibit nitrification but enhance denitrification. Aluminum sulfate had decreased chlorophyll content of the leaves of submerged macrophytes, while ferric sulfate and Phoslock® treatment would inhibit the growth of the root. Based on the results that we obtained, we emphasized that before application of chemical treatment, the effects on submerged macrophyte revegetation should be taken into consideration.

  15. Phosphorus cycles of forest and upland grassland ecosystems and some effects of land management practices.

    PubMed

    Harrison, A F

    The distribution of phosphorus capital and net annual transfers of phosphorus between the major components of two unfertilized phosphorus-deficient UK ecosystems, an oak--ash woodland in the Lake District and an Agrostis-Festuca grassland in Snowdonia (both on acid brown-earth soils), have been estimted in terms of kg P ha--1. In both ecosystems less than 3% of the phosphorus, totalling 1890 kg P ha--1 and 3040 kg P ha--1 for the woodland and grassland, respectively, is contained in the living biomass and half that is below ground level. Nearly all the phosphorus is in the soil matrix. Although the biomass phosphorus is mostly in the vegetation, the soil fauna and vegetation is slower (25%) than in the grassland vegetatation (208%). More than 85% of the net annual vegetation uptake of phosphorus from the soil is returned to the soil, mainly in organic debris, which in the grassland ecosystem is more than twice as rich in phosphorus (0.125% P) as in the woodland ecosystem (0.053% P). These concentrations are related to the rates of turnover (input/P content) of phosphorus in the litter layer on the soil surface; it is faster in the grassland (460%) than in the woodland (144%). In both cycles plant uptake of phosphorus largely depends on the release of phosphorus through decomposition of the organic matter returned to soil. In both the woodland and the grassland, the amount of cycling phosphorus is potentially reduced by its immobilization in tree and sheep production and in undecomposed organic matter accumulating in soil. It is assumed that the reductions are counterbalanced by the replenishment of cycling phosphorus by (i) some mineralization of organically bound phosphorus in the mineral soil, (ii) the income in rainfall and aerosols not being effectively lost in soil drainage waters and (iii) rock weathering. The effects of the growth of conifers and sheep grazing on the balance between decomposition and accumulation of organic matter returned to soil are considered in relation to the rate of phosphorus cycling and the pedogenetic changes in soil phosphorus condition leading to reduced fertility. Although controlled sheep grazing speeds up phosphorus cycling and may reverse the pedogenetic trend in favour of soil improvement, conifers may slow down phosphorus cycling and promote the pedogenetic trend towards infertility.

  16. Long-term moderate wind induced sediment resuspension meeting phosphorus demand of phytoplankton in the large shallow eutrophic Lake Taihu.

    PubMed

    Chao, Jian-Ying; Zhang, Yi-Min; Kong, Ming; Zhuang, Wei; Wang, Long-Mian; Shao, Ke-Qiang; Gao, Guang

    2017-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of sediment resuspension and phosphorus (P) release on phytoplankton growth under different kinds of wind-wave disturbance conditions in the large and shallow eutrophic Lake Taihu in China. Short-term strong wind (STSW) conditions, long-term moderate wind (LTMW) conditions, and static/calm conditions were investigated. To address this objective, we (1) monitored changes in surface water P composition during field-based sediment resuspension caused by STSW conditions in Lake Taihu, and also conducted (2) a series of laboratory-based sediment resuspension experiments to simulate LTMW and calm conditions. The results showed that under both strong and moderate wind-wave conditions, suspended solids (SS) and total phosphorus (TP) in the water column increased significantly, but total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) remained low throughout the experiments, indicating that the P released from sediments mainly existed in particulate forms. In STSW conditions, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) and enzymatically hydrolysable phosphorus (EHP) increased rapidly, with the peak value occurring following the peak value of wind speed for 1-2 days, and then rapidly decreased after the wind stopped. Under LTMW conditions, APA and EHP increased steadily, and by the end of the laboratory experiments, APA increased by 11 times and EHP increased by 5 times. Chlorophyll a (Chl-a) in LTMW conditions increased significantly, but remained low under STSW conditions, demonstrating that the former type of sediment P release promoted phytoplankton growth more effectively, and the latter type did not. Despite the fact that STSW conditions resulted in the release of more TP, TP settled to the bottom rapidly with SS after the wind stopped, and did not promote algal growth. Under LTMW conditions, suspended particulate P was hydrolyzed to SRP by phosphatase and promoted algae growth. Algal growth in turn secreted more phosphatase and accelerated particulate P regeneration, which may be the main mechanism of sediment bio-available P release that promotes phytoplankton growth in shallow lakes.

  17. Enhancing anaerobic digestibility and phosphorus recovery of dairy manure through microwave-based thermochemical pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Jin, Ying; Hu, Zhenhu; Wen, Zhiyou

    2009-08-01

    Anaerobic digestion and struvite precipitation are two effective ways of treating dairy manure for recovering biogas and phosphorus. Anaerobic digestion of dairy manure is commonly limited by slow fiber degradation, while struvite precipitation is limited by the availability of orthophosphate. The aim of this work is to study the possibility of using microwave-based thermochemical pretreatment to simultaneously enhance manure anaerobic digestibility (through fiber degradation) and struvite precipitation (through phosphorus solubilization). Microwave heating combined with different chemicals (NaOH, CaO, H(2)SO(4), or HCl) enhanced solubilization of manure and degradation of glucan/xylan in dairy manure. However, sulfuric acid-based pretreatment resulted in a low anaerobic digestibility, probably due to the sulfur inhibition and Maillard side reaction. The pretreatments released 20-40% soluble phosphorus and 9-14% ammonium. However, CaO-based pretreatment resulted in lower orthophosphate releases and struvite precipitation efficiency as calcium interferes with phosphate to form calcium phosphate. Collectively, microwave heating combined with NaOH or HCl led to a high anaerobic digestibility and phosphorus recovery. Using these two chemicals, the performance of microwave- and conventional-heating in thermochemical pretreatment was further compared. The microwave heating resulted in a better performance in terms of COD solubilization, glucan/xylan reduction, phosphorus solubilization and anaerobic digestibility. Lastly, temperature and heating time used in microwave treatment were optimized. The optimal values of temperature and heating time were 147 degrees C and 25.3 min for methane production, and 135 degrees C and 26 min for orthophosphate release, respectively.

  18. A Baltic Sea estuary as a phosphorus source and sink after drastic load reduction: seasonal and long-term mass balances for the Stockholm inner archipelago for 1968-2015

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Walve, Jakob; Sandberg, Maria; Larsson, Ulf; Lännergren, Christer

    2018-05-01

    Internal phosphorus (P) loading from sediments, controlled by hypoxia, is often assumed to hamper the recovery of lakes and coastal areas from eutrophication. In the early 1970s, the external P load to the inner archipelago of Stockholm, Sweden (Baltic Sea), was drastically reduced by improved sewage treatment, but the internal P loading and its controlling factors have been poorly quantified. We use two slightly different four-layer box models to calculate the area's seasonal and annual P balance (input-export) and the internal P exchange with sediments in 1968-2015. For 10-20 years after the main P load reduction, there was a negative P balance, small in comparison to the external load, and probably due to release from legacy sediment P storage. Later, the stabilized, near-neutral P balance indicates no remaining internal loading from legacy P, but P retention is low, despite improved oxygen conditions. Seasonally, sediments are a P sink in spring and a P source in summer and autumn. Most of the deep-water P release from sediments in summer-autumn appears to be derived from the settled spring bloom and is exported to outer areas during winter. Oxygen consumption and P release in the deep water are generally tightly coupled, indicating limited iron control of P release. However, enhanced P release in years of deep-water hypoxia suggests some contribution from redox-sensitive P pools. Increasing deep-water temperatures that stimulate oxygen consumption rates in early summer have counteracted the effect of lowered organic matter sedimentation on oxygen concentrations. Since the P turnover time is short and legacy P small, measures to bind P in Stockholm inner archipelago sediments would primarily accumulate recent P inputs, imported from the Baltic Sea and from Lake Mälaren.

  19. [Harvest of the carbon source in wastewater by the adsorption and desorption of activated sludge].

    PubMed

    Liu, Hong-Bo; Wen, Xiang-Hua; Zhao, Fang; Mei, Yi-Jun

    2011-04-01

    The carbon source in municipal wastewater was adsorbed by activated sludge and then harvested through the hydrolysis of activated sludge. Results indicated that activated sludge had high absorbing ability towards organic carbon and phosphorus under continuous operation mode, and the average COD and TP absorption rate reached as high as 63% and 76%, respectively. Moreover, about 50% of the soluble carbon source was outside of the sludge cell and could be released under mild hydrolysis condition. Whereas the absorbed amount of nitrogen was relatively low, and the removal rate of ammonia was only 13% . Furthermore, the releases of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from the sludge absorbing pollutants in the wastewater were studied. By comparing different hydrolysis conditions of normal (pH 7.5, 20 degrees C), heating (pH 7.5, 60 degrees C) and the alkaline heating (pH 11, 60 degrees C), the last one presented the optimum hydrolysis efficiency. Under which, the release rate of COD could reach 320 mg/g after 24 hours, whereas nitrogen and phosphorus just obtained low release rates of 18 mg/g and 2 mg/g, respectively. Results indicate that the carbon source in wastewater could be harvested by the adsorption and desorption of activated sludge, and the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus are low and would not influence the reuse of the harvested carbon source.

  20. Temperature and Cyanobacterial Bloom Biomass Influence Phosphorous Cycling in Eutrophic Lake Sediments

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Mo; Ye, Tian-Ran; Krumholz, Lee R.; Jiang, He-Long

    2014-01-01

    Cyanobacterial blooms frequently occur in freshwater lakes, subsequently, substantial amounts of decaying cyanobacterial bloom biomass (CBB) settles onto the lake sediments where anaerobic mineralization reactions prevail. Coupled Fe/S cycling processes can influence the mobilization of phosphorus (P) in sediments, with high releases often resulting in eutrophication. To better understand eutrophication in Lake Taihu (PRC), we investigated the effects of CBB and temperature on phosphorus cycling in lake sediments. Results indicated that added CBB not only enhanced sedimentary iron reduction, but also resulted in a change from net sulfur oxidation to sulfate reduction, which jointly resulted in a spike of soluble Fe(II) and the formation of FeS/FeS2. Phosphate release was also enhanced with CBB amendment along with increases in reduced sulfur. Further release of phosphate was associated with increases in incubation temperature. In addition, CBB amendment resulted in a shift in P from the Fe-adsorbed P and the relatively unreactive Residual-P pools to the more reactive Al-adsorbed P, Ca-bound P and organic-P pools. Phosphorus cycling rates increased on addition of CBB and were higher at elevated temperatures, resulting in increased phosphorus release from sediments. These findings suggest that settling of CBB into sediments will likely increase the extent of eutrophication in aquatic environments and these processes will be magnified at higher temperatures. PMID:24682039

  1. Numerical methods for assessing water quality in lakes and reservoirs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mahamah, D.S.

    1984-01-01

    Water quality models are used as tools for predicting both short-term and long-term trends in water quality. They are generally classified into two groups based on the degree of empiricism. The two groups consists of the purely empirical types known as black-box models and the theoretical types called ecosystem models. This dissertation deals with both types of water quality models. The first part deals with empirical phosphorus models. The theory behind this class of models is discussed, leading to the development of an empirical phosphorus model using data from 79 western US lakes. A new approach to trophic state classificationmore » is introduced. The data used for the model was obtained from the Environmental Protection Agency National Eutrophication Study (EPA-NES) of western US lakes. The second portion of the dissertation discusses the development of an ecosystem model for culturally eutrophic Liberty Lake situated in eastern Washington State. The model is capable of simulating chlorophyll-a, phosphorus, and nitrogen levels in the lake on a weekly basis. For computing sediment release rates of phosphorus and nitrogen, equations based on laboratory bench-top studies using sediment samples from Liberty Lake are used. The model is used to simulate certain hypothetical nutrient control techniques such as phosphorus flushing, precipitation, and diversion.« less

  2. Mathematical Modeling of Nitrous Oxide Production during Denitrifying Phosphorus Removal Process.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yiwen; Peng, Lai; Chen, Xueming; Ni, Bing-Jie

    2015-07-21

    A denitrifying phosphorus removal process undergoes frequent alternating anaerobic/anoxic conditions to achieve phosphate release and uptake, during which microbial internal storage polymers (e.g., Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)) could be produced and consumed dynamically. The PHA turnovers play important roles in nitrous oxide (N2O) accumulation during the denitrifying phosphorus removal process. In this work, a mathematical model is developed to describe N2O dynamics and the key role of PHA consumption on N2O accumulation during the denitrifying phosphorus removal process for the first time. In this model, the four-step anoxic storage of polyphosphate and four-step anoxic growth on PHA using nitrate, nitrite, nitric oxide (NO), and N2O consecutively by denitrifying polyphosphate accumulating organisms (DPAOs) are taken into account for describing all potential N2O accumulation steps in the denitrifying phosphorus removal process. The developed model is successfully applied to reproduce experimental data on N2O production obtained from four independent denitrifying phosphorus removal study reports with different experimental conditions. The model satisfactorily describes the N2O accumulation, nitrogen reduction, phosphate release and uptake, and PHA dynamics for all systems, suggesting the validity and applicability of the model. The results indicated a substantial role of PHA consumption in N2O accumulation due to the relatively low N2O reduction rate by using PHA during denitrifying phosphorus removal.

  3. Preparation and properties of a coated slow-release and water-retention biuret phosphoramide fertilizer with superabsorbent.

    PubMed

    Jin, Shuping; Yue, Guoren; Feng, Lei; Han, Yuqi; Yu, Xinghai; Zhang, Zenghu

    2011-01-12

    In this investigation, a novel water-insoluble slow-release fertilizer, biuret polyphosphoramide (BPAM), was formulated and synthesized from urea, phosphoric acid (H(3)PO(4)), and ferric oxide (Fe(2)O(3)). The structure of BPAM was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Subsequently, a coated slow-release BPAM fertilizer with superabsorbent was prepared by ionic cross-linked carboxymethylchitosan (the core), acrylic acid, acrylamide, and active carbon (the coating). The variable influences on the water absorbency were investigated and optimized. Component analysis results showed that the coated slow-release BPAM contained 5.66% nitrogen and 11.7% phosphorus. The property of water retention, the behavior of slow release of phosphorus, and the capacity of adsorption of cations were evaluated, and the results revealed that the product not only had good slow-release property and excellent water retention capacity but also higher adsorption capacities of cations in saline soil.

  4. Advanced oxidation process using hydrogen peroxide/microwave system for solubilization of phosphate.

    PubMed

    Liao, Ping Huang; Wong, Wayne T; Lo, Kwang Victor

    2005-01-01

    An advanced oxidation process (AOP) combining hydrogen peroxide and microwave heating was used for the solubilization of phosphate from secondary municipal sludge from an enhanced biological phosphorus removal process. The microwave irradiation is used as a generator agent of oxidizing radicals as well as a heating source in the process. This AOP process could facilitate the release of a large amount of the sludge-bound phosphorus from the sewage sludge. More than 84% of the total phosphorous could be released at a microwave heating time of 5 min at 170 degrees C. This innovative process has the potential of being applied to simple sludge treatment processes in domestic wastewater treatment and to the recovery of phosphorus from the wastewater.

  5. Biogeochemical impacts of submerging forests through large dams in the Rio Negro, Uruguay

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Campo, J.; Sancholuz, K.

    1998-09-01

    The Bonete, Baygorria and Palmar dams of the Rio Negro successively submerged complex floodplain forests. The forest area submerged was greater than 280 km{sup 2} and resulted in large inputs of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus to the reservoirs. After 46 years wood released 40, 34 and 71% of their original contents of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively. During the same period the total amount of nutrients released by wood in comparison to leaves and litter is slightly less for nitrogen, almost double for phosphorus and more than three times for carbon. These results suggest that wood decomposition in water maymore » have a role in the trophic state of reservoirs.« less

  6. Electricity generation and in situ phosphate recovery from enhanced biological phosphorus removal sludge by electrodialysis membrane bioreactor.

    PubMed

    Geng, Yi-Kun; Wang, Yunkun; Pan, Xin-Rong; Sheng, Guo-Ping

    2018-01-01

    In this study, a novel electrodialysis membrane bioreactor was used for EBPR sludge treatment for energy and phosphorus resource recovery simultaneously. After 30days stable voltage outputting, the maximum power density reached 0.32W/m 3 . Over 90% of phosphorus in EBPR sludge was released while about 50% of phosphorus was concentrated to 4mmol/L as relatively pure phosphate solution. Nitrogen could be removed from EBPR sludge by desalination and denitrification processes. This study provides an optimized way treating sludge for energy production and in situ phosphorus recovery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. [Treatment of Urban Runoff Pollutants by a Multilayer Biofiltration System].

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiao-lu; Zuo, Jian-e; Gan, Li-li; Xing, Wei; Miao, Heng-feng; Ruan, Wen-quan

    2015-07-01

    In order to control the non-point source pollution from road runoff in Wuxi City effectively, a multilayer biofiltration system was designed to remove a variety of pollutants according to the characteristics of road runoff in Wuxi, and the experimental research was carried out to study the effect on rainwater pollution purification. The results show that the system has a good performance on removing suspended solids (SS), organic pollutant (COD), nitrogen and phosphorus: all types of multilayer biofiltration systems have a high removal rate for SS, which can reach 90%. The system with activated carbon (GAC) has higher removal rates for COD and phosphorus. The system with zeolite (ZFM) has a relatively better removal efficiency for nitrogen. The addition of wood chips in the system can significantly improve the system efficiency for nitrogen removal. Between the two configurations of layered and distributed wood chips, configurations of distributed wood chips reach higher COD, phosphorus and nitrogen pollutants removal efficiencies since they can reduce the release of wood chips dissolution.

  8. Ca(2+) and OH(-) release of ceramsites containing anorthite and gehlenite prepared from waste lime mud.

    PubMed

    Qin, Juan; Yang, Chuanmeng; Cui, Chong; Huang, Jiantao; Hussain, Ahmad; Ma, Hailong

    2016-09-01

    Lime mud is a kind of solid waste in the papermaking industry, which has been a source of serious environmental pollution. Ceramsites containing anorthite and gehlenite were prepared from lime mud and fly ash through the solid state reaction method at 1050°C. The objective of this study was to explore the efficiency of Ca(2+) and OH(-) release and assess the phosphorus and copper ion removal performance of the ceramsites via batch experiments, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that Ca(2+) and OH(-) were released from the ceramsites due to the dissolution of anorthite, gehlenite and available lime. It is also concluded that gehlenite had stronger capacity for Ca(2+) and OH(-) release compared with anorthite. The Ca(2+) release could be fit well by the Avrami kinetic model. Increases of porosity, dosage and temperature were associated with increases in the concentrations of Ca(2+) and OH(-) released. Under different conditions, the ceramsites could maintain aqueous solutions in alkaline conditions (pH=9.3-10.9) and the release of Ca(2+) was not affected. The removal rates of phosphorus and copper ions were as high as 96.88% and 96.81%, respectively. The final pH values of both phosphorus and copper ions solutions changed slightly. The reuse of lime mud in the form of ceramsites is an effective strategy. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  9. Ferrous iron phosphorus in sediments: development of a quantification method through 2,2'-bipyridine extraction.

    PubMed

    Li, Qingman; Wang, Xingxiang; Bartlett, Rebecca; Pinay, Gilles; Kan, Dan; Zhang, Wen; Sun, Jingxian

    2012-11-01

    The role of ferrous iron in the phosphorus cycle of an aquatic ecosystem is poorly understood because of a lack of suitable methods to quantitatively evaluate ferrous iron phosphorus (FIP) phases. Using sediments sampled from Fubao Bay of Dianchi Lake in China, a novel extraction method for FIP using 2,2'-bipyridine was explored. Total phosphorus and iron in the sediments ranged from 1.0 to 5.0 mg/g (dry weight) and 28.5 to 90.6 mg/g, respectively. Organic content (as indicated by loss on ignition or LOI) and iron(II) ranged from 3.1 to 27.0% and 26.5 to 64.9 mg/g, respectively. The dissolution dynamics of FIP extraction with a low solid/liquid ratio (1:25) indicated that a single application of 0.2% 2,2'-bipyridine extracted both iron(II) (Fe(II)) and phosphorus (as PO4(3-)) in sediments with different organic contents with low efficiency. The extraction efficiency of Fe(II) was improved by alteration of the solid/liquid ratio, but the effect was limited. However, addition of a 1:1000 solid/liquid ratio of 0.5 M potassium chloride to a 0.2% 2,2'-bipyridine solution significantly accelerated extraction of FIP with the release of Fe(II) and phosphorus toward equilibrium at approximately 150 hours. Further investigation demonstrated that 2,2'-bipyridine exhibited a higher selectivity in distinguishing FIP from phosphorus bound to ferric (Fe(III)) oxides or precipitated by calcium (Ca2+). Air-drying sediments significantly decreased the amount of extracted FIP, which indicates that fresh, wet sediment should be used in this type of FIP extraction. Based on experimental results using the proposed extraction protocol, (1) FIP in sediments of Fubao Bay had a predominant status in the lake sediment and accounted for 23.4 to 39.8% of total phosphorus, and (2) Fe(II)(FIP) released in the extraction is directly proportional to phosphorus(FIP) (Fe(II)(FIP) = 2.84 x P(FIP) + 0.0007; R2 = 0.97) with an average molar ratio of Fe(II)(FIP)/P(FIP) of 2.7. This study shows that FIP extraction with 2,2'-bipyridine is a robust method for releasing ferrous iron associated with phosphorus. Further, the high percentage of FIP in total phosphorus (40%) measured in the study site using this extraction method suggests that FIP might have been often underestimated in previous studies.

  10. [Effects of selective cutting disturbance on soil phosphorus adsorption and desorption in a Korean pine and broad-leaved mixed forest in the Xiaoxing'an Mountains, China.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xin; Gu, Hui Yan; Chen, Xiang Wei

    2018-01-01

    This study examined the characteristics of phosphorus (P) adsorption and desorption in surface soil (0-10 cm) of a secondary forest after selective cutting disturbance at three levels of intensity (low, medium, high) in order to reveal the effects of different disturbance intensities on soil P adsorption and desorption. Maximum adsorption amount (Q m ), adsorption intensity factor, maximum buffer capacity, maximum desorption amount, average desorption rate and readily desorptable phosphorus were measured. Q m in the focal forests was 1383.93-1833.34 mg·kg -1 , and Q m in forests with middle and high disturbance intensities was significantly higher than that in forests with low disturbance intensity and in primary forests. P adsorption intensity was 0.024-0.059 L·mg -1 , and forests with high and low disturbance intensities increased the P adsorption intensity significantly. The maximum buffer capacity varied from 35.68 to 97.97 L·kg -1 , with the highest value found in the forest with the highest disturbance intensity. Selective cutting significantly reduced the potential for phosphorus supply in the forest soils. The maximum desorption amount, average desorption rate and readily desorptable phosphorus content in the focal forests were 526.32-797.54 mg·kg -1 , 14.7%-25.5% and 1.79-5.41 mg·kg -1 , respectively, indicating that the ability of soil to release phosphorus significantly decreased with increasing disturbance intensity. Selective cutting changed the phosphorus adsorption and desorption characteristics by reducing the supply and release of soil phosphorus.

  11. Determination of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium Release Rates of Slow- and Controlled-Release Fertilizers: Single-Laboratory Validation, First Action 2015.15.

    PubMed

    Thiex, Nancy

    2016-01-01

    A previously validated method for the determination of nitrogen release patterns of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers (SRFs and CRFs, respectively) was submitted to the Expert Review Panel (ERP) for Fertilizers for consideration of First Action Official Method(SM) status. The ERP evaluated the single-laboratory validation results and recommended the method for First Action Official Method status and provided recommendations for achieving Final Action. The 180 day soil incubation-column leaching technique was demonstrated to be a robust and reliable method for characterizing N release patterns from SRFs and CRFs. The method was reproducible, and the results were only slightly affected by variations in environmental factors such as microbial activity, soil moisture, temperature, and texture. The release of P and K were also studied, but at fewer replications than for N. Optimization experiments on the accelerated 74 h extraction method indicated that temperature was the only factor found to substantially influence nutrient-release rates from the materials studied, and an optimized extraction profile was established as follows: 2 h at 25°C, 2 h at 50°C, 20 h at 55°C, and 50 h at 60°C.

  12. Water Quality, Hydrology, and Response to Changes in Phosphorus Loading of Nagawicka Lake, a Calcareous Lake in Waukesha County, Wisconsin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Garn, Herbert S.; Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, William J.; Goddard, Gerald L.; Horwatich, Judy A.

    2006-01-01

    Nagawicka Lake is a 986-acre, usually mesotrophic, calcareous lake in southeastern Wisconsin. Because of concern over potential water-quality degradation of the lake associated with further development in its watershed, a study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey from 2002 to 2006 to describe the water quality and hydrology of the lake; quantify sources of phosphorus, including those associated with urban development; and determine the effects of past and future changes in phosphorus loading on the water quality of the lake. All major water and phosphorus sources were measured directly, and minor sources were estimated to construct detailed water and phosphorus budgets for the lake. The Bark River, near-lake surface inflow, precipitation, and ground water contributed 74, 8, 12, and 6 percent of the inflow, respectively. Water leaves the lake primarily through the Bark River outlet (88 percent) or by evaporation (11 percent). The water quality of Nagawicka Lake has improved dramatically since 1980 as a result of decreasing the historical loading of phosphorus to the lake. Total input of phosphorus to the lake was about 3,000 pounds in monitoring year (MY) 2003 and 6,700 pounds in MY 2004. The largest source of phosphorus entering the lake was the Bark River, which delivered about 56 percent of the total phosphorus input, compared with about 74 percent of the total water input. The next largest contributions were from the urbanized near-lake drainage area, which disproportionately accounted for 37 percent of the total phosphorus input but only about 5 percent of the total water input. Simulations with water-quality models within the Wisconsin Lakes Modeling Suite (WiLMS) indicated the response of Nagawicka Lake to 10 phosphorus-loading scenarios. These scenarios included historical (1970s) and current (base) years (MY 2003-04) for which lake water quality and loading were known, six scenarios with percentage increases or decreases in phosphorus loading from controllable sources relative to the base years 2003-04, and two scenarios corresponding to specific management actions. Because of the lake's calcareous character, the average simulated summer concentration of total phosphorus for Nagawicka Lake was about 2 times that measured in the lake. The models likely over-predict because they do not account for coprecipitation of phosphorus and dissolved organic matter with calcite, negligible release of phosphorus from the deep sediments, and external phosphorus loading with abnormally high amounts of nonavailable phosphorus. After adjusting the simulated results for the overestimation of the models, a 50-percent reduction in phosphorus loading resulted in an average predicted phosphorus concentration of 0.008 milligrams per liter (mg/L) (a decrease of 46 percent). With a 50-percent increase in phosphorus loading, the average predicted concentration was 0.020 mg/L (an increase of 45 percent). With the changes in land use under the assumed future full development conditions, the average summer total phosphorus concentration should remain similar to that measured in MY 2003-04 (approximately 0.014 mg/L). However, if stormwater and nonpoint controls are added to achieve a 50-percent reduction in loading from the urbanized near-lake drainage area, the average summer total phosphorus concentration should decrease from the present conditions (MY 2003-04) to 0.011 mg/L. Slightly more than a 25-percent reduction in phosphorus loading from that measured in MY 2003-04 would be required for the lake to be classified as oligotrophic.

  13. A Study of the Curing and Flammability Properties of Bisphenol A Epoxy Diacrylate Resin Utilizing a Novel Flame Retardant Monomer, bis[di-acryloyloxyethyl]-p-tert-butyl-phenyl Phosphate

    PubMed Central

    Rwei, Syang-Peng; Chen, Yu-Ming; Chiang, Whe-Yi; Ting, Yi-Tien

    2017-01-01

    A UV-curable, flame-retardant monomer, DAPP (bis[di-acryloyloxyethyl]-p-tert-butyl-phenyl-phosphate), was synthesized based on BPDCP (4-tert-butylphenyl-dichloro phosphate) and HEA (2-hydroxy ethyl acrylate). DAPP was blended with regular bisphenol A epoxy acrylate (BAEA) in various ratios to yield various phosphorus contents. The TGA-IR (thermogravimetric analyzer interface with an infrared spectrometer) results demonstrate that compounding 30 mol % DAPP with BAEA significantly reduced the amount of released CO gas. In contrast, the peak intensity of CO2 is independent of phosphorus content. The limiting oxygen index (LOI), reaching the saturated value of 26, and the heat release rate (HRR) measured using a cone-calorimeter, 156.43 KW/m2, confirm the saturation point when 30 mol % DAPP was compounded into BAEA. A study of the kinetics of pyrolysis reveals that Ea decreases as the phosphorus content increases. Both the TGA-IR and pyrolysis results reveal that the phosphorus compound DAPP is easily decomposed during the initial stage of burning to form an insulating layer, which inhibits further burning of the resin and the consequent release of other flammable gases. PMID:28772562

  14. Interactions between calcium precipitation and the polyphosphate-accumulating bacteria metabolism.

    PubMed

    Barat, R; Montoya, T; Borrás, L; Ferrer, J; Seco, A

    2008-07-01

    A sequencing batch reactor that is operated for biological phosphorus removal has been operated under different influent calcium concentrations to study the precipitation process and the possible effects of phosphorus precipitation in the biological phosphorus removal process. Four experiments were carried out under different influent calcium concentrations ranging from 10 to 90 g Ca m(-3). The experimental results and the equilibrium study, which are based on the saturation index calculation, confirm that the process controlling the calcium behaviour is the calcium phosphate precipitation. This precipitation takes place at two stages: initially, precipitation of the amorphous calcium phosphate, and later crystallization of hydroxyapatite. Also the accumulation of phosphorus precipitated was observed when the influent calcium concentration was increased. In all the experiments, the influent wastewater ratio P/COD was kept constant. It has been observed that, at high calcium concentration, the ratio between phosphate release and acetate uptake (P(rel)/Ac(uptake)) decreases. Changes in the polyphosphate-accumulating organism (PAO) population and in the glycogen-accumulating organism (GAO) population during the experimental period were ruled out by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization. These results could suggest that PAO are able to change their metabolic pathways based on external conditions, such as influent calcium concentration. The accumulation of phosphorus precipitated as calcium phosphate at high influent calcium concentration throughout the experimental period confirmed that phosphate precipitation is a process that can affect the PAO metabolism.

  15. Lake Erie, phosphorus and microcystin: Is it really the farmer's fault?

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Agricultural loss of phosphorus (P) have been identified as a primary contributor to eutrophication and the associated release of toxins (i.e., mycrocystin) in Lake Erie. These losses are commonly deemed excessive by the media and the public, singling out agriculture as the culprit in spite of redu...

  16. Phosphorus Loading Trends in Lake Michigan: A Historic Surprise

    EPA Science Inventory

    Total phosphorus (TP) loads to the Great Lakes have been of interest to researchers since the 1960s. The International Joint Commission (IJC) was the primary source of Great Lakes TP loading data during the 1970s and 1980s when the IJC released annual reports detailing Great Lake...

  17. Patient-Reported Factors Associated With Poor Phosphorus Control in a Maintenance Hemodialysis Population.

    PubMed

    Joson, Cherriday G; Henry, Shayna L; Kim, Sue; Cheung, Mandy Y; Parab, Prajakta; Abcar, Antoine C; Jacobsen, Steven J; Morisky, Donald E; Sim, John J

    2016-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of patient-reported medication adherence and phosphorus-related knowledge on phosphorus control and pharmacy-reported adherence to phosphorus binding medication among patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Retrospective, cross-sectional cohort study. Seventy-nine hemodialysis patients (mean age 64.2 years, SD = 14 years; 46.8% female) in a stand-alone hemodialysis unit within an integrated learning healthcare system. Ten percent (10%) of subjects were Caucasian, 42% Latino, 19% African American, and 29% Asian. Forty-eight percent had diabetes; 72% had BMI ≥ 30. Inclusion criteria included the provision of survey data and having medication refill data available in the pharmacy system. 77.2% had mean phosphorus levels ≤ 5.5 mg/dL; 22.8% had mean phosphorus levels > 5.5 mg/dL. Subjects were administered the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and also reported on their phosphorus-related knowledge. Phosphorus levels within an adequate range. The mean serum phosphorus level was 4.96 mg/dL (SD = 1.21). In the well-controlled group, mean phosphorus was 4.44 mg/dL (SD = 0.76). In the poorly controlled group, mean phosphorus was 6.69 mg/dL (SD = 0.74). A total of 61% of patients reported at least some unintentional medication nonadherence, and 48% reported intentional medication nonadherence. Phosphorus-specific knowledge was low, with just under half of patients reporting that they could not name two high-phosphorus foods or identify a phosphorus-related health risk. Phosphorus binder-related nonadherence was substantially higher in the uncontrolled than the controlled group. Adjusting for age, individuals with poorer self-reported binder adherence were less likely to have controlled phosphorus levels (odds ratio = 0.71, P = .06). Phosphorus-related non-adherence, but not low phosphorus-specific knowledge, was associated with poorer phosphorus control. Such findings provide important information for the development of evidence-based strategies for improving phosphorus control among patients on dialysis. Copyright © 2016 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Optimization of enhanced biological phosphorus removal after periods of low loading.

    PubMed

    Miyake, Haruo; Morgenroth, Eberhard

    2005-01-01

    Enhanced biological phosphorus removal is a well-established technology for the treatment of municipal wastewater. However, increased effluent phosphorus concentrations have been reported after periods (days) of low organic loading. The purpose of this study was to evaluate different operating strategies to prevent discharge of effluent after such low-loading periods. Mechanisms leading to these operational problems have been related to the reduction of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and their storage compounds (polyhydroxy alkanoates [PHA]). Increased effluent phosphorus concentrations can be the result of an imbalance between influent loading and PAOs in the system and an imbalance between phosphorus release and uptake rates. The following operating conditions were tested in their ability to prevent a reduction of PHA and of overall biomass during low organic loading conditions: (a) unchanged operation, (b) reduced aeration time, (c) reduced sludge wastage, and (d) combination of reduced aeration time and reduced sludge wastage. Experiments were performed in a laboratory-scale anaerobic-aerobic sequencing batch reactor, using acetate as the carbon source. Without operational adjustments, phosphorus-release rates decreased during low-loading periods but recovered rapidly. Phosphorus-uptake rates also decreased, and the recovery typically required several days to increase to normal levels. The combination of reduced aeration time and reduced sludge wastage allowed the maintenance of constant levels of both PHA and overall biomass. A mathematical model was used to explain the influence of the tested operating conditions on PAO and PHA concentrations. While experimental results were in general agreement with model predictions, the kinetic expression for phosphorus uptake deviated significantly for the first 24 hours after low-loading conditions. Mechanisms leading to these deviations need to be further investigated.

  19. Both Phosphorus Fertilizers and Indigenous Bacteria Enhance Arsenic Release into Groundwater in Arsenic-Contaminated Aquifers.

    PubMed

    Lin, Tzu-Yu; Wei, Chia-Cheng; Huang, Chi-Wei; Chang, Chun-Han; Hsu, Fu-Lan; Liao, Vivian Hsiu-Chuan

    2016-03-23

    Arsenic (As) is a human carcinogen, and arsenic contamination in groundwater is a worldwide public health concern. Arsenic-affected areas are found in many places but are reported mostly in agricultural farmlands, yet the interaction of fertilizers, microorganisms, and arsenic mobilization in arsenic-contaminated aquifers remains uncharacterized. This study investigates the effects of fertilizers and bacteria on the mobilization of arsenic in two arsenic-contaminated aquifers. We performed microcosm experiments using arsenic-contaminated sediments and amended with inorganic nitrogenous or phosphorus fertilizers for 1 and 4 months under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The results show that microcosms amended with 100 mg/L phosphorus fertilizers (dipotassium phosphate), but not nitrogenous fertilizers (ammonium sulfate), significantly increase aqueous As(III) release in arsenic-contaminated sediments under anaerobic condition. We also show that concentrations of iron, manganese, potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium are increased in the aqueous phase and that the addition of dipotassium phosphate causes a further increase in aqueous iron, potassium, and sodium, suggesting that multiple metal elements may take part in the arsenic release process. Furthermore, microbial analysis indicates that the dominant microbial phylum is shifted from α-proteobacteria to β- and γ-proteobacteria when the As(III) is increased and phosphate is added in the aquifer. Our results provide evidence that both phosphorus fertilizers and microorganisms can mediate the release of arsenic to groundwater in arsenic-contaminated sediments under anaerobic condition. Our study suggests that agricultural activity such as the use of fertilizers and monitoring phosphate concentration in groundwater should be taken into consideration for the management of arsenic in groundwater.

  20. Addition of anaerobic tanks to an oxidation ditch system to enhance removal of phosphorus from wastewater.

    PubMed

    Liu, Jun-xin; van Groenestijn, J W; Doddema, H J; Wang, Bao-zhen

    2002-04-01

    The oxidation ditch has been used for many years all over the world as an economic and efficient wastewater treatment technology. It can remove COD, nitrogen and a part of phosphorus efficiently. In the experiment described, a pilot scale Pasveer oxidation ditch system has been tested to investigate the removal of phosphorus from wastewater. The experimental results showed that influent total phosphorus(TP) was removed for 35%-50%. After this, two anaerobic tanks with total volume of 11 m3 were added to the system to release phosphorus. As a result, the TP removal efficiency increased by about 20%. At an anaerobic HRT of about 6 hours, a TP removal efficiency of 71% was achieved.

  1. Influences of seasons, N/P ratios and chemical compounds on phosphorus removal performance in algal pond combined with constructed wetlands.

    PubMed

    Zhimiao, Zhao; Xinshan, Song; Yanping, Xiao; Yufeng, Zhao; Zhijie, Gong; Fanda, Lin; Yi, Ding; Wei, Wang; Tianling, Qin

    2016-12-15

    Nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) are main contaminants and P removal was restrained by several factors: season, N/P, and chemical compounds (CCs) in water ecosystems. In this paper, two algal ponds combined with constructed wetlands were built to increase the removal performance. Different hydraulic retention time (HRT), different N/P and chemical compounds were chosen to investigate the influences of the above factors on the contaminant removal performance. The optimum phosphorus removal rate was 69.74% under the nitrogen removal of 92.85% in influent containing PO 4 3- after 3-day HRT in algal pond combined with constructed wetlands. The investigation results indicated that these factors improved the nutrient removal efficiencies. Seasonal influence on the removal performance can be avoided by choosing the optimal HRT length of 3days. The higher N/P at 60 can improve the phosphorus removal and the lower N/P at 15 showed the stronger synergistic effect between phosphorus and nitrogen removals. Compared with PO 3 - and P 2 O 7 4- in influent, PO 4 3- affected phosphorus removal more significantly. The better linear fitting between organic phosphorus removal and nitrogen removal in influent contained P 2 O 7 4- was found. Algae can absorb nutrients for growth, and oxygen release, microbial activity intensification and microbial carbon replenishment induced by algae will improve the performance. The study suggested that the control of HRTs, N/Ps, CCs, and algae might be an effective way to improve wastewater treatment performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects of Environmental Factors on Nutrients Release at Sediment-Water Interface and Assessment of Trophic Status for a Typical Shallow Lake, Northwest China

    PubMed Central

    Hou, Dekun; He, Jiang; Lü, Changwei; Sun, Ying; Zhang, Fujin; Otgonbayar, Khureldavaa

    2013-01-01

    Surface sediment and water samples were collected from Daihai Lake to study the biogeochemical characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus, to estimate the loads of these nutrients, and to assess their effects on water quality. The contents and spatial distributions of total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and different nitrogen forms in sediments were analyzed. The results showed that concentrations of TN and TP in surface sediments ranged from 0.27 to 1.78 g/kg and from 558.31 to 891.29 mg/kg, respectively. Ratios of C : N ranged between 8.2 and 12.1, which indicated that nitrogen accumulated came mainly from terrestrial source. Ratios of N : P in all sampling sites were below 10, which indicated that N was the limiting nutrient for algal growth in this lake. Effects of environment factors on the release of nitrogen and phosphorus in lake sediments were also determined; high pH values could encourage the release of nitrogen and phosphorus. Modified Carlson's trophic state index (TSIM) and comprehensive trophic state index (TSIC) were applied to ascertain the trophic classification of the studied lake, and the values of TSIM and TSIC ranged from 53.72 to 70.61 and from 47.73 to 53.67, respectively, which indicated that the Daihai Lake was in the stage of hypereutropher. PMID:24023535

  3. Bioavailability and preservation of organic phosphorus in freshwater sediments and its role in lake eutrophication

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Lake eutrophication in China is a serious environmental concern, especially in lakes from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River region and Southwestern China Plateau. The dissolution of organic matter can result in release of phosphorus (P) from lake sediments and organic phosphate (Po) itse...

  4. How a phosphorus-acquisition strategy based on carboxylate exudation powers the success and agronomic potential of lupines (Lupinus, Fabaceae).

    PubMed

    Lambers, Hans; Clements, Jon C; Nelson, Matthew N

    2013-02-01

    Lupines (Lupinus species; Fabaceae) are an ancient crop with great potential to be developed further for high-protein feed and food, cover crops, and phytoremediation. Being legumes, they are capable of symbiotically fixing atmospheric nitrogen. However, Lupinus species appear to be nonmycorrhizal or weakly mycorrhizal at most; instead some produce cluster roots, which release vast amounts of phosphate-mobilizing carboxylates (inorganic anions). Other lupines produce cluster-like roots, which function in a similar manner, and some release large amounts of carboxylates without specialized roots. These traits associated with nutrient acquisition make lupines ideally suited for either impoverished soils or soils with large amounts of phosphorus that is poorly available for most plants, e.g., acidic or alkaline soils. Here we explore how common the nonmycorrhizal phosphorus-acquisition strategy based on exudation of carboxylates is in the genus Lupinus, concluding it is very likely more widespread than generally acknowledged. This trait may partly account for the role of lupines as pioneers or invasive species, but also makes them suitable crop plants while we reach "peak phosphorus".

  5. Combined effects of phosphate-solubilizing bacterium XMT-5 (Rhizobium sp.) and submerged macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum on phosphorus release in eutrophic lake sediments.

    PubMed

    Li, Haifeng; Li, Zhijian; Qu, Jianhang; Tian, Hailong; Yang, Xiaohong

    2018-05-02

    Simulation experiments were conducted using sediments collected from the Taihu Lake to determine the combined effects of submerged macrophytes Ceratophyllum demersum and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) strain XMT-5 (Rhizobium sp.) on phosphorus (P) concentrations in overlying waters and sediments. After 30 days of experimental incubation, the total phosphorus (TP) and dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) concentrations of the overlying water subjected to AMB and AHMB treatments (both with the combined effects of PSB cells and submerged macrophytes) were generally lower than those of the AM (with individual effects of inoculated C. demersum) and AB (with individual effects of a smaller amount of inoculated PSB cells) control treatments but higher than that of the A (with no effects of inoculated PSB cells or C. demersum) and AHB (with individual effects of a larger amount of inoculated PSB) control treatments. The TP contents of the sediment in the AMB and AHMB treatments were significantly lower than those of the other control treatments. The TP contents of the C. demersum cocultured with the PSB strain XMT-5 cells in the AMB and AHMB treatments were all significantly higher than that of the AM treatment, indicating the enhancement of P uptake by submerged plants inoculated with PSB. The bacterial diversity structures of the rhizosphere sediment subjected to different treatments were also analyzed by the high-throughput sequencing method. According to the ACE and Chao 1 indices, the bacterial diversity in the AMB and AHMB treatments were the highest. Although many sources contributed to the decrease in the nutrient loads of the lake sediment, harvesting macrophytes inoculated with PSB cells prior to their senescence might constitute a significant in-lake measure for reducing internal P load.

  6. Effects of sustained-release composite on the oxygen levels and sediment phosphorus fractions of an urban river in Shanghai.

    PubMed

    Li, Yang; Zhou, Yanbo; Zhou, Zhenhua; Wang, Ningsheng; Zhou, Qiang; Wang, Fuchen

    2014-01-01

    The eutrophication of many rivers and lakes is attributed to the anoxia and the increasing internal loading of nutrients from sediment. A novel sustained-release composite (SRC) synthesis of stearic acid and calcium peroxide (CaO2) was applied to supply a water body with oxygen endured in this study. The influences of SRC on the dissolved oxygen (DO) level, pH and total phosphorus (TP) of an urban river in Shanghai were studied. The results show that SRC has a longer oxygen-releasing cycle and a more tender effect on pH with the comparison of CaO2 powder. Reduction of 79.6% in the concentration of TP was observed in the water column. After 35 days of SRC addition, there was a significant positive correlation between TP and DO. As a consequence, the phosphorus fractions in sediment, including loosely sorbed P (NH4Cl-P), redox-sensitive P (Fe-P), calcium bound P (Ca-P), aluminium bound P (Al-P) and residual P (organic and refractory P) were affected by the addition of SRC. The NH4Cl-P and Fe-P fractions in the sediment that could release P easily were well constrained under the positive effect of SRC.

  7. Occurrence of phosphorus, iron, aluminum, silica, and calcium in a eutrophic lake during algae bloom sedimentation.

    PubMed

    Li, Guolian; Xie, Fazhi; Zhang, Jin; Wang, Jingrou; Yang, Ying; Sun, Ruoru

    2016-09-01

    Phosphorus (P) in a water body is mainly controlled by the interaction between surface sediment and the overlying water column after the complete control of external pollution. Significant enhancement of P in a water body would cause eutrophication of lakes. Thus, a better understanding is needed of the occurrences of P between the sediment and water column in eutrophic lakes. Here, we measured total phosphorus (TP) and major elements (Fe, Al, Ca, Mn, Si) in the water column, and total nitrogen, organic matter, TP and major oxides (Fe 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , CaO, SiO 2 ) in surface sediment of Chaohu Lake, a continuously eutrophic lake. The results showed that the rank of TP levels was western lake > eastern lake > southern lake. There were significantly positive correlations between TP (including water TP and sedimentary TP) and Fe, Al, Mn, while the correlation coefficients between water TP and sedimentary TP were -0.43, -0.41 and 0.18 for the western, eastern and southern lake respectively. The negative and significant correlations of water TP and sedimentary TP may indicate that the risk of sedimentary P release was great in the western and eastern lake during algae bloom sedimentation, while the southern lake showed weak P exchange between the sediment and water column.

  8. Post-anoxic denitrification via nitrite driven by PHB in feast-famine sequencing batch reactor.

    PubMed

    Chen, Hong-Bo; Yang, Qi; Li, Xiao-Ming; Wang, Yan; Luo, Kun; Zeng, Guang-Ming

    2013-08-01

    Recently, it was found that excess phosphorus removal could be induced by aerobic/extended-idle regime. In this study, an anoxic period was introduced after the aeration to realize simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The results demonstrated that stable partial nitrification could be achieved by controlling the aeration duration at 2.5h because it could not only obtain a desirable ammonia oxidation to nitrite but also avoid the extensive aeration converting nitrite to nitrate, and moreover, the accumulated poly-3-hydroxybutyrate still remain in a relative sufficient concentration (1.5mmolCg(-1) VSS), which could subsequently served as internal carbon source for post-anoxic denitrification. The nitrite accumulation ratio was observed to have relatively high correlation with biological nutrient removal. Over stages with stable high-level nitrite accumulation, the process achieved desirable and stable nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies averaging 95% and 99% respectively. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis showed that the faster growth rate of the ammonia oxidizing bacteria than the nitrite oxidizing bacteria was the main reason for achieving nitrite accumulation. In addition, the secondary phosphorus release was negligible and the process maintained excellent nutrient removal under low influent ammonia nitrogen. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Role of Polymeric Coating on the Phosphate Availability as a Fertilizer: Insight from Phosphate Release by Castor Polyurethane Coatings.

    PubMed

    da Cruz, Diego Fernandes; Bortoletto-Santos, Ricardo; Guimarães, Gelton Geraldo Fernandes; Polito, Wagner Luiz; Ribeiro, Caue

    2017-07-26

    The coating of fertilizers with polymers is an acknowledged strategy for controlling the release of nutrients and their availability in soil. However, its effectiveness in the case of soluble phosphate fertilizers is still uncertain, and information is lacking concerning the chemical properties and structures of such coatings. Here, an oil-based hydrophobic polymer system (polyurethane) is proposed for the control of the release of phosphorus from diammonium phosphate (DAP) granules. This material was systematically characterized, with evaluation of the delivery mechanism and the availability of phosphate in an acid soil. The results indicated that thicker coatings can change the maximum nutrient availability toward longer periods, such as 4.5-7.5 wt % DAP coated, that presented the highest concentrations at 336 h, as compared to 168 h for uncoated DAP. In contrast, DAP treated with 9.0 wt % began to increase the concentration after 168 h until it results in maximum release at 672 h. These effects could be attributed to the homogeneity of the polymer and the porosity. The strategy successfully provided long-term availability of a phosphate source.

  10. How do changes in dissolved oxygen concentration influence microbially-controlled phosphorus cycling in stream biofilms?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saia, S. M.; Locke, N. A.; Regan, J. M.; Carrick, H. J.; Buda, A. R.; Walter, M. T.

    2014-12-01

    Advances in molecular microbiology techniques (e.g. epi-fluorescent microscopy and PCR) are making it easier to study the influence of specific microorganisms on nutrient transport. Polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) are commonly used in wastewater treatment plants to remove excess phosphorus (P) from effluent water. PAOs have also been identified in natural settings but their ecological function is not well known. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that PAOs in natural environments would release and accumulate P during anaerobic and aerobic conditions, respectively. We placed stream biofilms in sealed, covered tubs and subjected them to alternating air (aerobic conditions) and N2 gas (anaerobic condition) bubbling for 12 hours each. Four treatments investigated the influence of changing dissolved oxygen on micribially-controlled P cycling: (1) biofilms bubbled continuously with air, (2) biofilms bubbled alternatively with air and N2, (3) biocide treated biofilms bubbled continuously with air, and (4) biocide treated biofilms bubbled alternatively with air and N2. Treatments 3 and 4 serve as abiotic controls to treatments 1 and 2. We analyzed samples every 12 hours for soluble reactive P (SRP), temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH. We also used fluorescent microscopy (i.e. DAPI staining) and PCR to verify the presence of PAOs in the stream biofilms. SRP results over the course of the experiment support our hypothesis that anaerobic and aerobic stream conditions may impact PAO mediated P release and uptake, respectively in natural environments. The results of these experiments draw attention to the importance of microbiological controls on P mobility in freshwater ecosystems.

  11. Phosphorus Release to Floodwater from Calcareous Surface Soils and Their Corresponding Subsurface Soils under Anaerobic Conditions.

    PubMed

    Jayarathne, P D K D; Kumaragamage, D; Indraratne, S; Flaten, D; Goltz, D

    2016-07-01

    Enhanced phosphorus (P) release from soils to overlying water under flooded, anaerobic conditions has been well documented for noncalcareous and surface soils, but little information is available for calcareous and subsurface soils. We compared the magnitude of P released from 12 calcareous surface soils and corresponding subsurface soils to overlying water under flooded, anaerobic conditions and examined the reasons for the differences. Surface (0-15 cm) and subsurface (15-30 cm) soils were packed into vessels and flooded for 8 wk. Soil redox potential and concentrations of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and total dissolved Ca, Mg, Fe, and Mn in floodwater and pore water were measured weekly. Soil test P was significantly smaller in subsurface soils than in corresponding surface soils; thus, the P release to floodwater from subsurface soils was significantly less than from corresponding surface soils. Under anaerobic conditions, floodwater DRP concentration significantly increased in >80% of calcareous surface soils and in about 40% of subsurface soils. The increase in floodwater DRP concentration was 2- to 17-fold in surface soils but only 4- to 7-fold in subsurface soils. With time of flooding, molar ratios of Ca/P and Mg/P in floodwater increased, whereas Fe/P and Mn/P decreased, suggesting that resorption and/or reprecipitation of P took place involving Fe and Mn. Results indicate that P release to floodwater under anaerobic conditions was enhanced in most calcareous soils. Surface and subsurface calcareous soils in general behaved similarly in releasing P under flooded, anaerobic conditions, with concentrations released mainly governed by initial soil P concentrations. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  12. Starch derivative-based superabsorbent with integration of water-retaining and controlled-release fertilizers.

    PubMed

    Zhong, Kang; Lin, Zuan-Tao; Zheng, Xi-Liang; Jiang, Gang-Biao; Fang, Yu-Sheng; Mao, Xiao-Yun; Liao, Zong-Wen

    2013-02-15

    Phosphate rock (PHR), a traditional fertilizer, is abundant, but is hard to be utilized by plants. To improve the utilization of PHR, and to integrate water-retaining and controlled-release fertilizers, an agricultural superabsorbent polymer based on sulfonated corn starch/poly (acrylic acid) embedding phosphate rock (SCS/PAA/PHR) was prepared. PHR can be suspended and well-dispersed in SCS/PAA by sulfonated corn starch (SCS). PHR and KOH were mixed in acrylic acid solution to provide phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) nutrients, respectively. Impacts on water absorption capacity of the superabsorbent were investigated. The maximum swelling capacity in distilled water or 0.9 wt.% (weight percent) NaCl solution reached 498 g g(-1) and 65 g g(-1) (water/prepared dry superabsorbent) respectively. Moreover, release behaviours of P and K in SCS/PAA/PHR were also investigated. The results showed that SCS/PAA/PHR possessed excellent sustained-release property of plant nutrient, and the SCS/PAA could improve the P release greatly. Besides, the XPS analysis was employed to study the relationship between PHR and superabsorbent polymer. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Water extractable phosphorus in animal manure and manure compost: quantities, characteristics, and temporal changes

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Water extractable phosphorus (WEP) in manure and manure compost is widely used as an indicator of P release to runoff from manures and composts that are land applied. A survey of 600 manures and composts was conducted to assess trends in WEP related to manure and compost types from sources in Pennsy...

  14. Availability of residual phosphorus from broiler litter ash and layer manure ash amended soil for Paspalum vaginatum uptake

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    It has been hypothesized by several scientists that poultry litter ash could be used as a slow releasing phosphorus fertilizer that will become available over time. To test this hypothesis, a greenhouse study was conducted using a broiler litter ash, layer manure ash and calcium phosphate to determ...

  15. Experimental Effects of Lime Application on Aquatic Macrophytes: 1. Growth Response Versus Concentration

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-08-01

    Prepas, E. E., Ferguson, M. E., Serediak, M., Guy, M., and Hoist, M. (2001). "The effects of lime addition on aquatic macrophytes in hard water : In...ERDC/TN APCRP-EA-10 August 2005 Experimental Effects of Lime Application on Aquatic Macrophytes: 1. Growth Response Versus Concentration by William F...used primarily as a lake rehabilitation technique for limiting algal growth by controlling phosphorus availability in the water column and its release

  16. Environmental Effects of Hydraulic Dredging for Clam Shells in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-06-01

    promotes the release of nutrients. Zicker et al. (1956) buried labelled phosphorus at various depths in sediment cores and measured the release of...433. Zicker , E., K. Berger, and A. Hasler. 1956. Phosphate release from Bog Lake muds. Limnol. Oceanogr. 1:296-303. 1 113 -t7- APPENDIX A BENTHIC

  17. Enzyme-mediated Nutrient Regeneration Following Lysis of Synechococcus WH7803

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mine, A. H.; Coleman, M.; Colman, A. S.

    2016-02-01

    Phosphate availability plays a pivotal role in limiting primary production in large regions of the oceans. In order to meet their metabolic needs, microbes use a variety of strategies to overcome phosphate stress. Expression of enzymes such as alkaline phosphatase (APase) allows cells to hydrolyze and use certain ambient dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) compounds to meet their P demand. Cell lysis releases a range of nutrient forms and enzymes into the ambient environment and is an essential component of the microbial loop. Yet very few studies have attempted to characterize both the immediate and sustained nutrient remineralization linked to the milieu of organophosphorus compounds and enzymatic activity in lysate. We conducted experiments using Synechococcus WH7803 grown under nutrient replete and starved conditions to quantify the release of phosphate during viral lysis and lysis by lysozyme treatment. Dissolved inorganic and organic phosphorus concentrations and APase activity were monitored over time following lysis. We observed a significant initial release of orthophosphate that accompanies lysis. Following lysis, phosphate concentrations continue to rise for a period of hours to days as organophosphorus compounds continue to hydrolyze. Our observations suggest this is due to a combination of direct hydrolysis of DOP released during lysis, solubilization of POP followed by hydrolysis, and possibly polyphosphate decomposition. Size fractionated enzymatic assays suggest cellular debris associated enzymes and dissolved fractions are both important in DOP hydrolysis in the viral lysate, whereas particle associated APase activity dominates in the lysozyme treatments. Moreover, nutrient status prior to lysis has important controls on the initial nutrient release and subsequent regenerative flux. These findings underscore the significance of lysis and subsequent enzyme-mediated hydrolysis in nutrient regeneration and biogeochemical dynamics in marine ecosystems.

  18. Evidence from in vivo 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy phosphodiesters that exhaled ethane is a biomarker of cerebral n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation in humans.

    PubMed

    Puri, Basant K; Counsell, Serena J; Ross, Brian M; Hamilton, Gavin; Bustos, Marcelo G; Treasaden, Ian H

    2008-04-17

    This study tested the hypothesis that exhaled ethane is a biomarker of cerebral n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation in humans. Ethane is released specifically following peroxidation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. We reasoned that the cerebral source of ethane would be the docosahexaenoic acid component of membrane phospholipids. Breakdown of the latter also releases phosphorylated polar head groups, giving rise to glycerophosphorylcholine and glycerophosphorylethanolamine, which can be measured from the 31-phosphorus neurospectroscopy phosphodiester peak. Schizophrenia patients were chosen because of evidence of increased free radical-mediated damage and cerebral lipid peroxidation in this disorder. Samples of alveolar air were obtained from eight patients and ethane was analyzed and quantified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (m/z = 30). Cerebral 31-phosphorus spectra were obtained from the same patients at a magnetic field strength of 1.5 T using an image-selected in vivo spectroscopy sequence (TR = 10 s; 64 signal averages localized on a 70 x 70 x 70 mm3 voxel). The quantification of the 31-phosphorus signals using prior knowledge was carried out in the temporal domain after truncating the first 1.92 ms of the signal to remove the broad component present in the 31-phosphorus spectra. The ethane and phosphodiester levels, expressed as a percentage of the total 31-phosphorus signal, were positively and significantly correlated (rs = 0.714, p < 0.05). Our results support the hypothesis that the measurement of exhaled ethane levels indexes cerebral n-3 lipid peroxidation. From a practical viewpoint, if human cerebral n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid catabolism can be measured by ethane in expired breath, this would be more convenient than determining the area of the 31-phosphorus neurospectroscopy phosphodiester peak.

  19. A model study of warming-induced phosphorus-oxygen feedbacks in open-ocean oxygen minimum zones on millennial timescales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Niemeyer, Daniela; Kemena, Tronje P.; Meissner, Katrin J.; Oschlies, Andreas

    2017-05-01

    Observations indicate an expansion of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) over the past 50 years, likely related to ongoing deoxygenation caused by reduced oxygen solubility, changes in stratification and circulation, and a potential acceleration of organic matter turnover in a warming climate. The overall area of ocean sediments that are in direct contact with low-oxygen bottom waters also increases with expanding OMZs. This leads to a release of phosphorus from ocean sediments. If anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions continue unabated, higher temperatures will cause enhanced weathering on land, which, in turn, will increase the phosphorus and alkalinity fluxes into the ocean and therefore raise the ocean's phosphorus inventory even further. A higher availability of phosphorus enhances biological production, remineralisation and oxygen consumption, and might therefore lead to further expansions of OMZs, representing a positive feedback. A negative feedback arises from the enhanced productivity-induced drawdown of carbon and also increased uptake of CO2 due to weathering-induced alkalinity input. This feedback leads to a decrease in atmospheric CO2 and weathering rates. Here, we quantify these two competing feedbacks on millennial timescales for a high CO2 emission scenario. Using the University of Victoria (UVic) Earth System Climate Model of intermediate complexity, our model results suggest that the positive benthic phosphorus release feedback has only a minor impact on the size of OMZs in the next 1000 years. The increase in the marine phosphorus inventory under assumed business-as-usual global warming conditions originates, on millennial timescales, almost exclusively (> 80 %) from the input via terrestrial weathering and causes a 4- to 5-fold expansion of the suboxic water volume in the model.

  20. Speciation of phosphorus in the continental shelf sediments in the Eastern Arabian Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Acharya, Shiba Shankar; Panigrahi, Mruganka Kumar; Kurian, John; Gupta, Anil Kumar; Tripathy, Subhasish

    2016-03-01

    The distributions of various forms of phosphorus (P) and their relation with sediment geochemistry in two core sediments near Karwar and Mangalore offshore have been studied through the modified SEDEX procedure (Ruttenberg et al., 2009) and bulk chemical analysis. The present study provides the first quantitative analysis of complete phosphorus speciation in the core sediments of the Eastern Arabian shelf. The chemical index of alteration (CIA), chemical Index of Weathering (CIW) and Al-Ti-Zr ternary diagram suggest low to moderate source area weathering of granodioritic to tonalitic source rock composition, despite the intense orographic rainfall in the source area. Due to the presence of same source rock and identical oxic depositional environment, the studied sediments show the same range of variation of total phosphorus (24 to 83 μmol/g) with a down-depth depleting trend. Organic bound P and detrital P are the two major chemical forms followed by iron-bound P, exchangeable/loosely bound P and authigenic P. The authigenic P content in the sediments near Mangalore coast varies linearly with calcium (r=0.88) unlike that of Karwar coast. The different reactive-phosphorus pools exhibit identical depleting trend with depth. This indicates that the phosphorus released from the organic matter and Fe bound fractions are prevented from precipitating as authigenic phosphates in the deeper parts of the sediment column. The low concentration of total P, dominance of detrital non-reactive fraction of P and inhibition of formation of authigenic phosphate result in the absence of active phosphatization in the Eastern Arabian Shelf in the studied region. High sedimentation rate (35-58 cm/kyr) and absence of winnowing effect appear to be the dominant factor controlling the P-speciation in the studied sediments.

  1. Hydrothermal carbonization of food waste for nutrient recovery and reuse.

    PubMed

    Idowu, Ifeolu; Li, Liang; Flora, Joseph R V; Pellechia, Perry J; Darko, Samuel A; Ro, Kyoung S; Berge, Nicole D

    2017-11-01

    Food waste represents a rather large and currently underutilized source of potentially available and reusable nutrients. Laboratory-scale experiments evaluating the hydrothermal carbonization of food wastes collected from restaurants were conducted to understand how changes in feedstock composition and carbonization process conditions influence primary and secondary nutrient fate. Results from this work indicate that at all evaluated reaction times and temperatures, the majority of nitrogen, calcium, and magnesium remain integrated within the solid-phase, while the majority of potassium and sodium reside in the liquid-phase. The fate of phosphorus is dependent on reaction times and temperatures, with solid-phase integration increasing with higher reaction temperature and longer time. A series of leaching experiments to determine potential solid-phase nutrient availability were also conducted and indicate that, at least in the short term, nitrogen release from the solids is small, while almost all of the phosphorus present in the solids produced from carbonizing at 225 and 250°C is released. At a reaction temperature of 275°C, smaller fractions of the solid-phase total phosphorus are released as reaction times increase, likely due to increased solids incorporation. Using these data, it is estimated that up to 0.96% and 2.30% of nitrogen and phosphorus-based fertilizers, respectively, in the US can be replaced by the nutrients integrated within hydrochar and liquid-phases generated from the carbonization of currently landfilled food wastes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects of land-applied ammonia scrubber solutions on yield, nitrogen uptake, soil test phosphorus and phosphorus runoff

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Ammonia (NH3) scrubbers reduce amounts of NH3 and dust released from animal rearing facilities, while generating nitrogen (N) rich solutions, which may be used as fertilizer. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various NH3 scrubber solutions on yields, N uptake by forage, so...

  3. Release of nitrogen and phosphorus from loblolly pine forest floor in a post-harvest microclimate

    Treesearch

    L. Chris Kiser; Thomas R. Fox

    2012-01-01

    Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations grown on nutrient deficient soils in the southeastern U.S. require nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization to increase growth (Albaugh et al., 2007; Fox et al., 2007). Fertilization increases growth by increasing foliar nutrients and leaf area (Albaugh et al., 1998) which also results in higher...

  4. Impact of raking and bioturbation-mediated ecological manipulation on sediment-water phosphorus diagenesis: a mesocosm study supported with radioactive signature.

    PubMed

    Biswas, Jayanta K; Hazra, Saumen; Majumdar, Jayjit; Mandal, Sushil K; Shaheen, Sabry M; Sarkar, Santosh K; Meissner, Ralph; Meers, Erik; Rinklebe, Jörg

    2017-12-01

    The study examined the impact of raking and fish bioturbation on modulating phosphorus (P) concentrations in the water and sediment under different trophic conditions. An outdoor experiment was set to monitor physicochemical and microbiological parameters of water and sediment influencing P diagenesis. A pilot study with radioactive 32 P was also performed under the agency of raking and bacteria (Bacillus sp.). Raking was more effective in release of P under unfertilized conditions by significantly enhancing orthophosphate (35%) and soluble reactive phosphate (31.8%) over respective controls. Bioturbation increased total and available P in sediments significantly as compared to control. The rates of increase were higher in the unfertilized conditions (17.6-28.4% for total P and 12.2 to 23.2% for available P) than the fertilized ones (6.5-12.4% for total P and 9.1 to 15% for available P). The combined effects of raking and bioturbation on orthophosphate and soluble reactive phosphate were also stronger under unfertilized state (54.5 and 81.8%) than fertilized ones (50 and 70%). The tracer signature showed that coupled action of introduced bacteria and repeated raking resulted in 59.2, 23 and 16% higher counts of radioactive P than the treatments receiving raking once, repeated raking and bacteria inoculation, respectively. Raking alone or in sync with bioturbation exerted pronounced impact on P diagenesis through induction of coupled mineralization and nutrient release. It has significant implication for performing regular raking of fish-farm sediments and manipulation of bottom-grazing fish to regulate mineralization of organic matter and release of obnoxious gases from the system. Further, they synergistically can enhance the buffering capacity against organic overload and help to maintain aquatic ecosystem health.

  5. Phosphorus dynamics in lake sediments: Insights from field study and reactive-transport modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dittrich, Maria; Markovic, Stefan; Cadena, Sandra; Doan, Phuong T. K.; Watson, Sue; Mugalingam, Shan

    2016-04-01

    Phosphorus is an indispensable nutrient for organisms in aquatic systems and its availability often controls primary productivity. At the sediment-water interface, intensive microbiological, geochemical and physical processes determine the fraction of organic matter, nutrients and pollutants released into the overlying water. Therefore, detailed understanding of the processes occurring in the top centimeters of the sediment is essential for the assessment of water quality and the management of surface waters. In cases where measurements are impossible or expensive, diagenetic modelling is required to investigate the interplay among the processes, verify concepts and predict potential system behavior. The main aims of this study are to identify and predict the dynamics of phosphorus (P) in sediments and gain insight into the mechanism of P release from sediments under varying environmental conditions. We measured redox, O2 and pH profiles with micro-sensors at the sediment-water interface; analyzed phosphate and metals (Fe, Mn, Al, Ca) content in pore waters collected using in situ samplers, so called "peepers"; determined P binding forms using sequential extraction and analyzed metals associated with each fraction. Following the sediment analysis, P binding forms were divided in five groups: inert, carbonate-bound, organic, redox-sensitive, and labile P. Using the flux of organic and inorganic matter as dynamic boundary conditions, the diagenetic model simulates P internal loading and predicts P retention. This presentation will discuss the results of two years studies on P dynamics at the sediment-water interface in three different lakes ranging from heavy-polluted Hamilton Harbor and Bay of Quinte to pristine Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada.

  6. Rapid Return of Nitrogen but not Phosphorus to Ecosystem Nutrition During Decomposition of Quagga Mussel Tissue in Sand, Mud, or Water During Oxic or Anoxic Incubation: Implications for Phytoplankton Bioenergetics.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cooney, E. M.; Cuhel, R. L.; Aguilar, C.

    2016-02-01

    In 2003 Quagga mussels were found to have invaded Lake Michigan. Their presence has changed the structure of the lake both ecologically (benthification) as well as chemically (oligotrophication). They consume large amounts of phytoplankton, which decreases the particulate nitrogen and phosphorous nutrients available to other consumers including zooplankton. As a result, fisheries productivity has decreased nearly 95%. Recently reaching the end of the first life cycle, in death they release a portion of these nutrients back into the freshwater system during decomposition. This work determined amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient recycling for several relevant sediment-water interface conditions: oxic vs anoxic in water, mud, or sand over a weeklong period. Concentrations of ammonium, soluble reactive phosphorus, and nitrate were used to analyze nutrient release as decomposition took place. In a short time up to 25% of tissue N was released as ammonia, and under oxic conditions in mud or sand, nitrification converted some of the ammonia to nitrate. Unexpectedly, mussels decaying in anoxic conditions released ammonium much more slowly. A slower rate of release in ammonium for the intact body with the shell (burial) was observed when compared to ground mussel tissue (detritivory). Nitrate was removed in anoxic incubations, indicating anaerobic denitrification. Phosphate release was initially higher under anoxic conditions than those decaying aerobically. There was no significant difference in the amount or rate of release of SRP between ground mussel and whole bodied with the shell. The anoxic treatment showed similar patterns of release for both ground mussel and intact body with shell. Most important, phosphate was subsequently removed in all treatments and diffusible nutrient was minimal (<100nM). The results link to nutrient assimilation patterns of deep phytoplankton communities, which can replace nitrate with ammonium as an N source.

  7. Simultaneous effective carbon and nitrogen removals and phosphorus recovery in an intermittently aerated membrane bioreactor integrated system

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yun-Kun; Pan, Xin-Rong; Geng, Yi-Kun; Sheng, Guo-Ping

    2015-01-01

    Recovering nutrients, especially phosphate resource, from wastewater have attracted increasing interest recently. Herein, an intermittently aerated membrane bioreactor (MBR) with a mesh filter was developed for simultaneous chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and phosphorous removal, followed by phosphorus recovery from the phosphorus-rich sludge. This integrated system showed enhanced performances in nitrification and denitrification and phosphorous removal without excess sludge discharged. The removal of COD, TN and total phosphorus (TP) in a modified MBR were averaged at 94.4 ± 2.5%, 94.2 ± 5.7% and 53.3 ± 29.7%, respectively. The removed TP was stored in biomass, and 68.7% of the stored phosphorous in the sludge could be recovered as concentrated phosphate solution with a concentration of phosphate above 350 mg/L. The sludge after phosphorus release could be returned back to the MBR for phosphorus uptake, and 83.8% of its capacity could be recovered. PMID:26541793

  8. Chinese tallow trees (Triadica sebifera) from the invasive range outperform those from the native range with an active soil community or phosphorus fertilization.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ling; Zhang, Yaojun; Wang, Hong; Zou, Jianwen; Siemann, Evan

    2013-01-01

    Two mechanisms that have been proposed to explain success of invasive plants are unusual biotic interactions, such as enemy release or enhanced mutualisms, and increased resource availability. However, while these mechanisms are usually considered separately, both may be involved in successful invasions. Biotic interactions may be positive or negative and may interact with nutritional resources in determining invasion success. In addition, the effects of different nutrients on invasions may vary. Finally, genetic variation in traits between populations located in introduced versus native ranges may be important for biotic interactions and/or resource use. Here, we investigated the roles of soil biota, resource availability, and plant genetic variation using seedlings of Triadica sebifera in an experiment in the native range (China). We manipulated nitrogen (control or 4 g/m(2)), phosphorus (control or 0.5 g/m(2)), soil biota (untreated or sterilized field soil), and plant origin (4 populations from the invasive range, 4 populations from the native range) in a full factorial experiment. Phosphorus addition increased root, stem, and leaf masses. Leaf mass and height growth depended on population origin and soil sterilization. Invasive populations had higher leaf mass and growth rates than native populations did in fresh soil but they had lower, comparable leaf mass and growth rates in sterilized soil. Invasive populations had higher growth rates with phosphorus addition but native ones did not. Soil sterilization decreased specific leaf area in both native and exotic populations. Negative effects of soil sterilization suggest that soil pathogens may not be as important as soil mutualists for T. sebifera performance. Moreover, interactive effects of sterilization and origin suggest that invasive T. sebifera may have evolved more beneficial relationships with the soil biota. Overall, seedlings from the invasive range outperformed those from the native range, however, an absence of soil biota or low phosphorus removed this advantage.

  9. Chinese Tallow Trees (Triadica sebifera) from the Invasive Range Outperform Those from the Native Range with an Active Soil Community or Phosphorus Fertilization

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Ling; Zhang, Yaojun; Wang, Hong; Zou, Jianwen; Siemann, Evan

    2013-01-01

    Two mechanisms that have been proposed to explain success of invasive plants are unusual biotic interactions, such as enemy release or enhanced mutualisms, and increased resource availability. However, while these mechanisms are usually considered separately, both may be involved in successful invasions. Biotic interactions may be positive or negative and may interact with nutritional resources in determining invasion success. In addition, the effects of different nutrients on invasions may vary. Finally, genetic variation in traits between populations located in introduced versus native ranges may be important for biotic interactions and/or resource use. Here, we investigated the roles of soil biota, resource availability, and plant genetic variation using seedlings of Triadica sebifera in an experiment in the native range (China). We manipulated nitrogen (control or 4 g/m2), phosphorus (control or 0.5 g/m2), soil biota (untreated or sterilized field soil), and plant origin (4 populations from the invasive range, 4 populations from the native range) in a full factorial experiment. Phosphorus addition increased root, stem, and leaf masses. Leaf mass and height growth depended on population origin and soil sterilization. Invasive populations had higher leaf mass and growth rates than native populations did in fresh soil but they had lower, comparable leaf mass and growth rates in sterilized soil. Invasive populations had higher growth rates with phosphorus addition but native ones did not. Soil sterilization decreased specific leaf area in both native and exotic populations. Negative effects of soil sterilization suggest that soil pathogens may not be as important as soil mutualists for T. sebifera performance. Moreover, interactive effects of sterilization and origin suggest that invasive T. sebifera may have evolved more beneficial relationships with the soil biota. Overall, seedlings from the invasive range outperformed those from the native range, however, an absence of soil biota or low phosphorus removed this advantage. PMID:24023930

  10. Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) transport and retention in tropical, rain forest streams draining a volcanic landscape in Costa Rica: In situ SRP amendment to streams and laboratory studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Triska, F.; Pringle, C.M.; Duff, J.H.; Avanzino, R.J.; Zellweger, G.

    2006-01-01

    Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) transport/retention was determined in two rain forest streams (Salto, Pantano) draining La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. There, SRP levels can be naturally high due to groundwater enriched by geothermal activity within the surfically dormant volcanic landscape, and subsequently discharged at ambient temperature. Combined field and laboratory approaches simulated high but natural geothermal SRP input with the objective of estimating the magnitude of amended SRP retention within high and low SRP settings and determining the underlying mechanisms of SRP retention. First, we examined short-term SRP retention/transport using combined SRP-conservative tracer additions at high natural in situ concentrations. Second, we attempted to observe a DIN response during SRP amendment as an indicator of biological uptake. Third, we determined SRP release/retention using laboratory sediment assays under control and biologically inhibited conditions. Short-term in situ tracer-SRP additions indicated retention in both naturally high and low SRP reaches. Retention of added SRP mass in Upper Salto (low SRP) was 17% (7.5 mg-P m-2 h-1), and 20% (10.9 mg-P m-2 h -1) in Lower Salto (high SRP). No DIN response in either nitrate or ammonium was observed. Laboratory assays using fresh Lower Salto sediments indicated SRP release (15.4 ?? 5.9 ??g-P g dry wt.-1 h -1), when incubated in filter sterilized Salto water at ambient P concentration, but retention when incubated in filter sterilized river water amended to 2.0 mg SRP l-1 (233.2 ?? 5.8 ??g-P g dry wt. -1 h-1). SRP uptake/release was similar in both control- and biocide-treated sediments indicating predominantly abiotic retention. High SRP retention even under biologically saturated conditions, absence of a DIN response to amendment, patterns of desorption following amendment, and similar patterns of retention and release under control and biologically inhibited conditions all indicated predominantly abiotic P flux. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

  11. Redox-controlled carbon and phosphorus burial: A mechanism for enhanced organic carbon sequestration during the PETM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Komar, Nemanja; Zeebe, Richard E.

    2017-12-01

    Geological records reveal a major perturbation in carbon cycling during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ∼56 Ma), marked by global warming of more than 5 °C and a prominent negative carbon isotope excursion of at least 2.5‰ within the marine realm. The entire event lasted about 200,000 yr and was associated with a massive release of light carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system over several thousands of years. Here we focus on the terminal stage of the PETM, during which the ocean-atmosphere system rapidly recovered from the carbon cycle perturbation. We employ a carbon-cycle box model to examine the feedbacks between surface ocean biological production, carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, and carbonate chemistry during massive CO2 release events, such as the PETM. The model results indicate that the redox-controlled carbon-phosphorus feedback is capable of producing enhanced organic carbon sequestration during large carbon emission events. The locale of carbon oxidation (ocean vs. atmosphere) does not affect the amount of carbon sequestered. However, even though the model produces trends consistent with oxygen, excess accumulation rates of organic carbon (∼1700 Pg C during the recovery stage), export production and δ13 C data, it fails to reproduce the magnitude of change of sediment carbonate content and the CCD over-deepening during the recovery stage. The CCD and sediment carbonate content overshoot during the recovery stage is muted by a predicted increase in CaCO3 rain. Nonetheless, there are indications that the CaCO3 export remained relatively constant during the PETM. If this was indeed true, then an initial pulse of 3,000 Pg C followed by an additional, slow leak of 2,500 Pg C could have triggered an accelerated nutrient supply to the surface ocean instigating enhanced organic carbon export, consequently increasing organic carbon sequestration, resulting in an accelerated restoration of ocean-atmosphere biogeochemistry during the termination phase of the PETM.

  12. Enhanced biological nutrient removal in sequencing batch reactors operated as static/oxic/anoxic (SOA) process.

    PubMed

    Xu, Dechao; Chen, Hongbo; Li, Xiaoming; Yang, Qi; Zeng, Tianjing; Luo, Kun; Zeng, Guangming

    2013-09-01

    An innovative static/oxic/anoxic (SOA) activated sludge process characterized by static phase as a substitute for conventional anaerobic stage was developed to enhance biological nutrient removal (BNR) with influent ammonia of 20 and 40 mg/L in R1 and R2 reactors, respectively. The results demonstrated that static phase could function as conventional anaerobic stage. In R1 lower influent ammonia concentration facilitated more polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) growth, but secondary phosphorus release occurred due to NOx(-) depletion during post-anoxic period. In R2, however, denitrifying phosphorus removal proceeded with sufficient NOx(-). Both R1 and R2 saw simultaneous nitrification-denitrification. Glycogen was utilized to drive post-denitrification with denitrification rates in excess of typical endogenous decay rates. The anoxic stirring duration could be shortened from 3 to 1.5h to avoid secondary phosphorus release in R1 and little adverse impact was found on nutrients removal in R2. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Hydrologic and biogeochemical controls on phosphorus export from western Lake Erie tributaries

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Understanding the processes controlling phosphorus (P) export from agricultural watersheds is essential for predicting and mitigating adverse environmental impacts. In this study, discharge, dissolved reactive phosphorus load, and total phosphorus load time series data (1975-2014) from two Lake Erie...

  14. Non-domestic phosphorus release in rivers during low-flow: Mechanisms and implications for sources identification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dupas, Rémi; Tittel, Jörg; Jordan, Phil; Musolff, Andreas; Rode, Michael

    2018-05-01

    A common assumption in phosphorus (P) load apportionment studies is that P loads in rivers consist of flow independent point source emissions (mainly from domestic and industrial origins) and flow dependent diffuse source emissions (mainly from agricultural origin). Hence, rivers dominated by point sources will exhibit highest P concentration during low-flow, when flow dilution capacity is minimal, whereas rivers dominated by diffuse sources will exhibit highest P concentration during high-flow, when land-to-river hydrological connectivity is maximal. Here, we show that Soluble Reactive P (SRP) concentrations in three forested catchments free of point sources exhibited seasonal maxima during the summer low-flow period, i.e. a pattern expected in point source dominated areas. A load apportionment model (LAM) is used to show how point sources contribution may have been overestimated in previous studies, because of a biogeochemical process mimicking a point source signal. Almost twenty-two years (March 1995-September 2016) of monthly monitoring data of SRP, dissolved iron (Fe) and nitrate-N (NO3) were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms: SRP and Fe exhibited similar seasonal patterns and opposite to that of NO3. We hypothesise that Fe oxyhydroxide reductive dissolution might be the cause of SRP release during the summer period, and that NO3 might act as a redox buffer, controlling the seasonality of SRP release. We conclude that LAMs may overestimate the contribution of P point sources, especially during the summer low-flow period, when eutrophication risk is maximal.

  15. Kinetics of dissolution of thorium and uranium doped britholite ceramics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dacheux, N.; Du Fou de Kerdaniel, E.; Clavier, N.; Podor, R.; Aupiais, J.; Szenknect, S.

    2010-09-01

    In the field of immobilization of actinides in phosphate-based ceramics, several thorium and uranium doped britholite samples were submitted to leaching tests. The normalized dissolution rates determined for several pH values, temperatures and acidic media from the calcium release range from 4.7 × 10 -2 g m -2 d -1 to 21.6 g m -2 d -1. Their comparison with that determined for phosphorus, thorium and uranium revealed that the dissolution is clearly incongruent for all the conditions examined. Whatever the leaching solution considered, calcium and phosphorus elements were always released with higher RL values than the other elements (Nd, Th, U). Simultaneously, thorium was found to quickly precipitate as alteration product, leading to diffusion phenomena for uranium. For all the media considered, the uranium release is higher than that of thorium, probably due to its oxidation from tetravalent oxidation state to uranyl. Moreover, the evaluation of the partial order related to proton concentration and the apparent energy of activation suggest that the reaction of dissolution is probably controlled by surface chemical reactions occurring at the solid/liquid interface. Finally, comparative leaching tests performed in sulphuric acid solutions revealed a significant influence of such media on the chemical durability of the leached pellets, leading to higher normalized dissolution rates for all the elements considered. On the basis of the results of chemical speciation, this difference was mainly explained in the light of higher complexion constants by sulfate ions compared to nitrate, chloride and phosphate.

  16. Freshwater bacteria release methane as a byproduct of phosphorus acquisition.

    PubMed

    Yao, Mengyin; Henny, Cynthia; Maresca, Julia A

    2016-09-30

    Freshwater lakes emit large amounts of methane, some of which is produced in oxic surface waters. Two potential pathways for aerobic methane production exist: methanogenesis in oxygenated water, which has been observed in some lakes, or demethylation of small organic molecules. Although methane is produced via demethylation in oxic marine environments, this mechanism of methane release has not yet been demonstrated in freshwater systems. Genes related to the C-P lyase pathway, which cleaves C-P bonds in phosphonate compounds, were found in a metagenomic survey of the surface water of Lake Matano, which is chronically P-starved and methane-rich. We demonstrate that four bacterial isolates from Lake Matano obtain P from methylphosphonate and release methane, and that this activity is repressed by phosphate. We further demonstrate that expression of phnJ, which encodes the enzyme that releases methane, is higher in the presence of methylphosphonate and lower when both methylphosphonate and phosphate are added. This gene is also found in most of the metagenomic data sets from freshwater environments. These experiments link methylphosphonate degradation and methane production with gene expression and phosphate availability in freshwater organisms, and suggest that some of the excess methane in the Lake Matano surface water, and in other methane-rich lakes, may be produced by P-starved bacteria. Methane is an important greenhouse gas, and contributes substantially to global warming. Although freshwater environments are known to release methane into the atmosphere, estimates of the amount of methane emitted by freshwater lakes vary from 8 to 73 Tg per year. Methane emissions are difficult to predict in part because the source of the methane can vary: it is the end product of the energy-conserving pathway in methanogenic archaea, which predominantly live in anoxic sediments or waters, but have also been identified in some oxic freshwater environments. More recently, methane release from small organic molecules has been observed in oxic marine environments. Here we show that demethylation of methylphosphonate may also contribute to methane release from lakes, and that phosphate can repress this activity. Since lakes are typically phosphorus-limited, some methane release in these environments may be a byproduct of phosphorus metabolism, rather than carbon or energy metabolism. Methane emissions from lakes are currently predicted using primary production, eutrophication status, extent of anoxia, and the shape and size of the lake; to improve prediction of methane emissions, phosphorus availability and sources may also need to be included in these models. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  17. Release of dissolved phosphorus from riparian vegetated buffer strips: a field assessment of mechanisms and risks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gruau, Gerard; Gu, Sen; Petitjean, Patrice; Dupas, Rémi; Gascuel-odoux, Chantal; Rumpel, Cornelia

    2017-04-01

    Riparian vegetated buffer strips (RVBS) have been promoted worldwide as a tool to reduce diffused phosphorus (P) emission from agriculture lands, mainly through their ability to retain particulate P. However, RVBSs are zones of periodic water table fluctuations, which may stimulate the transformation and release of particulate P into mobile dissolved P species. In this study, we evaluated how soil characteristics (P content and P speciation), groundwater dynamics and biogeochemical processes interact together to trigger these transformations and releases, by monitoring over three years molybdate reactive dissolved P (MRDP) and total dissolved P (TDP) concentrations in soil solutions from two RVBSs set in a small agricultural catchment located in Western France, as well as in the stream immediately close of these two RVBSs and at the catchment outlet. Two main mechanisms were evidenced that released dissolved P in the studied RVBSs, each under the control of groundwater dynamics, namely soil rewetting during water table rise after dry periods, and reductive dissolution of soil Fe-(hydr)oxides during prolonged soil water saturation. However, both mechanisms were shown to be strongly temporarily and spatially variable, being dependent on the local topographic slope and the amount and frequency of rainfall. In fact, the third monitored year which was characterized by numerous dry episodes during the winter season resulted in the almost total inhibition of the reductive dissolution release process in the steeper of the two monitored RVBSs. Comparison of sites also revealed strong differences in the size of the mobile P pools as well as in the speciation of the released P, which correlated with differences in the status and speciation of P in soils. Finally, P concentration fluctuations and P speciation variations similar to those observed in RVBS soils were observed in the stream both immediately close to the RVBSs and at the outlet of the catchment, demonstrating the effective transfer of the released P to surface waters. Overall, results from this study show that RVBSs are effective risk zones with regards to P transfer in agricultural landscapes, due to their ability to biogeochemically transform soil retained particular P into more mobile and more bioavailable dissolved P, but that this risk is likely to strongly vary both in space and time, due to the complex interplay of soil characteristics, groundwater dynamics and biogeochemical processes. The hydroclimate is clearly an important driver through its control on inter-annual and seasonal groundwater dynamics, which in turn determine the type and intensity of the activated release processes. However, the first order controlling factor seems to be topography. Topography indeed ultimately controls the spatio-temporal variability of both wet/dry cycle and subsequent redox oscillation frequency, which are the triggers of the release processes. It influences also the input of particle P from cultivated fields through its control on soil erosion. Finally, it could also regulate the mineralization rate of organic P and thus the size of the most bioavailable inorganic P pool in RVBS soils.

  18. Heterologous Expression of Secreted Bacterial BPP and HAP Phytases in Plants Stimulates Arabidopsis thaliana Growth on Phytate.

    PubMed

    Valeeva, Lia R; Nyamsuren, Chuluuntsetseg; Sharipova, Margarita R; Shakirov, Eugene V

    2018-01-01

    Phytases are specialized phosphatases capable of releasing inorganic phosphate from myo -inositol hexakisphosphate (phytate), which is highly abundant in many soils. As inorganic phosphorus reserves decrease over time in many agricultural soils, genetic manipulation of plants to enable secretion of potent phytases into the rhizosphere has been proposed as a promising approach to improve plant phosphorus nutrition. Several families of biotechnologically important phytases have been discovered and characterized, but little data are available on which phytase families can offer the most benefits toward improving plant phosphorus intake. We have developed transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing bacterial phytases PaPhyC (HAP family of phytases) and 168phyA (BPP family) under the control of root-specific inducible promoter Pht1;2 . The effects of each phytase expression on growth, morphology and inorganic phosphorus accumulation in plants grown on phytate hydroponically or in perlite as the only source of phosphorus were investigated. The most enzymatic activity for both phytases was detected in cell wall-bound fractions of roots, indicating that these enzymes were efficiently secreted. Expression of both bacterial phytases in roots improved plant growth on phytate and resulted in larger rosette leaf area and diameter, higher phosphorus content and increased shoot dry weight, implying that these plants were indeed capable of utilizing phytate as the source of phosphorus for growth and development. When grown on phytate the HAP-type phytase outperformed its BPP-type counterpart for plant biomass production, though this effect was only observed in hydroponic conditions and not in perlite. Furthermore, we found no evidence of adverse side effects of microbial phytase expression in A. thaliana on plant physiology and seed germination. Our data highlight important functional differences between these members of bacterial phytase families and indicate that future crop biotechnologies involving such enzymes will require a very careful evaluation of phytase source and activity. Overall, our data suggest feasibility of using bacterial phytases to improve plant growth in conditions of phosphorus deficiency and demonstrate that inducible expression of recombinant enzymes should be investigated further as a viable approach to plant biotechnology.

  19. Heterologous Expression of Secreted Bacterial BPP and HAP Phytases in Plants Stimulates Arabidopsis thaliana Growth on Phytate

    PubMed Central

    Valeeva, Lia R.; Nyamsuren, Chuluuntsetseg; Sharipova, Margarita R.; Shakirov, Eugene V.

    2018-01-01

    Phytases are specialized phosphatases capable of releasing inorganic phosphate from myo-inositol hexakisphosphate (phytate), which is highly abundant in many soils. As inorganic phosphorus reserves decrease over time in many agricultural soils, genetic manipulation of plants to enable secretion of potent phytases into the rhizosphere has been proposed as a promising approach to improve plant phosphorus nutrition. Several families of biotechnologically important phytases have been discovered and characterized, but little data are available on which phytase families can offer the most benefits toward improving plant phosphorus intake. We have developed transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing bacterial phytases PaPhyC (HAP family of phytases) and 168phyA (BPP family) under the control of root-specific inducible promoter Pht1;2. The effects of each phytase expression on growth, morphology and inorganic phosphorus accumulation in plants grown on phytate hydroponically or in perlite as the only source of phosphorus were investigated. The most enzymatic activity for both phytases was detected in cell wall-bound fractions of roots, indicating that these enzymes were efficiently secreted. Expression of both bacterial phytases in roots improved plant growth on phytate and resulted in larger rosette leaf area and diameter, higher phosphorus content and increased shoot dry weight, implying that these plants were indeed capable of utilizing phytate as the source of phosphorus for growth and development. When grown on phytate the HAP-type phytase outperformed its BPP-type counterpart for plant biomass production, though this effect was only observed in hydroponic conditions and not in perlite. Furthermore, we found no evidence of adverse side effects of microbial phytase expression in A. thaliana on plant physiology and seed germination. Our data highlight important functional differences between these members of bacterial phytase families and indicate that future crop biotechnologies involving such enzymes will require a very careful evaluation of phytase source and activity. Overall, our data suggest feasibility of using bacterial phytases to improve plant growth in conditions of phosphorus deficiency and demonstrate that inducible expression of recombinant enzymes should be investigated further as a viable approach to plant biotechnology. PMID:29515604

  20. Effect of low-molecular-weight organic acids on kinetics release and fractionation of phosphorus in some calcareous soils of western Iran.

    PubMed

    Taghipour, M; Jalali, M

    2013-07-01

    Organic acid has been related to nutrient mobilization, mainly in phosphorus (P) insoluble utilization, and therefore enhances P bioavailability. In this study, we examined the effect of low-molecular-weight organic acids (malic, citric, and oxalic acids) on P release of some calcareous soils from western Iran. Fractionation and speciation of P in the soil solution were studied at the initial and final P release. Significantly different quantities of P were extracted by the organic acids. On average the maximum (1,554.9 mg kg(-1)) and the minimum (1,260.5 mg kg(-1)) P were extracted by 10 mM oxalic and malic acid, respectively. Power equation described well P release. In the initial stage of P release, the solution samples in soils were supersaturated with respect to hydroxyapatite and β-TCP. At the end of P release, all solutions were undersaturated with phosphate minerals. The percentage of Fe-Al oxide fraction generally increased after P release, while carbonate and residual P fractions were decreased in all organic acids. Compared with the native soils, adding malic and citric acids had no effect on Fe-Al oxide fraction, but oxalic acid significantly reduced this fraction.

  1. Modelling Potential Consequences of Different Geo-Engineering Treatments for the Baltic Sea Ecosystem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schrum, C.; Daewel, U.

    2017-12-01

    From 1950 onwards, the Baltic Sea ecosystem suffered increasingly from eutrophication. The most obvious reason for the eutrophication is the huge amount of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) reaching the Baltic Sea from human activities. However, although nutrient loads have been decreasing since 1980, the hypoxic areas have not decreased accordingly. Thus, geo-engineering projects were discussed and evaluated to artificially ventilate the Baltic Sea deep water and suppress nutrient release from the sediments. Here, we aim at understanding the consequences of proposed geo-engineering projects in the Baltic Sea using long-term scenario modelling. For that purpose, we utilize a 3d coupled ecosystem model ECOSMO E2E, a novel NPZD-Fish model approach that resolves hydrodynamics, biogeochemical cycling and lower and higher trophic level dynamics. We performed scenario modelling that consider proposed geo-engineering projects such as artificial ventilation of Baltic Sea deep waters and phosphorus binding in sediments with polyaluminium chlorides. The model indicates that deep-water ventilation indeed suppresses phosphorus release in the first 1-4 years of treatment. Thereafter macrobenthos repopulates the formerly anoxic bottom regions and nutrients are increasingly recycled in the food web. Consequently, overall system productivity and fish biomass increases and toxic algae blooms decrease. However, deep-water ventilation has no long-lasting effect on the ecosystem: soon after completion of the ventilation process, the system turns back into its original state. Artificial phosphorus binding in sediments in contrast decreases overall ecosystem productivity through permanent removal of phosphorus. As expected it decreases bacterial production and toxic algae blooms, but it also decreases fish production substantially. Contrastingly to deep water ventilation, artificial phosphorus binding show a long-lasting effect over decades after termination of the treatment.

  2. Development, Testing, and Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analyses of a Transport and Reaction Simulation Engine (TaRSE) for Spatially Distributed Modeling of Phosphorus in South Florida Peat Marsh Wetlands

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jawitz, James W.; Munoz-Carpena, Rafael; Muller, Stuart; Grace, Kevin A.; James, Andrew I.

    2008-01-01

    Alterations to the predevelopment delivery of water and nutrients into the Everglades of southern Florida have been occurring for nearly a century. Major regional drainage projects, large-scale agricultural development, and changes to the hydrology of the Kissimmee River-Lake Okeechobee watershed have resulted in substantial phosphorus transport increases by surface waters. Excess phosphorus has accumulated in the soils of northern Everglades marshes to levels that have impaired the natural resources of the region. Regulations now limit the amount of phosphorous that enters the Everglades through an extensive network of water-control structures. This study involved the development and application of water-quality modeling components that may be applied to existing hydrologic models of southern Florida to evaluate the effects of different management scenarios. The result of this work is a spatially distributed water-quality model for phosphorus transport and cycling in wetlands. The model solves the advection-dispersion equation on an unstructured triangular mesh and incorporates a wide range of user-selectable mechanisms for phosphorus uptake and release parameters. In general, the phosphorus model contains transfers between stores; examples of stores that can be included are soil, water column (solutes), pore water, macrophytes, suspended solids (plankton), and biofilm. Examples of transfers are growth, senescence, settling, diffusion, and so forth, described with first order, second order, and Monod types of transformations. Local water depths and velocities are determined from an existing two-dimensional, overland-flow hydrologic model. The South Florida Water Management District Regional Simulation Model was used in this study. The model is applied to three case studies: intact cores of wetland soils with water, outdoor mesocosoms, and a large constructed wetland; namely, Cell 4 of Stormwater Treatment Area 1 West (STA-1W Cell 4). Different levels of complexity in the phosphorus cycling mechanisms were simulated in these case studies using different combinations of phosphorus reaction equations. Changes in water column phosphorus concentrations observed under the controlled conditions of laboratory incubations, and mesocosm studies were reproduced with model simulations. Short-term phosphorus flux rates and changes in phosphorus storages were within the range of values reported in the literature, whereas unknown rate constants were used to calibrate the model output. In STA-1W Cell 4, the dominant mechanism for phosphorus flow and transport is overland flow. Over many life cycles of the biological components, however, soils accrue and become enriched in phosphorus. Inflow total phosphorus concentrations and flow rates for the period between 1995 and 2000 were used to simulate Cell 4 phosphorus removal, outflow concentrations, and soil phosphorus enrichment over time. This full-scale application of the model successfully incorporated parameter values derived from the literature and short-term experiments, and reproduced the observed long-term outflow phosphorus concentrations and increased soil phosphorus storage within the system. A global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis of the model was performed using modern techniques such as a qualitative screening tool (Morris method) and the quantitative, variance-based, Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (FAST) method. These techniques allowed an in-depth exploration of the effect of model complexity and flow velocity on model outputs. Three increasingly complex levels of possible application to southern Florida were studied corresponding to a simple soil pore-water and surface-water system (level 1), the addition of plankton (level 2), and of macrophytes (level 3). In the analysis for each complexity level, three surface-water velocities were considered that each correspond to residence times for the selected area (1-kilometer long) of 2, 10, and 20

  3. Leaching of nitrogen, phosphorus, TOC and COD from the biosolids of the municipal wastewater treatment plant of Thessaloniki.

    PubMed

    Batziaka, V; Fytianos, K; Voudrias, E

    2008-05-01

    Biosolids from the WWTP of Thessaloniki were examined for the leaching of phosphorus (as PO4(3-) -P), nitrogen (as NH4+ (-N) and NO3- (-N)), and organic matter (as TOC and COD), using two tests: (1) a pH static leaching test and (2) a characterization test, relating contaminant release to the liquid to solid (L/S) ratio. Moreover, a Microtox toxicity test was conducted, to examine the pH dependency of the toxicity of the sludge leachate on the Vibrio fischeri bacterium. Maximum phosphorus release was observed at pH < 3 and at pH > 10. Ammonium nitrogen exhibited maximum leachability at near neutral pH conditions, while nitrate nitrogen exhibited a mild increase in the leachate, as the leachant pH increased from 2 to 12. Both TOC and COD exhibited an increase in the leachate concentration, as the leachant pH was increased from 2 to 12. Ecotoxicological analysis showed that maximum toxicity occurred at very low and very high pH-conditions. As liquid-to-solid ratio increased, the leachate concentration (in mg/l) of all parameters studied decreased. The results of the study were used to conduct a release assessment estimate for the case of Thessaloniki.

  4. Effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 on dissolution of geological fluorapatite in water and soil.

    PubMed

    Li, Zhen; Su, Mu; Tian, Da; Tang, Lingyi; Zhang, Lin; Zheng, Yangfan; Hu, Shuijin

    2017-12-01

    Most of phosphorus (P) is present as insoluble phosphorus-bearing minerals or organic forms in soil. Geological fluorapatite (FAp) is the dominant mineral-weathering source of P. In this study, FAp was added into water and soil under elevated CO 2 to investigate the pathway of P release. Two types of soils (an acidic soil from subtropical China and a saline-alkali soil from Tibet Plateau, China) with similar total P content were studied. In the solution, increased CO 2 in air enhanced the dissolution of FAp, i.e., from 0.04 to 1.18ppm for P and from 2.48 to 13.61ppm for Ca. In addition, release of Ca and P from FAp reached the maximum (2.14ppm for P and 13.84ppm for Ca) under the combination of elevated CO 2 and NaCl due to the increasing ion exchange. Consistent with the results from the solution, CO 2 elevation promoted P release more significantly (triple) in the saline-alkali soil than in the acidic soil. Therefore, saline-alkali soils in Tibet Plateau would be an important reservoir of available P under the global CO 2 rise. This study sheds the light on understanding the geological cycle of phosphorus. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. Evidence from in vivo 31-phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy phosphodiesters that exhaled ethane is a biomarker of cerebral n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation in humans

    PubMed Central

    Puri, Basant K; Counsell, Serena J; Ross, Brian M; Hamilton, Gavin; Bustos, Marcelo G; Treasaden, Ian H

    2008-01-01

    Background This study tested the hypothesis that exhaled ethane is a biomarker of cerebral n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid peroxidation in humans. Ethane is released specifically following peroxidation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. We reasoned that the cerebral source of ethane would be the docosahexaenoic acid component of membrane phospholipids. Breakdown of the latter also releases phosphorylated polar head groups, giving rise to glycerophosphorylcholine and glycerophosphorylethanolamine, which can be measured from the 31-phosphorus neurospectroscopy phosphodiester peak. Schizophrenia patients were chosen because of evidence of increased free radical-mediated damage and cerebral lipid peroxidation in this disorder. Methods Samples of alveolar air were obtained from eight patients and ethane was analyzed and quantified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (m/z = 30). Cerebral 31-phosphorus spectra were obtained from the same patients at a magnetic field strength of 1.5 T using an image-selected in vivo spectroscopy sequence (TR = 10 s; 64 signal averages localized on a 70 × 70 × 70 mm3 voxel). The quantification of the 31-phosphorus signals using prior knowledge was carried out in the temporal domain after truncating the first 1.92 ms of the signal to remove the broad component present in the 31-phosphorus spectra. Results The ethane and phosphodiester levels, expressed as a percentage of the total 31-phosphorus signal, were positively and significantly correlated (rs = 0.714, p < 0.05). Conclusion Our results support the hypothesis that the measurement of exhaled ethane levels indexes cerebral n-3 lipid peroxidation. From a practical viewpoint, if human cerebral n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid catabolism can be measured by ethane in expired breath, this would be more convenient than determining the area of the 31-phosphorus neurospectroscopy phosphodiester peak. PMID:18433512

  6. Effect of food additives on hyperphosphatemia among patients with end-stage renal disease: a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Sullivan, Catherine; Sayre, Srilekha S; Leon, Janeen B; Machekano, Rhoderick; Love, Thomas E; Porter, David; Marbury, Marquisha; Sehgal, Ashwini R

    2009-02-11

    High dietary phosphorus intake has deleterious consequences for renal patients and is possibly harmful for the general public as well. To prevent hyperphosphatemia, patients with end-stage renal disease limit their intake of foods that are naturally high in phosphorus. However, phosphorus-containing additives are increasingly being added to processed and fast foods. The effect of such additives on serum phosphorus levels is unclear. To determine the effect of limiting the intake of phosphorus-containing food additives on serum phosphorus levels among patients with end-stage renal disease. Cluster randomized controlled trial at 14 long-term hemodialysis facilities in northeast Ohio. Two hundred seventy-nine patients with elevated baseline serum phosphorus levels (>5.5 mg/dL) were recruited between May and October 2007. Two shifts at each of 12 large facilities and 1 shift at each of 2 small facilities were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. Intervention participants (n=145) received education on avoiding foods with phosphorus additives when purchasing groceries or visiting fast food restaurants. Control participants (n=134) continued to receive usual care. Change in serum phosphorus level after 3 months. At baseline, there was no significant difference in serum phosphorus levels between the 2 groups. After 3 months, the decline in serum phosphorus levels was 0.6 mg/dL larger among intervention vs control participants (95% confidence interval, -1.0 to -0.1 mg/dL). Intervention participants also had statistically significant increases in reading ingredient lists (P<.001) and nutrition facts labels (P = .04) but no significant increase in food knowledge scores (P = .13). Educating end-stage renal disease patients to avoid phosphorus-containing food additives resulted in modest improvements in hyperphosphatemia. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00583570.

  7. Fish farming enhances biomass and nutrient loss in Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Apostolaki, Eugenia T.; Marbà, Núria; Holmer, Marianne; Karakassis, Ioannis

    2009-02-01

    Fish farming impact on the seasonal biomass, carbon and nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) balance of the endemic Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica was assessed in the Aegean Sea (Greece) in order to detect changes in magnitude and fate of seagrass production and nutrient incorporation with organic loading of the meadows. Phosphorus concentration in the leaves, rhizomes and roots was enhanced under the cages throughout the study. Standing biomass was diminished by 64% and carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus standing stock by 64%, 61% and 48%, respectively, under the cages in relation to those at the control. Seagrass production decreased by 68% and element (C, N, P) incorporation by 67%, 58% and 58%, respectively, under the cages. Leaf shedding was reduced by 81% and loss of elements (C, N, and P) through shedding by 82%, 74% and 72%, respectively, under the cages. Leaf and element (C, N, P) residual loss rate, accounting for grazing and mechanical breakage of leaves, was decreased by 79%, 85%, 100% and 96%, respectively, at the control station. At the control station, 13.98 g C m -2 yr -1, 1.91 g N m -2 yr -1 and 0.05 g P m -2 yr -1 were produced in excess of export and loss. In contrast, under the cages 12.69 g C m -2 yr -1, 0.31 g N m -2 yr -1 and 0.04 g P m -2 yr -1 were released from the meadow. Organic loading due to fish farm discharges transformed the seagrass meadow under the cages from a typical sink to a source of organic carbon and nutrients.

  8. Evaluating the efficiency of carbon utilisation via bioenergetics between biological aerobic and denitrifying phosphorus removal systems

    PubMed Central

    Jin, Zhan; He, Yin; Xu, Xuan; Zheng, Xiang-yong

    2017-01-01

    There are two biological systems available for removing phosphorus from waste water, conventional phosphorus removal (CPR) and denitrifying phosphorus removal (DPR) systems, and each is characterized by the type of sludge used in the process. In this study, we compared the characteristics associated with the efficiency of carbon utilization between CPR and DPR sludge using acetate as a carbon source. For DPR sludge, the heat emitted during the phosphorus release and phosphorus uptake processes were 45.79 kJ/mol e- and 84.09 kJ/mol e-, respectively. These values were about 2 fold higher than the corresponding values obtained for CPR sludge, suggesting that much of the energy obtained from the carbon source was emitted as heat. Further study revealed a smaller microbial mass within the DPR sludge compared to CPR sludge, as shown by a lower sludge yield coefficient (0.05 gVSS/g COD versus 0.36 gVSS/g COD), a result that was due to the lower energy capturing efficiency of DPR sludge according to bioenergetic analysis. Although the efficiency of anoxic phosphorus removal was only 39% the efficiency of aerobic phosphorus removal, the consumption of carbon by DPR sludge was reduced by 27.8% compared to CPR sludge through the coupling of denitrification with dephosphatation. PMID:29065157

  9. Water Quality, Hydrology, and Simulated Response to Changes in Phosphorus Loading of Butternut Lake, Price and Ashland Counties, Wisconsin, with Special Emphasis on the Effects of Internal Phosphorus Loading in a Polymictic Lake

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, William J.

    2008-01-01

    Butternut Lake is a 393-hectare, eutrophic to hypereutrophic lake in northcentral Wisconsin. After only minor improvements in water quality were observed following several actions taken to reduce the nutrient inputs to the lake, a detailed study was conducted from 2002 to 2007 by the U.S. Geological Survey to better understand how the lake functions. The goals of this study were to describe the water quality and hydrology of the lake, quantify external and internal sources of phosphorus, and determine the effects of past and future changes in phosphorus inputs on the water quality of the lake. Since the early 1970s, the water quality of Butternut Lake has changed little in response to nutrient reductions from the watershed. The largest changes were in near-surface total phosphorus concentrations: August concentrations decreased from about 0.09 milligrams per liter (mg/L) to about 0.05 mg/L, but average summer concentrations decreased only from about 0.055-0.060 mg/L to about 0.045 mg/L. Since the early 1970s, only small changes were observed in chlorophyll a concentrations and water clarity (Secchi depths). All major water and phosphorus sources, including the internal release of phosphorus from the sediments (internal loading), were measured directly, and minor sources were estimated to construct detailed water and phosphorus budgets for the lake during monitoring years (MY) 2003 and 2004. During these years, Butternut Creek, Spiller Creek, direct precipitation, small tributaries and near-lake drainage area, and ground water contributed about 62, 20, 8, 7, and 3 percent of the inflow, respectively. The average annual load of phosphorus to the lake was 2,540 kilograms (kg), of which 1,590 kg came from external sources (63 percent) and 945 kg came from the sediments in the lake (37 percent). Of the total external sources, Butternut Creek, Spiller Creek, small tributaries and near-lake drainage area, septic systems, precipitation, and ground water contributed about 63, 23, 9, 3, 1, and 1 percent, respectively. Because of the high internal phosphorus loading, the eutrophication models used in this study were unable to simulate the observed water-quality characteristics in the lake without incorporating this source of phosphorus. However, when internal loading of phosphorus was added to the BATHTUB model, it accurately simulated the average water-quality characteristics measured in MY 2003 and 2004. Model simulations demonstrated a relatively linear response between in-lake total phosphorus concentrations and external phosphorus loading; however, the changes in concentrations were smaller than the changes in external phosphorus loadings (about 25-40 percent of the change in phosphorus loading). Changes in chlorophyll a concentrations, the percentage of days with algal blooms, and Secchi depths were nonlinear and had a greater response to reductions in phosphorus loading than to increases in phosphorus loading. A 50-percent reduction in external phosphorus loading caused an 18-percent decrease in chlorophyll a concentrations, a 41-percent decrease in the percentage of days with algal blooms, and a 12-percent increase in Secchi depth. When the additional internal phosphorus loading was removed from model simulations, all of these constituents showed a much greater response to changes in external phosphorus loading. Because of Butternut Lake's morphometry, it is polymictic, which means it mixes frequently and does not develop stable thermal stratification throughout the summer. This characteristic makes it more vulnerable than dimictic lakes, which mix in spring and fall and develop stable thermal stratification during summer, to the high internal phosphorus loading that has resulted from historically high, nonnatural, external phosphorus loading. In polymictic lakes, the phosphorus released from the sediments is mixed into the upper part of the lake throughout summer. Once Butternut Lake became hypereutrophic (very p

  10. Interactions between calcium and phosphorus in the regulation of the production of fibroblast growth factor 23 in vivo

    PubMed Central

    Quinn, Stephen J.; Thomsen, Alex R. B.; Pang, Jian L.; Kantham, Lakshmi; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Pollak, Martin; Goltzman, David

    2013-01-01

    Calcium and phosphorus homeostasis are highly interrelated and share common regulatory hormones, including FGF23. However, little is known about calcium's role in the regulation of FGF23. We sought to investigate the regulatory roles of calcium and phosphorus in FGF23 production using genetic mouse models with targeted inactivation of PTH (PTH KO) or both PTH and the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR; PTH-CaSR DKO). In wild-type, PTH KO, and PTH-CaSR DKO mice, elevation of either serum calcium or phosphorus by intraperitoneal injection increased serum FGF23 levels. In PTH KO and PTH-CaSR DKO mice, however, increases in serum phosphorus by dietary manipulation were accompanied by severe hypocalcemia, which appeared to blunt stimulation of FGF23 release. Increases in dietary phosphorus in PTH-CaSR DKO mice markedly decreased serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] despite no change in FGF23, suggesting direct regulation of 1,25(OH)2D3 synthesis by serum phosphorus. Calcium-mediated increases in serum FGF23 required a threshold level of serum phosphorus of about 5 mg/dl. Analogously, phosphorus-elicited increases in FGF23 were markedly blunted if serum calcium was less than 8 mg/dl. The best correlation between calcium and phosphorus and serum FGF23 was found between FGF23 and the calcium × phosphorus product. Since calcium stimulated FGF23 production in the PTH-CaSR DKO mice, this effect cannot be mediated by the full-length CaSR. Thus the regulation of FGF23 by both calcium and phosphorus appears to be fundamentally important in coordinating the serum levels of both mineral ions and ensuring that the calcium × phosphorus product remains within a physiological range. PMID:23233539

  11. 75 FR 36306 - Chemical Mixtures Containing Listed Forms of Phosphorus and Change in Application Process

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-25

    ... 1117-AA66 Chemical Mixtures Containing Listed Forms of Phosphorus and Change in Application Process... phosphorus, white phosphorus (also known as yellow phosphorus), or hypophosphorous acid and its salts (hereinafter ``regulated phosphorus'') that shall automatically qualify for exemption from the Controlled...

  12. Changes in phytates and HCl extractability of calcium, phosphorus, and iron of soaked, dehulled, cooked, and sprouted pigeon pea cultivar (UPAS-120).

    PubMed

    Duhan, A; Khetarpaul, N; Bishnoi, S

    2002-01-01

    UPAS-120, a high yielding and early maturing variety of pigeon peas released by the Department of Plant Breeding, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar contained a significant amount of phytic acid, i.e. 886 mg/100 g. When it was subjected to various domestic processing and cooking methods viz. soaking (6, 12, 18 h), dehulling, ordinary as well as pressure cooking and germination (24, 36 and 48 h), a drastic decrease in level of phytic acid with a remarkable increase in the HCl-extractability of mono, divalent, and trivalent ions, like calcium, phosphorus, and iron occurred. Germination (48 h) was found to be the best method for decreasing the phytic acid content, i.e. 35 to 39 percent less than the control and significantly (p < 0.05) increasing the non-phytate phosphorus and HCl-extractable phosphorus. Pressure cooking of soaked-dehulled pigeon pea also rendered equally good results. The calcium, phosphorus, and iron contents of pigeon pea seeds were 197.3, 473.1, and 9.91 mg/100 g, respectively; some losses varying from 3 to 9 percent were noticed when the legume was subjected to soaking, cooking, and germination but the maximum losses, i.e. 23 percent, occurred when the seeds were dehulled. However, HCl-extractability of Ca, P, and Fe improved to a significant extent when the pigeon pea seeds were soaked, soaked-dehulled, cooked and sprouted which may have been due to decrease in the phytate content followed by processing and cooking. The significant negative correlations between the phytic acid and HCl-extractability of minerals of processed pigeon pea strengthens these findings.

  13. Gap locations influence the release of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in two shrub foliar litter in an alpine fir forest

    PubMed Central

    He, Wei; Wu, Fuzhong; Yang, Wanqin; Zhang, Danju; Xu, Zhenfeng; Tan, Bo; Zhao, Yeyi; Justine, Meta Francis

    2016-01-01

    Gap formation favors the growth of understory plants and affects the decomposition process of plant debris inside and outside of gaps. Little information is available regarding how bioelement release from shrub litter is affected by gap formation during critical periods. The release of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in the foliar litter of Fargesia nitida and Salix paraplesia in response to gap locations was determined in an alpine forest of the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau via a 2-year litter decomposition experiment. The daily release rates of C, N, and P increased from the closed canopy to the gap centers during the two winters, the two later growing seasons and the entire 2 years, whereas this trend was reversed during the two early growing seasons. The pairwise ratios among C, N, and P converged as the litter decomposition proceeded. Compared with the closed canopy, the gap centers displayed higher C:P and N:P ratio but a lower C:N ratio as the decomposition proceeded. Alpine forest gaps accelerate the release of C, N, and P in decomposing shrub litter, implying that reduced snow cover resulting from vanishing gaps may inhibit the release of these elements in alpine forests. PMID:26906762

  14. Matrix based fertilizers reduce nitrogen and phosphorus leaching in three soils.

    PubMed

    Entry, James A; Sojka, R E

    2008-05-01

    We compared the efficacy of matrix based fertilizers (MBFs) formulated to reduce NO3-, NH4+, and total phosphorus (TP) leaching, with Osmocoate 14-14-14, a conventional commercial slow release fertilizer (SRF) and an unamended control in three different soil textures in a greenhouse column study. The MBFs covered a range of inorganic N and P in compounds that are relatively loosely bound (MBF 1) to more moderately bound (MBF 2) and more tightly bound compounds (MBF 3) mixed with Al(SO4)3H2O and/or Fe2(SO4)3 and with high ionic exchange compounds starch, chitosan and lignin. When N and P are released, the chemicals containing these nutrients in the MBF bind N and P to a Al(SO4)3H2O and/or Fe2(SO4)3 starch-chitosan-lignin matrix. One milligram (8000 spores) of Glomus intradices was added to all formulations to enhance nutrient uptake. In all three soil textures the SRF leachate contained a higher amount of NH4+, NO3- and TP than leachate from all other fertilizers. In all three soils there were no consistent differences in the amount of NH4+, NO3- and TP in the MBF leachates compared to the control leachate. Plants growing in soils receiving SRF had greater shoot, root and total biomass than all MBFs regardless of Al(SO4)3H2O or Fe2(SO4)3 additions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in plant roots did not consistently differ among plants growing in soil receiving SRF, MBFs and control treatments. Although the MBFs resulted in less plant growth in this experiment they may be applied to soils growing plants in areas that are at high risk for nutrient leaching to surface waters.

  15. Reactive phosphorus removal from aquaculture and poultry productions systems using polymeric hydrogels.

    PubMed

    Kofinas, Peter; Kioussis, Dimitri R

    2003-01-15

    This work reports on the features of a sorption processes for the ultimate removal and recovery of reactive phosphorus from aquaculture and poultry production wastewater effluents. The sorbent used was a cross-linked polyamine (PAA-HCl) polymeric hydrogel. The PAA-HCl hydrogels were prepared by chemically cross-linking aqueous solutions of linear PAA-HCl chains with epichlorohydrin (EPI). The phosphorus binding capacity of the gels was measured in standard aqueous solutions as a function of ionic strength. Equilibrium PO4(3-), loadings of 100 mg anion/g gel were obtained. The regeneration ability of the gels was demonstrated by release of the bound phosphorus anions upon washing with 1-2 M NaOH solution, providing opportunities to recover and reuse the gel over multiple cycles. The ionic polyamine gels have been demonstrated to be appropriate materials for treating poultry and aquaculture wastewater effluents. Upon treatment phosphorus anion concentrations were reduced to levels suitable for discharge into natural surface waters.

  16. Localized application of soil organic matter shifts distribution of cluster roots of white lupin in the soil profile due to localized release of phosphorus

    PubMed Central

    Li, Hai-Gang; Shen, Jian-Bo; Zhang, Fu-Suo; Lambers, Hans

    2010-01-01

    Background and Aims Phosphorus (P) is a major factor controlling cluster-root formation. Cluster-root proliferation tends to concentrate in organic matter (OM)-rich surface-soil layers, but the nature of this response of cluster-root formation to OM is not clear. Cluster-root proliferation in response to localized application of OM was characterized in Lupinus albus (white lupin) grown in stratified soil columns to test if the stimulating effect of OM on cluster-root formation was due to (a) P release from breakdown of OM; (b) a decrease in soil density; or (c) effects of micro-organisms other than releasing P from OM. Methods Lupin plants were grown in three-layer stratified soil columns where P was applied at 0 or 330 mg P kg−1 to create a P-deficient or P-sufficient background, and OM, phytate mixed with OM, or perlite was applied to the top or middle layers with or without sterilization. Key Results Non-sterile OM stimulated cluster-root proliferation and root length, and this effect became greater when phytate was supplied in the presence of OM. Both sterile OM and perlite significantly decreased cluster-root formation in the localized layers. The OM position did not change the proportion of total cluster roots to total roots in dry biomass among no-P treatments, but more cluster roots were concentrated in the OM layers with a decreased proportion in other places. Conclusions Localized application of non-sterile OM or phytate plus OM stimulated cluster-root proliferation of L. albus in the localized layers. This effect is predominantly accounted for by P release from breakdown of OM or phytate, but not due to a change in soil density associated with OM. No evidence was found for effects of micro-organisms in OM other than those responsible for P release. PMID:20150198

  17. Novel phased isolation ditch system for enhanced nutrient removal and its optimal operating strategy.

    PubMed

    Hong, K i-Ho; Chang, Duk; Hur, Joon-Moo; Han, Sang-Bae

    2003-01-01

    Phased isolation ditch system with intrachannel clarifier is a simplified novel oxidation ditch system enhancing simultaneous removal of biological nitrogen and phosphorus in municipal wastewater. The system employs two ditches with intra-clarifier, and eliminates external final clarifier, additional preanaerobic reactor, and recycle of sludge and nitrified effluent. Separation of anoxic, anaerobic, and aerobic phases can be accomplished by alternating flow and intermittent aeration. Its pilot-scale system operated at HRTs of 10-21 h, SRTs of 15-41 days, and a cycle times of 2-8 h showed removals of BOD, TN, and TP in the range of mixed liquor temperature above 10 degrees C as high as 88-97, 70-84, and 65-90%, respectively. As the SRTs became longer, the effluent TN decreased dramatically, whereas the effluent TP increased. Higher nitrogen removal was accomplished at shorter cycle times, while better phosphorus removal was achieved in longer cycle times. Optimal system operating strategies maximizing the performance and satisfying both the best nitrogen and phosphorus removals included HRTs ranged 10-14 h, SRTs ranged 25-30 days, and a cycle time of 4 h at the mixed liquor temperature above 10 degrees C. Thus, complete phase separation in a cycle maximizing phosphorus release and uptake as well as nitrification and denitrification was accomplished by scheduling of alternating flow and intermittent aeration in the simplified process scheme. Especially, temporal phase separation for phosphorus release without additional anaerobic reactor was successfully accomplished during anaerobic period without any nitrate interference and carbon-limiting.

  18. Effect of 1-naphthaleneacetic acid on organic acid exudation by the roots of white lupin plants grown under phosphorus-deficient conditions.

    PubMed

    Gómez, Diego A; Carpena, Ramón O

    2014-09-15

    The effect of NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid) on organic acid exudation in white lupin plants grown under phosphorus deficiency was investigated. Plants were sampled periodically for collecting of organic acids (citrate, malate, succinate), and also were used to study the effect on proton extrusion and release of Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+) and Mg(2+). The tissues were later processed to quantify the organic acids in tissues, the phosphorus content and the effects on plant biomass. The exogenous addition of NAA led to an increase in organic acid exudation, but this response was not proportional to the concentration of the dose applied, noticing the largest increments with NAA 10(-8)M. In contrast the increase in root weight was proportional to the dose applied, which shows that with higher doses the roots produced are not of proteoid type. Proton extrusion and the release of cations were related to the NAA dose, the first was proportional to the dose applied and the second inversely proportional. Regarding the analysis of tissues, the results of citrate and phosphorus content in shoots show that the overall status of these parts are the main responsible of the organic acids exuded. NAA served as an enhancer of the organic acid exudation that occurs under phosphorus deficient conditions, with a response that depends on the dose applied, not only in its magnitude, but also in the mechanism of action of the plant hormone. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  19. Anoxia-induced release of colloid- and nanoparticle-bound phosphorus in grassland soils.

    PubMed

    Henderson, R; Kabengi, N; Mantripragada, N; Cabrera, M; Hassan, S; Thompson, A

    2012-11-06

    Particle-facilitated transport is a key mechanism of phosphorus (P) loss in agroecosystems. We assessed contributions of colloid- and nanoparticle-bound P (nPP; 1-415 nm) to total P released from grassland soils receiving biannual poultry litter applications since 1995. In laboratory incubations, soils were subjected to 7 days of anoxic conditions or equilibrated at pH 6 and 8 under oxic conditions and then the extract was size fractionated by differential centrifugation/ultrafiltration for analysis of P, Al, Fe, Si, Ti, and Ca. Selected samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (TEM-EDS) and field flow fractionation (FFF-ICP-MS). Particles released were present as nanoaggregates with a mean diameter of 200-250 nm, composed of ~50-nm aluminosilicate flakes studded with Fe and Ti-rich clusters (<10 nm) that contained most of the P detected by EDS. Anoxic incubation of stimulated nPP release with seasonally saturated soils released more nPP and Fe(2+)(aq) than well-drained soils; whereas, nonreductive particle dispersion, accomplished by raising the pH, yielded no increase in nPP release. This suggests Fe acts as a cementing agent, binding to the bulk soil P-bearing colloids that can be released during reducing conditions. Furthermore, it suggests prior periodic exposure to anoxic conditions increases susceptibility to redox-induced P mobilization.

  20. Kinetics of phosphorus and potassium release from rock phosphate and waste mica enriched compost and their effect on yield and nutrient uptake by wheat (Triticum aestivum).

    PubMed

    Nishanth, D; Biswas, D R

    2008-06-01

    An attempt was made to study the efficient use of rice straw and indigenous source of phosphorus and potassium in crop production through composting technology. Various enriched composts were prepared using rice straw, rock phosphate (RP), waste mica and bioinoculant (Aspergillus awamori) and kinetics of release of phosphorus and potassium from enriched composts and their effect on yield and nutrient uptake by wheat (Triticum aestivum) were carried out. Results showed sharp increases in release in water-soluble P and K from all the composts at 8th to 12th day of leaching, thereafter, it decreased gradually. Maximum release of water-soluble P and K were obtained in ordinary compost than enriched composts during the initial stages of leaching, but their differences narrowed down at latter stages. Data in pot experiments revealed that enriched composts performed poorly than diammonium phosphate during initial stages of crop growth, but they out yielded at the latter stages, particularly at maturity stage, as evident from their higher yield, uptake, nutrient recoveries and fertility status of P and K in soils. Moreover, enriched composts prepared with RP and waste mica along with A. awamori resulted in significantly higher biomass yield, uptake and recoveries of P and K as well as available P and K in soils than composts prepared without inoculant. Results indicated that enriched compost could be an alternate technology for the efficient management of rice straw, low-grade RP and waste mica in crop production, which could help to reduce the reliance on costly chemical fertilizers.

  1. Application of magnesium modified corn biochar for phosphorus removal and recovery from swine wastewater.

    PubMed

    Fang, Ci; Zhang, Tao; Li, Ping; Jiang, Rong-feng; Wang, Ying-cai

    2014-09-05

    The recycling of lost phosphorus (P) is important in sustainable development. In line with this objective, biochar adsorption is a promising method of P recovery. Therefore, our study investigates the efficiency and selectivity of magnesium modified corn biochar (Mg/biochar) in relation to P adsorption. It also examines the available P derived from postsorption Mg/biochar. Mg/biochar is rich in magnesium nanoparticles and organic functional groups, and it can adsorb 90% of the equilibrium amount of P within 30 min. The Mg/biochar P adsorption process is mainly controlled by chemical action. The maximum P adsorption amount of Mg/biochar is 239 mg/g. The Langmuir-Freundlich model fits the P adsorption isotherm best. Thermodynamics calculation shows ∆H > 0, ∆G < 0, ∆S > 0, and it demonstrates the P adsorption process is an endothermic, spontaneous, and increasingly disordered. The optimal pH is 9. The amounts of P adsorbed by Mg/B300, Mg/B450, and Mg/B600 from swine wastewater are lower than that adsorbed from synthetic P wastewater by 6.6%, 4.8%, and 4.2%, respectively. Mg/biochar is more resistant to pH and to the influence of coexisting ions than biochar. Finally, postsorption Mg/biochar can release P persistently. The P release equilibrium concentrations are ordered as follows: Mg/B600 > Mg/B450 > Mg/B300. The postsorption Mg/B300, Mg/B450, and Mg/B600 can release 3.3%, 3.9%, and 4.4% of the total adsorbed P, respectively, per interval time.

  2. Phosphorus and greenhouse gas dynamics in a drained calcareous wetland soil in Minnesota.

    PubMed

    Berryman, Erin M; Venterea, Rodney T; Baker, John M; Bloom, Paul R; Elf, Brandy

    2009-01-01

    Restoration of wetland hydrology can produce ecological benefits but may have unintended consequences. We examined effects of altered water level on release of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and greenhouse gases (GHG) in soil cores from a marsh being evaluated for restoration. We also measured field concentrations of DRP and other constituents in wetland porewater. Intact cores from a sampling location with higher Fe and lower calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) contents released more DRP than another location, and displayed higher DRP under completely saturated compared to partly drained conditions. Porewater samples collected from the high-Fe location also contained higher DRP levels. Chemical data suggest that redox-driven reactions largely controlled DRP levels at the high-Fe site, while CaCO(3) adsorption was more important at the low-Fe site. Over the long term, water table elevation may attenuate P draining from the wetland due to decreased mineralization. However, such measures may increase P release in the short term. Raising the water level in soil cores resulted in decreased nitrous oxide (N(2)O) emissions, increased methane (CH(4)) emissions, and an overall increase in total global warming potential (GWP). The proportion of total GWP contributed by N(2)O decreased from 14% to < or = 1% as water level was raised, while the proportion contributed by CH(4) increased from 10 to 20% to 60 to 80%. Restoration of hydrology in the Rice Lake wetland has the potential to affect both local water quality and global air quality. These combined effects complicate the cost-to-benefit analysis of such wetland restoration efforts.

  3. Application of Magnesium Modified Corn Biochar for Phosphorus Removal and Recovery from Swine Wastewater

    PubMed Central

    Fang, Ci; Zhang, Tao; Li, Ping; Jiang, Rong-feng; Wang, Ying-cai

    2014-01-01

    The recycling of lost phosphorus (P) is important in sustainable development. In line with this objective, biochar adsorption is a promising method of P recovery. Therefore, our study investigates the efficiency and selectivity of magnesium modified corn biochar (Mg/biochar) in relation to P adsorption. It also examines the available P derived from postsorption Mg/biochar. Mg/biochar is rich in magnesium nanoparticles and organic functional groups, and it can adsorb 90% of the equilibrium amount of P within 30 min. The Mg/biochar P adsorption process is mainly controlled by chemical action. The maximum P adsorption amount of Mg/biochar is 239 mg/g. The Langmuir-Freundlich model fits the P adsorption isotherm best. Thermodynamics calculation shows ∆H > 0, ∆G < 0, ∆S > 0, and it demonstrates the P adsorption process is an endothermic, spontaneous, and increasingly disordered. The optimal pH is 9. The amounts of P adsorbed by Mg/B300, Mg/B450, and Mg/B600 from swine wastewater are lower than that adsorbed from synthetic P wastewater by 6.6%, 4.8%, and 4.2%, respectively. Mg/biochar is more resistant to pH and to the influence of coexisting ions than biochar. Finally, postsorption Mg/biochar can release P persistently. The P release equilibrium concentrations are ordered as follows: Mg/B600 > Mg/B450 > Mg/B300. The postsorption Mg/B300, Mg/B450, and Mg/B600 can release 3.3%, 3.9%, and 4.4% of the total adsorbed P, respectively, per interval time. PMID:25198685

  4. The phosphorus speciations in the sediments up- and down-stream of cascade dams along the middle Lancang River.

    PubMed

    Liu, Qi; Liu, Shiliang; Zhao, Haidi; Deng, Li; Wang, Cong; Zhao, Qinghe; Dong, Shikui

    2015-02-01

    We detected the longitudinal variability of phosphorus speciations and its relation to metals and grain size distribution of sediments in three cascade canyon reservoirs (Xiaowan, Manwan and Dachaoshan) along Lancang River, China. Five phosphorus speciations including loosely bound P (ex-P), reductant soluble P (BD-P), metal oxide-bound P (NaOH-P) calcium-bound P (HCl-P) and residual-P were extracted and quantified. Results showed that in Manwan Reservoir HCl-P accounted for the largest part of total phosphorus (TP) (49.69%), while in Xiaowan and Dachaoshan reservoirs, NaOH-P was the most abundant speciation which accounted for 57.21% and 55.19% of total phosphorus respectively. Higher contents of bio-available phosphorus in Xiaowan and Dachaoshan reservoirs suggested a high rate of P releasing from sediments. Results also showed ex-P and HCl-P had positive correlation with Ca. Total phosphorus was positively correlated with Fe. The silt/clay contents of the sediments had close relationship with ex-P (r=0.413, p<0.05), NaOH-P (r=0.428, p<0.05) and BAP (r=0.458, p<0.05). The concentration of Ca, Mn and silt/clay speciation in the sediments explained 40%, 10% and 4% of the spatial variation of phosphorus speciations, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Interactions between Microcystis aeruginosa and coexisting amoxicillin contaminant at different phosphorus levels.

    PubMed

    Liu, Ying; Chen, Shi; Chen, Xiao; Zhang, Jian; Gao, Baoyu

    2015-10-30

    Microcystis aeruginosa was cultured with 0.05-5 mg L(-1) of phosphorus and exposed to 200-500 ng L(-1) of amoxicillin for seven days. Amoxicillin presented no significant effect (p>0.05) on the growth of M. aeruginosa at phosphorus levels of 0.05 and 0.2 mg L(-1), but stimulated algal growth as a hormesis effect at phosphorus levels of 1 and 5 mg L(-1). Phosphorus and amoxicillin affected the contents of chlorophyll-a, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and malondialdehyde, the expression of psbA and rbcL, as well as the activities of adenosinetriphosphatase and glutathione S-transferase in similar manners, but regulated the production and release of microcystins and the activities of superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in different ways. Increased photosynthesis activity was related with the ATP consumption for the stress response to amoxicillin, and the stress response was enhanced as the phosphorus concentration increased. The biodegradation of amoxicillin by M. aeruginosa increased from 11.5% to 28.2% as the phosphorus concentration increased. Coexisting amoxicillin aggravated M. aeruginosa pollution by increasing cell density and concentration of microcystins, while M. aeruginosa alleviated amoxicillin pollution via biodegradation. The interactions between M. aeruginosa and amoxicillin were significantly regulated by phosphorus (p<0.05) and led to a complicated situation of combined pollution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Changes in litter quality induced by nutrient addition alter litter decomposition in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

    PubMed Central

    Zhu, Wenyan; Wang, Jinzhou; Zhang, Zhenhua; Ren, Fei; Chen, Litong; He, Jin-Sheng

    2016-01-01

    The effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition on litter decomposition are poorly understood in Tibetan alpine meadows. Leaf litter was collected from plots within a factorial N × P addition experiment and allowed to decompose over 708 days in an unfertilized plot to determine the effects of N and/or P addition on litter decomposition. Results showed that nutrient addition significantly affected initial P and P-related biochemical properties of litter from all four species. However, the responses of litter N and N-related biochemical properties to nutrient addition were quite species-specific. Litter C decomposition and N release were species-specific. However, N and P addition significantly affected litter P release. Ratios of Hemicellulose + Cellulose to N and P were significantly related to litter C decomposition; C:N ratio was a determinant of litter N release; and C:P and (Hemicellulose + Cellulose):P controlled litter P release. Overall, litter C decomposition was controlled by litter quality of different plant species, and strongly affected by P addition. Increasing N availability is likely to affect litter C decomposition more indirectly by shifting plant species composition than directly by improving litter quality, and may accelerate N and P cycles, but shift the ecosystem to P limitation. PMID:27694948

  7. Phosphorus transfer in runoff following application of fertilizer, manure, and sewage sludge.

    PubMed

    Withers, P J; Clay, S D; Breeze, V G

    2001-01-01

    Phosphorus (P) transfer in surface runoff from field plots receiving either no P, triplesuperphoshate (TSP), liquid cattle manure (LCS), liquid anaerobically digested sludge (LDS), or dewatered sludge cake (DSC) was compared over a 2-yr period. Dissolved inorganic P concentrations in runoff increased from 0.1 to 0.2 mg L(-1) on control and sludge-treated plots to 3.8 and 6.5 mg L(-1) following application of LCS and TSP, respectively, to a cereal crop in spring. When incorporated into the soil in autumn, runoff dissolved P concentrations were typically < 0.5 mg L(-1) across all plots, and particulate P remained the dominant P form. When surface-applied in autumn to a consolidated seedbed, direct loss of LCS and LDS increased both runoff volume and P transfers, but release of dissolved P occurred only from LCS. The largest P concentrations (>70 mg L(-1)) were recorded following TSP application without any increase in runoff volume, while application of bulky DSC significantly reduced total P transfers by 70% compared with the control due to a reduced runoff volume. Treatment effects in each monitoring period were most pronounced in the first runoff event. Differences in the release of P from the different P sources were related to the amounts of P extracted by either water or sodium bicarbonate in the order TSP > LCS > LDS > DSC. The results suggest there is a lower risk of P transfer in land runoff following application of sludge compared with other agricultural P amendments at similar P rates.

  8. Effects of systematic nursing instruction on a low-phosphorus diet, serum phosphorus level and pruritus of patients on haemodialysis.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Ting-Yin; Tarng, Der-Cherng; Liao, Yuan-Mei; Lin, Pi-Chu

    2017-02-01

    To investigate the effectiveness of systematic nursing instruction on a low-phosphorus diet, serum phosphorus level and pruritus of haemodialysis patients. A high number of end-stage renal disease patients on haemodialysis are bothered by pruritus. Hyperphosphataemia was reported to be related to pruritus. An experimental design was applied. Ninety-four patients who received haemodialysis between September 2013 and December 2013 at a medical centre in Taipei, Taiwan, were recruited. An experimental group received individual systematic nursing instruction by the investigator through a nursing instruction pamphlet and reminder card for taking medication. A control group received traditional nursing instruction. The pruritus, blood phosphorus level and five-day diet records were evaluated before and after intervention. The experimental group had a low-phosphorus diet intake compared with the control group (p < 0·001). A significant difference in serum phosphorus level was observed between the experimental and control groups (p = 0·002). Incidence of pruritus was lower in the experimental group than in the control group (p < 0·001). A systematic nursing instruction included using a pamphlet, pictures and reminder cards, the patients' blood phosphorus levels decreased, the patients consumed more low-phosphorus food, and pruritus decreased. This study recommends that clinical nursing staff include systematic nursing instruction as a routine practice for dialysis patients. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Effects of ZnO nanoparticles on wastewater biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Xiong; Wu, Rui; Chen, Yinguang

    2011-04-01

    With the increasing utilization of nanomaterials, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been reported to induce adverse effects on human health and aquatic organisms. However, the potential impacts of ZnO NPs on wastewater nitrogen and phosphorus removal with an activated sludge process are unknown. In this paper, short-term exposure experiments were conducted to determine whether ZnO NPs caused adverse impacts on biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal in the unacclimated anaerobic-low dissolved oxygen sequencing batch reactor. Compared with the absence of ZnO NPs, the presence of 10 and 50 mg/L of ZnO NPs decreased total nitrogen removal efficiencies from 81.5% to 75.6% and 70.8%, respectively. The corresponding effluent phosphorus concentrations increased from nondetectable to 10.3 and 16.5 mg/L, respectively, which were higher than the influent phosphorus (9.8 mg/L), suggesting that higher concentration of ZnO NPs induced the loss of normal phosphorus removal. It was found that the inhibition of nitrogen and phosphorus removal induced by higher concentrations of ZnO NPs was due to the release of zinc ions from ZnO NPs dissolution and increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which caused inhibitory effect on polyphosphate-accumulating organisms and decreased nitrate reductase, exopolyphosphatase, and polyphosphate kinase activities.

  10. Waste activated sludge fermentation: effect of solids retention time and biomass concentration.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Q; Sparling, R; Oleszkiewicz, J A

    2009-12-01

    Laboratory scale, room temperature, semi-continuous reactors were set-up to investigate the effect of solids retention time (SRT, equal to HRT hydraulic retention time) and biomass concentration on generation of volatile fatty acids (VFA) from the non-methanogenic fermentation of waste activated sludge (WAS) originating from an enhanced biological phosphorus removal process. It was found that VFA yields increased with SRT. At the longest SRT (10d), improved biomass degradation resulted in the highest soluble to total COD ratio and the highest VFA yield from the influent COD (0.14g VFA-COD/g TCOD). It was also observed that under the same SRT, VFA yields increased when the biomass concentration decreased. At a 10d SRT the VFA yield increased by 46%, when the biomass concentration decreased from 13g/L to 4.8g/L. Relatively high nutrient release was observed during fermentation. The average phosphorus release was 17.3mg PO(4)-P/g TCOD and nitrogen release was 25.8mg NH(4)-N/g TCOD.

  11. Reverse Micelle Mediated synthesis of Calcium Phosphate Nanocarriers for Controlled Release of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)

    PubMed Central

    Dasgupta, Sudip; Bandyopadhyay, Amit; Bose, Susmita

    2010-01-01

    Calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoparticle with calcium to phosphorus (Ca:P) molar ratio of 1.5:1 were synthesized using reverse micro emulsion. Ca(NO3)2.4H2O and H3PO4 were used as aqueous phase, cyclohexane as organic phase, and poly(oxyethylene)12 nonylphenol ether (NP-12) as surfactant. Depending on calcination temperature between 600 and 800 °C, CaP nanoparticle showed different phases calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), particle size between 48 and 69 nm, the BET specific average surface area between 73 m2/g and 57 m2/g. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein to study loading and release behavior. Adsorptive property of BSA was investigated with the change in BET surface area of these nanoparticle and the pH of the suspension. At pH 7.5, maximum amount of BSA was adsorbed onto CaP nanoparticle. The release kinetics of BSA showed a gradual time dependent increase at pH 4.0 and 6.0 buffer solutions. However, the amount of released protein was significantly smaller at pH 7.2. BSA release rate also varied depending on the presence of different phases of CaPs in the system, β-TCP or CDHA. These results suggest that BSA protein release rate can be controlled by changing particle size, surface area and phase composition of CaP nanocarriers. PMID:19435617

  12. Phosphorus Equilibria Among Mafic Silicate Phases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berlin, Jana; Xirouchakis, Dimitris

    2002-01-01

    Phosphorus incorporation in major rock-forming silicate minerals has the following implications: (1) Reactions between phosphorus-hosting major silicates and accessory phosphates, which are also major trace element carriers, may control the stability of the latter and thus may affect the amount of phosphorus and other trace elements released to the coexisting melt or fluid phase. (2) Less of a phosphate mineral is needed to account for the bulk phosphorus of planetaty mantles. (3) During partial melting of mantle mineral assemblages or equilibrium fractional crystallization of basaltic magmas, and in the absence or prior to saturation with a phosphate mineral, silicate melts may become enriched in phosphorus, especially in the geochemically important low melt fraction regime, Although the small differences in the ionic radii of IVp5+, IVSi4+, and IV Al3+ makes phosphoms incorporation into crystalline silicates perhaps unsurprising, isostructural silicate and phosphate crystalline solids do not readily form solutions, e.g., (Fe, Mg)2SiO4 vs. LiMgPO4, SiO)2 VS. AlPO4. Nonetheless, there are reports of, poorly characterized silico-phosphate phases in angrites , 2-4 wt% P2O5 in olivine and pyroxene grains in pallasites and reduced terestrial basalts which are little understood but potentially useful, and up to 17 wt% P2O5 in olivine from ancient slags. However, such enrichments are rare and only underscore the likelihood of phosphoms incorporation in silicate minerals. The mechanisms that allow phosphorus to enter major rock-forming silicate minerals (e.g., Oliv, Px, Gt) remain little understood and the relevant data base is limited. Nonetheless, old and new high-pressure (5-10 GPa) experimental data suggest that P2O5 wt% decreases from silica-poor to silica-rich compositions or from orthosilicate to chain silicate structures (garnet > olivine > orthopyroxene) which implies that phosphorus incorporation in silicates is perhaps more structure-than site-specific. The data also indicate that DXVliQP2O5 decrease in the same order, but DOVLiQP2O5 and DOpx/LiQP205 are likely constant, respectively equal to 0.08(3) and 0.007(4), in contrast, DG1ILiQP205 increases from 0.15(3) to 0.36(10) as garnet becomes majoritic, thus silica-enriched, and may also depend on liquid composition (SiO2, P2O5 and Na2O wt%).

  13. [Influence of dredging on sediment resuspension and phosphorus transfer in lake: a simulation study].

    PubMed

    Yu, Ju-Hua; Zhong, Ji-Cheng; Zhang, Yin-Long; Fan, Cheng-Xin; He, Wei; Zhang, Lei; Tang, Zhen-Wu

    2012-10-01

    A simulated experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of sediment dredging on sediment resuspension and phosphorus transfer in the summer and winter seasons under the common wind-wave disturbance, and the contaminated sediment used in this study was from Meiliang Bay, Taihu lake. The result showed that 20 cm dredging could effectively inhibit the sediment resuspension in study area, dredging in winter has a better effect than that in summer, and the higher values of the total suspended solid (TSS) in undredged and dredged water column during the process of wind wave disturbance were 7.0 and 2.2, 24.3 and 6.4 times higher than the initial value in summer and winter simulation respectively. The paired-samples t-test result demonstrated that total phosphorus (TP) and phosphate (PO4(3-)-P) loading positively correlated to TSS content in dredged (P<0.01) and undredged water column (P<0.05), which proved that internal phosphorus fulminating release induced by wind-wave disturbance would significantly increase the TP and PO4(3-)-P loading in the water column. The effect of dredging conducted in summer on the TP and PO4(3)-P loading in the water column was negative, but not for winter dredging (P<0.01). The pore water dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) profile at water-sediment interface in summer simulation was also investigated by diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique. Diffusion layer of the DRP profile in undredged sediment was wider than that in dredged sediment. However, the DRP diffusion potential in dredged sediment was greater than that in undredged sediment, showing that dredging can effectively reduce the risk of the DRP potential release in dredged pore water, but also would induce the DRP fulminating release in the short time under hydrodynamic action. Generally, dredging was usually deployed during the summer and the autumn. Considering Taihu Lake is a large, shallow, eutrophic lake and the contaminant distribution is spatially heterogeneous, it is vital to determine the optimal time, depth and scope of dredging.

  14. Plant soaking decomposition as well as nitrogen and phosphorous release in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Liwei; Zhu, Bo; Nsenga Kumwimba, Mathieu; Jiang, Shiwei

    2017-08-15

    The operating scheme of the Three Gorges Reservoir results in a summer drought in the water-level fluctuation zone during which plants grow vigorously. In the winter inundation season, soaking plants may decompose and release nutrients resulting in water quality deterioration. This study quantifies the contributions of the underwater decomposition of nine dominant plant species in the water-level fluctuation zone to nutrient release. The in-situ litterbag technique was used to study for soaking decomposition over 200days. All soaking plant species decomposed rapidly at an average rate of 1.99±0.33%d -1 in the early stage of soaking (0 to 30days) and at an average rate of only 0.07±0.04%d -1 in the later stage (30 to 200days). After 200days of soaking, the nine plant species released an average of 312.40±39.97gkg -1 organic carbon, 6.71±4.29gkg -1 of nitrogen and 2.25±1.25gkg -1 of phosphorus. A positive relationship was found between soaking plant decomposition rates and initial C/N ratios of 25 to 50, and a negative relationship where the C/N ratios were between 50 and 100. The amounts of total nitrogen or total phosphorus released were significantly negatively correlated with the initial C/N or C/P ratios of the plants. Among the studied plant species, Xanthium sibiricum Patr ex Widder showed high level of nutrient release via soaking decomposition. In contrast, Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers. and Polygonum hydropiper exhibited low levels of nutrient release and are recommended as suitable species for the ecological restoration of the water-level fluctuation zone. Our results demonstrate that after 200days of soaking plant decomposition, the loadings of total organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir were 2942.1, 81.1, and 24.7kgha -1 , respectively and therefore could potentially damage the aquatic environment of the reservoir. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Closing the Phosphorus Loop by Recovering Phosphorus From Waste Streams With Layered Double Hydroxide Nanocomposites and Converting the Product into an Efficient Fertilizer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yan, H.; Shih, K.

    2015-12-01

    Phosphorus (P) recovery has been frequently discussed in recent decades due to the uncertain availability and uneven distribution of global phosphate rock reserves. Sorption technology is increasingly considered as a reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly P removal method from aqueous solution. In this study, a series of Mg-Al-based layered double hydroxide nanocomposites and their corresponding calcined products were fabricated and applied as phosphate adsorbents. The prepared samples were with average size at ~50 nm and self-assembled into larger particles in irregular shapes. The results of batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that calcination significantly enhanced the adsorption ability of LDHs for phosphorus, and the maximum adsorption capacity of calcined Mg-Al-LDH was as high as 100.7 mg-P/g. Furthermore, incorporation of Zr4+ and La3+ into LDH materials increases the sorption selectivity as well as sorption amount of phosphorus in LDHs, which was confirmed by experiments operated in synthetic human urine. For the first time ammonia (NH4OH) and potassium hydroxide (KOH) solutions were employed to desorb the P-loaded LDH. Identification of solids derived from two eluting solutions showed that struvite (MgNH4PO4•6H2O, MAP) was precipitated in ammonia solution while most phosphate was desorbed into liquid phase in KOH system without crystallization of potassium struvite (MgKPO4•6H2O) due to its higher solubility. Quantitative X-ray diffraction technique was used to determine struvite contents in obtained solids and the results revealed that ~ 30% of adsorbed P was transferred into struvite form in the sample extracted by 0.5M NH4OH. Leaching tests suggested that the phosphorus releasing kinetics of ammonia treated LDH was comparable to that of pure struvite product, indicating that postsorption Mg-Al-LDH desorbed with ammonia could serve as a slow-releasing fertilizer in agriculture (see Figure 1).

  16. Coastal eutrophication thresholds: a matter of sediment microbial processes.

    PubMed

    Lehtoranta, Jouni; Ekholm, Petri; Pitkänen, Heikki

    2009-09-01

    In marine sediments, the major anaerobic mineralization processes are Fe(III) oxide reduction and sulfate reduction. In this article, we propose that the two alternative microbial mineralization pathways in sediments exert decisively different impacts on aquatic ecosystems. In systems where iron reduction dominates in the recently deposited sediment layers, the fraction of Fe(III) oxides that is dissolved to Fe(II) upon reduction will ultimately be transported to the oxic layer, where it will be reoxidized. Phosphorus, which is released from Fe(III) oxides and decomposing organic matter from the sediment, will be largely trapped by this newly formed Fe(III) oxide layer. Consequently, there are low concentrations of phosphorus in near-bottom and productive water layers and primary production tends to be limited by phosphorus (State 1). By contrast, in systems where sulfate reduction dominates, Fe(III) oxides are reduced by sulfides. This chemical reduction leads to the formation and permanent burial of iron as solid iron sulfides that are unable to capture phosphorus. In addition, the cycling of iron is blocked, and phosphorus is released to overlying water. Owing to the enrichment of phosphorus in water, the nitrogen : phosphorus ratio is lowered and nitrogen tends to limit algal growth, giving an advantage to nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae (State 2). A major factor causing a shift from State 1 to State 2 is an increase in the flux of labile organic carbon to the bottom sediments; upon accelerating eutrophication a critical point will be reached when the availability of Fe(III) oxides in sediments will be exhausted and sulfate reduction will become dominant. Because the reserves of Fe(III) oxides are replenished only slowly, reversal to State 1 may markedly exceed the time needed to reduce the flux of organic carbon to the sediment. A key factor affecting the sensitivity of a coastal system to such a regime shift is formed by the hydrodynamic alterations that decrease the transport of O2 to the near-bottom water, e.g., due to variations in salinity and temperature stratification.

  17. Changes in Soil Minerology Reduce Phosphorus Mobility During Anoxic Soil Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giri, S. K.; Geohring, L. D.; Richards, B. K.; Walter, M.; Steenhuis, T. S.

    2008-05-01

    Phosphorus (P) transfer from the landscape to receiving waters is an important environmental concern because these diffuse losses may cause widespread water quality impairments which can accelerate freshwater eutrophication. Phosphorus (P) mobilization from soil to surface and subsurface flow paths is controlled by numerous factors, and thus it can vary greatly with time and landscape scale. To determine whether P mobilization during soil saturation in the landscape was caused or controlled by complexation, iron reduction or ligand exchange, experiments were carried out to better characterize the interrelationships of varying P sources with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and soil anoxic conditions. The soil incubation experiments consisted of treatments with distilled water, 5 mM acetic acid (HAc), 0.05% humic acid (HA) and glucose (40 mM) at 26 o C under anaerobic conditions to isolate effects of the various P exchange processes. The experimental results suggest that during soil saturation, the loosely bound P, which is primarily associated with iron oxyhydroxides, was mobilized by both reduction and complexation processes. Good correlations were observed between ferrous iron (Fe+2) and DOC, and between total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) and DOC, facilitating P desorption to the soil water. The anaerobic soil conditions with different P sources also indicated that mineralization facilitated P mobility, mainly due to chelation (humics and metabolites) and as a result of the bio-reduction of iron when fresh litter and grass were present. The organic P sources which are rich in carbohydrate and cellulose and that undergo fermentation due to the action of lactate forming organisms also caused a release of P. The easily metabolizable DOC sources lead to intensive bio-reduction of soil with the release of Fe, however this did not necessarily appear to cause more TDP in the soil solution. The varying P additions in soils with water, HAc and glucose (40mm) before and after soil incubation showed higher P sorption than aerobic soil due to reduced iron (Fe+2) - P mineral formation. Some of the readily available P in the soil solution tended to co-precipitate quickly with Fe, Al, Ca, and Mn, but it also resulted in the formation of earthy masses of vivianite [Fe2+3(PO4)2 . 8 H20], thus almost completely immobilizing P. These findings suggest that where conditions in the landscape are saturated, but remain stagnant for extended time periods, P additions may not necessarily enhance leaching once hydrological transport resumes. The temporal nature of P mobilization processes combined with rapid (i.e., preferential flow) hydrological transport appears to have a more important role in controlling P transport through the landscape.

  18. Review of Phosphorus Control Measures in the United States and Their Effects on Water Quality

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Litke, David W.

    1999-01-01

    Historical information on phosphorus loadings to the environment and the effect on water quality are summarized in this report, which was produced as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Phosphorus is a water-quality constituent of concern because it is often the limiting nutrient responsible for accelerated eutrophication in water bodies. Phosphorus inputs to the environment have increased since 1950 as the use of phosphate fertilizer, manure, and phosphate laundry detergent increased; however, the manufacture of phosphate detergent for household laundry was ended voluntarily in about 1994 after many States had established phosphate detergent bans. Total phosphorus concentrations in raw wastewater effluent contained about 3 milligrams per liter of total phosphorus during the 1940's, increased to about 11 milligrams per liter at the height of phosphate detergent use (1970), and have currently declined to about 5 milligrams per liter. However, in some cases, tertiary wastewater treatment still is needed to effectively improve water quality of streams. Downward trends in phosphorus concentrations since 1970 have been identified in many streams, but median total phosphorus concentrations still exceed the recommended limit of 0.1 milligram per liter across much of the Nation. Data from the NAWQA Program are representative of a variety of phosphorus-control measures, and, therefore, may be used to evaluate the effects of various control strategies. Current areas of concern include: evaluation of the effects of increased manure loadings of phosphorus on soil phosphorus and, subsequently, on ground water and subsurface runoff; determination of point-source and nonpoint-source components of phosphorus loads by geographic modeling and hydrologic separation techniques; and development of methods or indices to evaluate nutrient impairment in streams and rivers to serve as a basis for developing phosphorus criteria or standards.

  19. The "phosphorus pyramid": a visual tool for dietary phosphate management in dialysis and CKD patients.

    PubMed

    D'Alessandro, Claudia; Piccoli, Giorgina B; Cupisti, Adamasco

    2015-01-20

    Phosphorus retention plays a pivotal role in the onset of mineral and bone disorders (MBD) in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Phosphorus retention commonly occurs as a result of net intestinal absorption exceeding renal excretion or dialysis removal. The dietary phosphorus load is crucial since the early stages of CKD, throughout the whole course of the disease, up to dialysis-dependent end-stage renal disease.Agreement exits regarding the need for dietary phosphate control, but it is quite challenging in the real-life setting. Effective strategies to control dietary phosphorus intake include restricting phosphorus-rich foods, preferring phosphorus sourced from plant origin, boiling as the preferred cooking procedure and avoiding foods with phosphorus-containing additives. Nutritional education is crucial in this regard.Based on the existing literature, we developed the "phosphorus pyramid", namely a novel, visual, user-friendly tool for the nutritional education of patients and health-care professionals. The pyramid consists of six levels in which foods are arranged on the basis of their phosphorus content, phosphorus to protein ratio and phosphorus bioavailability. Each has a colored edge (from green to red) that corresponds to recommended intake frequency, ranging from "unrestricted" to "avoid as much as possible".The aim of the phosphorus pyramid is to support dietary counseling in order to reduce the phosphorus load, a crucial aspect of integrated CKD-MBD management.

  20. Land use and flow regime effects on phosphorus chemical dynamics in the fluvial sediment of the Winooski River, Vermont

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McDowell, R.W.; Sharpley, A.N.; Chalmers, A.T.

    2002-01-01

    In the last century, fourfold increase in phosphorus (P) loadings to Lake Champlain, Vermont (VT), USA, have led to nuisance levels of algal growth occurring more often. To better understand the transport, storage, and cycling of P within the lake's catchment, we examined the chemistry, bioavailability and processes controlling sediment P release to waters of the Winooski River, VT, the largest tributary to Lake Champlain. Iron-oxide strip P (algal-bioavailable P) of the river sediments adjacent to agricultural land (3.6 mg kg-1) was greater (P < 0.05) than adjacent to forested land (2.4 mg kg-1). When compared among flow regimes, impoundment (731 mg kg-1) and reservoir sediments (803 mg kg-1) had greater total P concentrations than river sediment (462 mg kg-1). This was attributed to more fines (< 63 ??m) in impoundments and reservoirs (64%) than in river sediments (33%), which also decreased the ability of impoundment sediments to release P to solution and thereby be a sink for P. Although land use and flow regime influenced whether Winooski River sediments acted as a sink or source of P to Lake Champlain, long-term remedial strategies for the catchment should continue to focus on decreasing P losses in agricultural and urban runoff. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Ocean deoxygenation, the global phosphorus cycle and the possibility of human-caused large-scale ocean anoxia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watson, Andrew J.; Lenton, Timothy M.; Mills, Benjamin J. W.

    2017-08-01

    The major biogeochemical cycles that keep the present-day Earth habitable are linked by a network of feedbacks, which has led to a broadly stable chemical composition of the oceans and atmosphere over hundreds of millions of years. This includes the processes that control both the atmospheric and oceanic concentrations of oxygen. However, one notable exception to the generally well-behaved dynamics of this system is the propensity for episodes of ocean anoxia to occur and to persist for 105-106 years, these ocean anoxic events (OAEs) being particularly associated with warm `greenhouse' climates. A powerful mechanism responsible for past OAEs was an increase in phosphorus supply to the oceans, leading to higher ocean productivity and oxygen demand in subsurface water. This can be amplified by positive feedbacks on the nutrient content of the ocean, with low oxygen promoting further release of phosphorus from ocean sediments, leading to a potentially self-sustaining condition of deoxygenation. We use a simple model for phosphorus in the ocean to explore this feedback, and to evaluate the potential for humans to bring on global-scale anoxia by enhancing P supply to the oceans. While this is not an immediate global change concern, it is a future possibility on millennial and longer time scales, when considering both phosphate rock mining and increased chemical weathering due to climate change. Ocean deoxygenation, once begun, may be self-sustaining and eventually could result in long-lasting and unpleasant consequences for the Earth's biosphere. This article is part of the themed issue 'Ocean ventilation and deoxygenation in a warming world'.

  2. A High Phosphorus Diet Affects Lipid Metabolism in Rat Liver: A DNA Microarray Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Chun, Sunwoo; Bamba, Takeshi; Suyama, Tatsuya; Ishijima, Tomoko; Fukusaki, Eiichiro; Abe, Keiko; Nakai, Yuji

    2016-01-01

    A high phosphorus (HP) diet causes disorders of renal function, bone metabolism, and vascular function. We previously demonstrated that DNA microarray analysis is an appropriate method to comprehensively evaluate the effects of a HP diet on kidney dysfunction such as calcification, fibrillization, and inflammation. We reported that type IIb sodium-dependent phosphate transporter is significantly up-regulated in this context. In the present study, we performed DNA microarray analysis to investigate the effects of a HP diet on the liver, which plays a pivotal role in energy metabolism. DNA microarray analysis was performed with total RNA isolated from the livers of rats fed a control diet (containing 0.3% phosphorus) or a HP diet (containing 1.2% phosphorus). Gene Ontology analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that the HP diet induced down-regulation of genes involved in hepatic amino acid catabolism and lipogenesis, while genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation process were up-regulated. Although genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis were down-regulated in HP diet-fed rats, genes important for the elongation and desaturation reactions of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids were up-regulated. Concentrations of hepatic arachidonic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid were increased in HP diet-fed rats. These essential fatty acids activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), a transcription factor for fatty acid β-oxidation. Evaluation of the upstream regulators of DEGs using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis indicated that PPARα was activated in the livers of HP diet-fed rats. Furthermore, the serum concentration of fibroblast growth factor 21, a hormone secreted from the liver that promotes fatty acid utilization in adipose tissue as a PPARα target gene, was higher (p = 0.054) in HP diet-fed rats than in control diet-fed rats. These data suggest that a HP diet enhances energy expenditure through the utilization of free fatty acids released via lipolysis of white adipose tissue. PMID:27187182

  3. Effects of a novel bacterial phytase expressed in Aspergillus Oryzae on digestibility of calcium and phosphorus in diets fed to weanling or growing pigs

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    In 2 experiments, 48 weanling (initial BW: 13.5 ± 2.4 kg, Exp. 1) and 24 growing pigs (initial BW: 36.2 ± 4.0 kg, Exp. 2) were used to determine effects of a novel bacterial 6-phytase expressed in Aspergillus oryzae on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of phosphorus and calcium in corn-soybean meal diets fed to weanling and growing pigs. In Exp. 1 and 2, pigs were randomly allotted to 6 dietary treatments using a randomized complete block design and a balanced 2 period changeover design, respectively. In both experiments, 6 diets were formulated. The positive control diet was a corn-soybean meal diet with added inorganic phosphorus (Exp. 1: 0.42 and 0.86% standardized total tract digestible phosphorus and total calcium, respectively; Exp. 2: 0.32 and 0.79% standardized total tract digestible phosphorus and total calcium, respectively). A negative control diet and 4 diets with the novel phytase (Ronozyme HiPhos, DSM Nutritional Products Inc., Parsippany, NJ) added to the negative control diet at levels of 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 phytase units (FYT)/kg were also formulated. In Exp. 1, the ATTD of phosphorus was greater (P < 0.01) for the positive control diet (60.5%) than for the negative control diet (40.5%), but increased (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01) as phytase was added to the negative control diet (40.5% vs. 61.6%, 65.1%, 68.7%, and 68.0%). The breakpoint for the ATTD of phosphorus (68.4%) was reached at a phytase inclusion level of 1,016 FYT/kg. In Exp. 2, the ATTD of phosphorus was greater (P < 0.01) for the positive control diet (59.4%) than for the negative control diet (39.8%) and increased (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01) as phytase was added to the negative control diet (39.8% vs. 58.1%, 65.4%, 69.1%, and 72.8%). The breakpoint for the ATTD of phosphorus (69.1%) was reached at a phytase inclusion level of 801 FYT/kg. In conclusion, the novel bacterial 6-phytase improved the ATTD of phosphorus and calcium in both weanling and growing pigs. The optimum level of inclusion for this phytase is 800 to 1,000 FYT/kg of complete feed to maximize ATTD of phosphorus and calcium in weanling and growing pigs. PMID:23497607

  4. Effects of a novel bacterial phytase expressed in Aspergillus Oryzae on digestibility of calcium and phosphorus in diets fed to weanling or growing pigs.

    PubMed

    Almeida, Ferdinando Nielsen; Sulabo, Rommel Casilda; Stein, Hans Henrik

    2013-03-05

    In 2 experiments, 48 weanling (initial BW: 13.5 ± 2.4 kg, Exp. 1) and 24 growing pigs (initial BW: 36.2 ± 4.0 kg, Exp. 2) were used to determine effects of a novel bacterial 6-phytase expressed in Aspergillus oryzae on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of phosphorus and calcium in corn-soybean meal diets fed to weanling and growing pigs. In Exp. 1 and 2, pigs were randomly allotted to 6 dietary treatments using a randomized complete block design and a balanced 2 period changeover design, respectively. In both experiments, 6 diets were formulated. The positive control diet was a corn-soybean meal diet with added inorganic phosphorus (Exp. 1: 0.42 and 0.86% standardized total tract digestible phosphorus and total calcium, respectively; Exp. 2: 0.32 and 0.79% standardized total tract digestible phosphorus and total calcium, respectively). A negative control diet and 4 diets with the novel phytase (Ronozyme HiPhos, DSM Nutritional Products Inc., Parsippany, NJ) added to the negative control diet at levels of 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 phytase units (FYT)/kg were also formulated. In Exp. 1, the ATTD of phosphorus was greater (P < 0.01) for the positive control diet (60.5%) than for the negative control diet (40.5%), but increased (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01) as phytase was added to the negative control diet (40.5% vs. 61.6%, 65.1%, 68.7%, and 68.0%). The breakpoint for the ATTD of phosphorus (68.4%) was reached at a phytase inclusion level of 1,016 FYT/kg. In Exp. 2, the ATTD of phosphorus was greater (P < 0.01) for the positive control diet (59.4%) than for the negative control diet (39.8%) and increased (linear and quadratic, P < 0.01) as phytase was added to the negative control diet (39.8% vs. 58.1%, 65.4%, 69.1%, and 72.8%). The breakpoint for the ATTD of phosphorus (69.1%) was reached at a phytase inclusion level of 801 FYT/kg. In conclusion, the novel bacterial 6-phytase improved the ATTD of phosphorus and calcium in both weanling and growing pigs. The optimum level of inclusion for this phytase is 800 to 1,000 FYT/kg of complete feed to maximize ATTD of phosphorus and calcium in weanling and growing pigs.

  5. Reducing sediment and phosphorus in tributary waters with alum and polyacrylamide.

    PubMed

    Mason, L B; Amrhein, C; Goodson, C C; Matsumoto, M R; Anderson, M A

    2005-01-01

    The Salton Sea is the largest inland water body in California, covering an area of 980 km(2). Inflow to the Salton Sea (1.6 km(3) yr(-1)) is predominately nutrient-rich agricultural wastewater, which has led to eutrophication. Because internal phosphorus release from the bottom sediments is comparatively low and external phosphorus loading to the Salton Sea is high, reduction of tributary phosphorus is expected to reduce algal blooms, increase dissolved oxygen, and reduce odors. Removing both dissolved phosphorus and phosphorus-laden sediment from agricultural drainage water (ADW) should decrease eutrophication. Both alum and polyacrylamide (PAM) are commonly used in wastewater treatment to remove phosphorus and sediment and were tested for use in tributary waters. Laboratory jar tests determined PAM effectiveness (2 mg L(-1)) for turbidity reduction as cationic > anionic = nonionic. Although cationic PAM was the most effective at reducing turbidity at higher speeds, there was no observed difference between the neutral and anionic PAMs at velocity gradients of 18 to 45 s(-1). Alum (4 mg L(-1) Al) reduced turbidity in low energy systems (velocity gradients < 10 s(-1)) by 95% and was necessary to reduce soluble phosphorus, which comprises 47 to 100% of the total P concentration in the tributaries. When PAM was added with alum, the anionic PAM became ineffective in aiding flocculation. The nonionic PAM (2 mg L(-1)) + alum (4 mg L(-1) Al) is recommended to reduce suspended solids in higher energy systems and reduce soluble P by 93%.

  6. Quantitative Conversion of Phytate to Inorganic Phosphorus in Soybean Seeds Expressing a Bacterial Phytase1[OA

    PubMed Central

    Bilyeu, Kristin D.; Zeng, Peiyu; Coello, Patricia; Zhang, Zhanyuan J.; Krishnan, Hari B.; Bailey, April; Beuselinck, Paul R.; Polacco, Joe C.

    2008-01-01

    Phytic acid (PA) contains the major portion of the phosphorus in the soybean (Glycine max) seed and chelates divalent cations. During germination, both minerals and phosphate are released upon phytase-catalyzed degradation of PA. We generated a soybean line (CAPPA) in which an Escherichia coli periplasmic phytase, the product of the appA gene, was expressed in the cytoplasm of developing cotyledons. CAPPA exhibited high levels of phytase expression, ≥90% reduction in seed PA, and concomitant increases in total free phosphate. These traits were stable, and, although resulted in a trend for reduced emergence and a statistically significant reduction in germination rates, had no effect on the number of seeds per plant or seed weight. Because phytate is not digested by monogastric animals, untreated soymeal does not provide monogastrics with sufficient phosphorus and minerals, and PA in the waste stream leads to phosphorus runoff. The expression of a cytoplasmic phytase in the CAPPA line therefore improves phosphorus availability and surpasses gains achieved by other reported transgenic and mutational strategies by combining in seeds both high phytase expression and significant increases in available phosphorus. Thus, in addition to its value as a high-phosphate meal source, soymeal from CAPPA could be used to convert PA of admixed meals, such as cornmeal, directly to utilizable inorganic phosphorus. PMID:18162589

  7. Decreasing the complications of renal osteodystrophy secondary to high phosphorus levels by using an innovative self-monitoring educational program.

    PubMed

    Zagaroli, A M; Zimmer, S M; Bowes, J M; Hartley, K S

    1995-01-01

    We wanted continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) patients to become more cognitive of the complications of high-serum phosphorus levels (> 6.0 mg/dL). The phosphorus self-monitoring program was designed to encourage patients to be more responsible for preventing the complications of renal osteodystrophy. Patients' phosphorus levels were graphed monthly on a poster in the exam room. Additional posters discussed their responsibilities to control phosphorus and the complications associated with hyperphosphatemia. All patients received an informative letter regarding the inception of the program in March 1994 and also were assured total anonymity of their laboratory results. At monthly clinic appointments, they received additional written information on phosphorus and discussed their phosphorus levels. Our teaching method proved effective in our CAPD/CCPD population. In March 1994, 31% of our patients had a phosphorus level greater than 6.0 mg/dL versus 10% in September 1994. The ability of patients to see their monthly progress and the comparison with other patients encouraged much interest and questions regarding phosphorus control.

  8. New Insights into Phosphorus Mobilisation from Sulphur-Rich Sediments: Time-Dependent Effects of Salinisation

    PubMed Central

    van Diggelen, Josepha M. H.; Lamers, Leon P. M.; van Dijk, Gijs; Schaafsma, Maarten J.; Roelofs, Jan G. M.; Smolders, Alfons J. P.

    2014-01-01

    Internal phosphorus (P) mobilisation from aquatic sediments is an important process adding to eutrophication problems in wetlands. Salinisation, a fast growing global problem, is thought to affect P behaviour. Although several studies have addressed the effects of salinisation, interactions between salinity changes and nutrient cycling in freshwater systems are not fully understood. To tackle eutrophication, a clear understanding of the interacting effects of sediment characteristics and surface water quality is vital. In the present study, P release from two eutrophic sediments, both characterized by high pore water P and very low pore water iron (Fe2+) concentrations, was studied in a long-term aquarium experiment, using three salinity levels. Sediment P release was expected to be mainly driven by diffusion, due to the eutrophic conditions and low iron availability. Unexpectedly, this only seemed to be the driving mechanism in the short term (0–10 weeks). In the long term (>80 weeks), P mobilisation was absent in most treatments. This can most likely be explained by the oxidation of the sediment-water interface where Fe2+ immobilises P, even though it is commonly assumed that free Fe2+ concentrations need to be higher for this. Therefore, a controlling mechanism is suggested in which the partial oxidation of iron-sulphides in the sediment plays a key role, releasing extra Fe2+ at the sediment-water interface. Although salinisation was shown to lower short-term P mobilisation as a result of increased calcium concentrations, it may increase long-term P mobilisation by the interactions between sulphate reduction and oxygen availability. Our study showed time-dependent responses of sediment P mobilisation in relation to salinity, suggesting that sulphur plays an important role in the release of P from FeSx-rich sediments, its biogeochemical effect depending on the availability of Fe2+ and O2. PMID:25369128

  9. Contributions of Phosphorus from Groundwater to Streams in the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge Physiographic Provinces, Eastern United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Denver, Judith M.; Cravotta,, Charles A.; Ator, Scott W.; Lindsey, Bruce D.

    2011-01-01

    Phosphorus from natural and human sources is likely to be discharged from groundwater to streams in certain geochemical environments. Water-quality data collected from 1991 through 2007 in paired networks of groundwater and streams in different hydrogeologic and land-use settings of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Valley and Ridge Physiographic Provinces in the eastern United States were compiled and analyzed to evaluate the sources, fate, and transport of phosphorus. The median concentrations of phosphate in groundwater from the crystalline and siliciclastic bedrock settings (0.017 and 0.020 milligrams per liter, respectively) generally were greater than the median for the carbonate setting (less than 0.01 milligrams per liter). In contrast, the median concentrations of dissolved phosphate in stream base flow from the crystalline and siliciclastic bedrock settings (0.010 and 0.014 milligrams per liter, respectively) were less than the median concentration for base-flow samples from the carbonate setting (0.020 milligrams per liter). Concentrations of phosphorus in many of the stream base-flow and groundwater samples exceeded ecological criteria for streams in the region. Mineral dissolution was identified as the dominant source of phosphorus in the groundwater and stream base flow draining crystalline or siliciclastic bedrock in the study area. Low concentrations of dissolved phosphorus in groundwater from carbonate bedrock result from the precipitation of minerals and (or) from sorption to mineral surfaces along groundwater flow paths. Phosphorus concentrations are commonly elevated in stream base flow in areas underlain by carbonate bedrock, however, presumably derived from in-stream sources or from upland anthropogenic sources and transported along short, shallow groundwater flow paths. Dissolved phosphate concentrations in groundwater were correlated positively with concentrations of silica and sodium, and negatively with alkalinity and concentrations of calcium, magnesium, chloride, nitrate, sulfate, iron, and aluminum. These associations can result from the dissolution of alkali feldspars containing phosphorus; the precipitation of apatite; the precipitation of calcite, iron hydroxide, and aluminum hydroxide with associated sorption of phosphate ions; and the potential for release of phosphate from iron-hydroxide and other iron minerals under reducing conditions. Anthropogenic sources of phosphate such as fertilizer and manure and processes such as biological uptake, evapotranspiration, and dilution also affect phosphorus concentrations. The phosphate concentrations in surface water were not correlated with the silica concentration, but were positively correlated with concentrations of major cations and anions, including chloride and nitrate, which could indicate anthropogenic sources and effects of evapotranspiration on surface-water quality. Mixing of older, mineralized groundwater with younger, less mineralized, but contaminated groundwater was identified as a critical factor affecting the quality of stream base flow. In-stream processing of nutrients by biological processes also likely increases the phosphorus concentration in surface waters. Potential geologic contributions of phosphorus to groundwater and streams may be an important watershed-management consideration in certain hydrogeologic and geochemical environments. Geochemical controls effectively limit phosphorus transport through groundwater to streams in areas underlain by carbonate rocks; however, in crystalline and siliciclastic settings, phosphorus from mineral or human sources may be effectively transported by groundwater and contribute a substantial fraction to base-flow stream loads.

  10. [Soil and water losses and phosphorus output at the places between ridges in sloping peanut land under different planting modes in Yimeng mountainous area of Shandong Province, East China].

    PubMed

    Li, Jian-Hua; Yu, Xing-Xiu; Liu, Qian-Jin; Wu, Yuan-Zhi

    2012-12-01

    Taking the typical land use type, sloping Arachis hypogaea land, in Yimeng mountainous area of Shandong as study object, an in-situ fixed-point field experiment was conducted to study the characteristics of soil and water losses and phosphorus output at the places between ridges in the sloping land under different planting modes (Arachis hypogaea + Cynodon dactylon, I; A. hypogae + Melilotus officinalis, II; A. hypogaea + Lolium multiflorum, III; A. hypogaea + Trifolium repens, IV; A. hypogaea + blank control, V). Planting grasses at the places between ridges could effectively decrease the soil and water losses. The runoff was 55.1%-61.3% of the control, and decreased in the order of II > I > IV> III. The sediment loss was 3.4% -32.3% of the control, and decreased in the order of IV > II > I > 11. A. hypogaea + L. multiflorum was effective in storing water and retaining sediment. During the early period of planting L. multiflorum, the sediment loss was more affected by rainfall and presented a fluctuated variation, but in late period, the sediment loss decreased continuously and performed more stable, and accordingly, the sediment retention increased continuously. Planting grasses effectively decreased the output of phosphorus, with the decrease of total phosphorus (TP) output being 52.8%-75.3% of the control, and was in the order of I > II > IV > III. As compared with the control, planting grasses decreased 27.5% -67.0% of the output of particle phosphorus (PP), but relatively increased the output of dissolvable phosphorus (DP). A. hypogaea + L. multiflorum had the best effect in decreasing the output of phosphorus, with the outputs of TP and PP being 58.4% and 27.5% of the control, respectively. In the growth period of the vegetations, the losses of different phosphorus forms differed, and the dissolvable inorganic phosphorus was the main form of the output of DP during whole rain season. After the peanut harvested, the output of different phosphorus forms in the first rainfall was much higher than that in the maximum intensity rainfall.

  11. The contribution of changes in P release and CO2 consumption by chemical weathering to the historical trend in land carbon uptake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goodale, C. L.; Fredriksen, G.; McCalley, C. K.; Sparks, J. P.; Thomas, S. A.

    2011-12-01

    The atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has increased to a level unprecedented in the last 2 million years, and the concentration is projected to increase further with a rate unseen in geological past. The increase in CO2 cause a rise in surface temperatures and changes in the hydrological cycle through the redistribution of rainfall patterns. All of these changes will impact the weathering of rocks, which in turn affect atmospheric CO2 concentrations via two different pathways. On the one hand, CO2 is consumed by the dissolution reaction of the exposed minerals. And on the other hand, biological CO2 fixation is affected due to changes in phosphorus release from minerals, as biological activity is constrained by phosphorus availability at large scales. The traditional view is that both effects are negligible on a centennial time scale, but recent work on catchment scale challenge this view in favor of a potential high sensitivity of weathering to ongoing climate and land use changes. To globally quantify the contribution of CO2 fixation associated with weathering on the historical trend in terrestrial CO2 uptake, we applied a model of chemical weathering and phosphorus release under climate reconstructions from four Earth System Models. The simulations indicate that changes in weathering could have contributed considerably to the trend in terrestrial CO2 uptake since the pre-industrial revolution, with warming being the main driver of change. The increase in biological CO2 fixation is of comparable magnitude as the increase in CO2 consumption by chemical weathering. Our simulations support the previous findings on catchment scale that weathering can change significantly on a centennial time scale. This finding has implications for 21st century climate projections, which ignore changes in weathering, as well as for long-term airborne fraction of CO2 emissions, whose calculation usually neglects changes in phosphorus availability.

  12. The contribution of changes in P release and CO2 consumption by chemical weathering to the historical trend in land carbon uptake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goll, D. S.; Moosdorf, N.; Brovkin, V.; Hartmann, J.

    2013-12-01

    The atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration has increased to a level unprecedented in the last 2 million years, and the concentration is projected to increase further with a rate unseen in geological past. The increase in CO2 cause a rise in surface temperatures and changes in the hydrological cycle through the redistribution of rainfall patterns. All of these changes will impact the weathering of rocks, which in turn affect atmospheric CO2 concentrations via two different pathways. On the one hand, CO2 is consumed by the dissolution reaction of the exposed minerals. And on the other hand, biological CO2 fixation is affected due to changes in phosphorus release from minerals, as biological activity is constrained by phosphorus availability at large scales. The traditional view is that both effects are negligible on a centennial time scale, but recent work on catchment scale challenge this view in favor of a potential high sensitivity of weathering to ongoing climate and land use changes. To globally quantify the contribution of CO2 fixation associated with weathering on the historical trend in terrestrial CO2 uptake, we applied a model of chemical weathering and phosphorus release under climate reconstructions from four Earth System Models. The simulations indicate that changes in weathering could have contributed considerably to the trend in terrestrial CO2 uptake since the pre-industrial revolution, with warming being the main driver of change. The increase in biological CO2 fixation is of comparable magnitude as the increase in CO2 consumption by chemical weathering. Our simulations support the previous findings on catchment scale that weathering can change significantly on a centennial time scale. This finding has implications for 21st century climate projections, which ignore changes in weathering, as well as for long-term airborne fraction of CO2 emissions, whose calculation usually neglects changes in phosphorus availability.

  13. Re-examining the phosphorus-protein dilemma: Does phosphorus restriction compromise protein status?

    PubMed Central

    St-Jules, David E; Woolf, Kathleen; Pompeii, Mary-Lou; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Sevick, Mary Ann

    2015-01-01

    Dietary phosphorus restriction is recommended to help control hyperphosphatemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients, but many high-phosphorus foods are important sources of protein. In this review, we examine whether restricting dietary phosphorus compromises protein status in HD patients. Although dietary phosphorus and protein are highly correlated, phosphorus intakes can range up to 600 mg/day for a given energy and protein intake level. Further, the collinearity of phosphorus and protein may be biased because the phosphorus burden of food depends on: (1) the presence of phosphate additives; (2) food preparation method; and (3) bioavailability of phosphorus; which are often unaccounted for in nutrition assessments. Ultimately, we argue that clinically relevant reductions in phosphorus intake can be made without limiting protein intake by avoiding phosphate additives in processed foods, using wet cooking methods such as boiling, and if needed, substituting high-phosphorus foods for nutritionally-equivalent foods that are lower in bioavailable phosphorus. PMID:26873260

  14. Estimation of phosphorus flux in rivers during flooding.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yen-Chang; Liu, Jih-Hung; Kuo, Jan-Tai; Lin, Cheng-Fang

    2013-07-01

    Reservoirs in Taiwan are inundated with nutrients that result in algal growth, and thus also reservoir eutrophication. Controlling the phosphorus load has always been the most crucial issue for maintaining reservoir water quality. Numerous agricultural activities, especially the production of tea in riparian areas, are conducted in watersheds in Taiwan. Nutrients from such activities, including phosphorus, are typically flushed into rivers during flooding, when over 90% of the yearly total amount of phosphorous enters reservoirs. Excessive or enhanced soil erosion from rainstorms can dramatically increase the river sediment load and the amount of particulate phosphorus flushed into rivers. When flow rates are high, particulate phosphorus is the dominant form of phosphorus, but sediment and discharge measurements are difficult during flooding, which makes estimating phosphorus flux in rivers difficult. This study determines total amounts of phosphorus transport by measuring flood discharge and phosphorous levels during flooding. Changes in particulate phosphorus, dissolved phosphorus, and their adsorption behavior during a 24-h period are analyzed owing to the fact that the time for particulate phosphorus adsorption and desorption approaching equilibrium is about 16 h. Erosion of the reservoir watershed was caused by adsorption and desorption of suspended solids in the river, a process which can be summarily described using the Lagmuir isotherm. A method for estimating the phosphorus flux in the Daiyujay Creek during Typhoon Bilis in 2006 is presented in this study. Both sediment and phosphorus are affected by the drastic discharge during flooding. Water quality data were collected during two flood events, flood in June 9, 2006 and Typhoon Bilis, to show the concentrations of suspended solids and total phosphorus during floods are much higher than normal stages. Therefore, the drastic changes of total phosphorus, particulate phosphorus, and dissolved phosphorus in rivers during flooding should be monitored to evaluate the loading of phosphorus more precisely. The results show that monitoring and controlling phosphorus transport during flooding can help prevent the eutrophication of a reservoir.

  15. Leachability and phytoavailability of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium from different bio-composts under chloride- and sulfate-dominated irrigation water.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Zahoor; Yamamoto, Sadahiro; Honna, Toshimasa

    2008-01-01

    Concerns over increased phosphorus (P) application with nitrogen (N)-based compost application have shifted the trend to P-based composed application, but focusing on one or two nutritional elements does not serve the goals of sustainable agriculture. The need to understand the nutrient release and uptake from different composts has been further aggravated by the use of saline irrigation water in the recent scenario of fresh water shortage. Therefore, we evaluated the leachability and phytoavailability of P, N, and K from a sandy loam soil amended with animal, poultry, and sludge composts when applied on a total P-equivalent basis (200 kg ha(-1)) under Cl(-) (NaCl)- and SO4(2-) (Na2SO4)-dominated irrigation water. Our results showed that the concentration of dissolved reactive P (DRP) was higher in leachates under SO(4)(2-) than Cl(-) treatments. Compost amendments differed for DRP leaching in the following pattern: sludge > animal > poultry > control. Maize (Zea mays L.) growth and P uptake were severely suppressed under Cl(-) irrigation compared with SO4(2-) and non-saline treatments. All composts were applied on a total P-equivalent basis, but maximum plant (shoot + root) P uptake was observed under sludge compost amendment (73.4 mg DW(-1)), followed by poultry (39.3 mg DW(-1)), animal (15.0 mg DW(-1)), and control (1.2 mg DW(-1)) treatment. Results of this study reveal that irrigation water dominated by SO4(2-) has greater ability to replace/leach P, other anions (NO3(-)), and cations (K+). Variability in P release from different bio-composts applied on a total P-equivalent basis suggested that P availability is highly dependent on compost source.

  16. Hydrology and water quality of Little Cross Creek, Cumberland County, North Carolina, 1996-98

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Giorgino, Mary J.; Middleton, Terry L.

    2000-01-01

    Little Cross Creek is a small stream located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, in the Sand Hills area of the Coastal Plain Province. From August 1996 through August 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey collected streamflow, water-quality, and time-of-travel data at 10 sites in Little Cross Creek Basin to assess ambient conditions and compute loads of suspended sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total organic carbon. Streamflows in the Little Cross Creek Basin responded to climatic factors and to human activities such as water withdrawals and controlled releases from impoundments. Peak streamflows were observed during the passages of Hurricane Fran in September 1996 and Hurricane Josephine in October 1996. Streamflows generally were lowest during the summer and early fall of 1997, reflecting drought conditions associated with a prevailing El Nino. At most sites, average streamflow per unit drainage area, or yield, was higher than yields reported previously for the Sand Hills. High yields may have resulted from unidentified inputs of water to the study basins or from underestimation of the contributing drainage area. Bonnie Doone Lake, Kornbow Lake, Mintz Pond, and Glenville Lake, four impoundments of Little Cross Creek, notably influence hydrology and water quality in the basin. Streamflow records indicate that these impoundments dampen peak stormflows and delay the downstream release of stormwater. Time of travel also is affected by seasonal stratification in the reservoirs. In general, sites downstream from reservoirs have lower concentrations of suspended sediment, turbidity, and total phosphorus than sites upstream from reservoirs or sites that receive stormwater runoff. Few water-quality problems were observed in the Little Cross Creek Basin for the constituents that were sampled. However, fecal coliform bacteria commonly exceeded 200 colonies per 100 milliliters at two of the seven monitored sites during the study. Relatively high concentrations of specific conductance, total phosphorus, and total ammonia plus organic nitrogen were observed in Clark Pond Creek, a tributary to Little Cross Creek. Loads and yields of suspended sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total organic carbon were computed for the period from October 1996 through September 1997. The highest suspended-sediment yield (230 tons per square mile per year) occurred upstream from Bonnie Doone Lake, probably because there were no impoundments upstream from this site to intercept sediment. Sediment yields at the remaining Little Cross Creek sites were low relative to yields reported from other urban basins in North Carolina. Downstream from Kornbow Lake, yields of suspended sediment (9.50 tons per square mile per year) and total phosphorus (0.011 ton per square mile per year) were very low. Clark Pond Creek had the highest yields ot total phosphorus (0.081 ton per square mile per year) and total organic carbon (11.5 tons per square mile per year). However, total phosphorus yields at all of the Little Cross Creek sites generally were lower than yields measured in other urban basins in the State. Comparison of inflow and outflow loads for the four Little Cross Creek reservoirs from October 1996 through September 1997 indicated that Bonnie Doone Lake trapped 92 percent of incoming sediment and 37 percent of incoming total phosphorus. Kornbow Lake trapped 57 percent of incoming sediment and 77 percent of total phosphorus inputs. Nitrogen was not effectively trapped by any of the reservoirs. An influx of sediment, total phosphorus, and total organic carbon was noted at a site downstream from Mintz Pond, and may have resulted from stormwater discharge from the U.S. Highway 401 bypass or from additional, unidentified sources in the watershed downstream from Kornbow Lake.

  17. Reverse micelle-mediated synthesis of calcium phosphate nanocarriers for controlled release of bovine serum albumin.

    PubMed

    Dasgupta, Sudip; Bandyopadhyay, Amit; Bose, Susmita

    2009-10-01

    Calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoparticles with a calcium to phosphorus (Ca:P) molar ratio of 1.5:1 were synthesized using reverse microemulsion. Ca(NO(3))(2).4H(2)O and H(3)PO(4) were used as the aqueous phase, cyclohexane as the organic phase and poly(oxyethylene)(12) nonylphenol ether (NP-12) as the surfactant. Depending on the calcination temperature between 600 and 800 degrees C, CaP nanoparticle showed different phases of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) and beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP), particle size between 48 and 69 nm, and a BET specific average surface area between 73 and 57 m(2)g(-1). Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein to study loading and release behavior. The adsorptive property of BSA was investigated by the change in BET surface area of these nanoparticles and the pH of the suspension. At pH 7.5, the maximum amount of BSA was adsorbed onto CaP nanoparticle. The release kinetics of BSA showed a gradual time-dependent increase in pH 4.0 and 6.0 buffer solutions. However, the amount of protein released was significantly smaller at pH 7.2. The BSA release rate also varied depending on the presence of different phases of CaPs in the system, beta-TCP or CDHA. These results suggest that the BSA protein release rate can be controlled by changing the particle size, surface area and phase composition of the CaP nanocarriers.

  18. From harmful Microcystis blooms to multi-functional core-double-shell microsphere bio-hydrochar materials.

    PubMed

    Bi, Lei; Pan, Gang

    2017-11-13

    Harmful algal blooms (HABs) induced by eutrophication is becoming a serious global environmental problem affecting public health and aquatic ecological sustainability. A novel strategy for the utilization of biomass from HABs was developed by converting the algae cells into hollow mesoporous bio-hydrochar microspheres via hydrothermal carbonization method. The hollow microspheres were used as microreactors and carriers for constructing CaO 2 core-mesoporous shell-CaO 2 shell microspheres (OCRMs). The CaO 2 shells could quickly increase dissolved oxygen to extremely anaerobic water in the initial 40 min until the CaO 2 shells were consumed. The mesoporous shells continued to act as regulators restricting the release of oxygen from CaO 2 cores. The oxygen-release time using OCRMs was 7 times longer than when directly using CaO 2 . More interestingly, OCRMs presented a high phosphate removal efficiency (95.6%) and prevented the pH of the solution from rising to high levels in comparison with directly adding CaO 2 due to the OH - controlled-release effect of OCRMs. The distinct core-double-shell micro/nanostructure endowed the OCRMs with triple functions for oxygen controlled-release, phosphorus removal and less impact on water pH. The study is to explore the possibility to prepare smarter bio-hydrochar materials by utilizing algal blooms.

  19. Potential export of soluble reactive phosphorus from a coastal wetland in a cold-temperate lagoon system: Buffer capacities of macrophytes and impact on phytoplankton.

    PubMed

    Berthold, M; Karstens, S; Buczko, U; Schumann, R

    2018-03-01

    The main pathways for phosphorus flux from land to sea are particle-associated (erosion) and dissolved runoff (rivers, groundwater, and agricultural drainage systems). These pathways can act as diffused sources for aquatic systems and support primary production, therefore, counteracting the efforts aimed at reducing phosphorus input from point sources such as sewage treatment plants. Phosphorus supports primary production in the water column and can elevate phytoplankton and macrophyte growth. Coastal wetlands with emerged (Phragmites australis) and submerged (Stuckenia pectinata and Chara sp.) macrophytes can affect phosphorus fluxes in the land-water transitional zone. The macrophytes have the potential to act as a buffer for phosphorus run-off. The aim of this study was to determine the phosphorus stocks in the transitional land-sea zone of a cold temperate lagoon at the southern Baltic Sea. Phosphorus in macrophytes, water samples, and phytoplankton growth were analyzed along a gradient moving away from the wetland. The phosphorus stocks in the above ground biomass of the Phragmites plants were the highest at the end of August and with more than 8000mgPm -2 in the interior zone of the wetland, threefold the amount of P in Phragmites plant tissue at the wetland fringe. The submerged macrophytes stored only 300mgPm -2 , close to the wetland. Concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus in the water column were higher in the zones of emerged macrophytes than in the zones of submerged macrophytes and decreased along the land-sea transect. Phytoplankton could grow proximal to the wetland during all seasons, but not further away. This study indicates that macrophytes can act as phosphorus sinks. However, short-term releases of phosphate within the Phragmites wetland have the potential to lead to phytoplankton growth. Phytoplankton can use these nutrient pulses either immediately or later, and support high biomass and turbidity within the system. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  20. Functionally relevant microorganisms to enhanced biological phosphorus removal performance at full-scale wastewater treatment plants in the United States.

    PubMed

    Gu, April Z; Saunders, A; Neethling, J B; Stensel, H D; Blackall, L L

    2008-08-01

    The abundance and relevance ofAccumulibacter phosphatis (presumed to be polyphosphate-accumulating organisms [PAOs]), Competibacter phosphatis (presumed to be glycogen-accumulating organisms [GAOs]), and tetrad-forming organisms (TFOs) to phosphorus removal performance at six full-scale enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) wastewater treatment plants were investigated. Coexistence of various levels of candidate PAOs and GAOs were found at these facilities. Accumulibacter were found to be 5 to 20% of the total bacterial population, and Competibacter were 0 to 20% of the total bacteria population. The TFO abundance varied from nondetectable to dominant. Anaerobic phosphorus (P) release to acetate uptake ratios (P(rel)/HAc(up)) obtained from bench tests were correlated positively with the abundance ratio of Accumulibacter/(Competibacter +TFOs) and negatively with the abundance of (Competibacter +TFOs) for all plants except one, suggesting the relevance of these candidate organisms to EBPR processes. However, effluent phosphorus concentration, amount of phosphorus removed, and process stability in an EBPR system were not directly related to high PAO abundance or mutually exclusive with a high GAO fraction. The plant that had the lowest average effluent phosphorus and highest stability rating had the lowest P(rel)/HAc(up) and the most TFOs. Evaluation of full-scale EBPR performance data indicated that low effluent phosphorus concentration and high process stability are positively correlated with the influent readily biodegradable chemical oxygen demand-to-phosphorus ratio. A system-level carbon-distribution-based conceptual model is proposed for capturing the dynamic competition between PAOs and GAOs and their effect on an EBPR process, and the results from this study seem to support the model hypothesis.

  1. Partitionable-space enhanced coagulation (PEC) reactor and its working mechanism: a new prospective chemical technology for phosphorus pollution control.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Meng; Zheng, Ping; Abbas, Ghulam; Chen, Xiaoguang

    2014-02-01

    Phosphorus pollution control and phosphorus recycling, simultaneously, are focus of attention in the wastewater treatment. In this work, a novel reactor named partitionable-space enhanced coagulation (PEC) was invented for phosphorus control. The working performance and process mechanism of PEC reactor were investigated. The results showed that the PEC technology was highly efficient and cost-effective. The volumetric removal rate (VRR) reached up to 2.86 ± 0.04 kg P/(m(3) d) with a phosphorus removal rate of over 97%. The precipitant consumption was reduced to 2.60-2.76 kg Fe(II)/kg P with low operational cost of $ 0.632-0.673/kg P. The peak phosphorus content in precipitate was up to 30.44% by P2O5, which reveal the benefit of the recycling phosphorus resource. The excellent performance of PEC technology was mainly attributed to the partitionable-space and 'flocculation filter'. The partition limited the trans-regional back-mixing of reagents along the reactor, which promoted the precipitation reaction. The 'flocculation filter' retained the microflocs, enhancing the flocculation process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Phosphorus release from ash and remaining tissues of two wetland species after a prescribed fire.

    PubMed

    Liu, G D; Gu, B; Miao, S L; Li, Y C; Migliaccio, K W; Qian, Y

    2010-01-01

    Dead plant tissues and ash from a prescribed fire play an important role in nutrient balance and cycling in the Florida Everglades ecosystem. The objective of this study was to assess the dynamic changes in total phosphorus release (TPr) from ash or tissues of either cattail (Typha domingensis Pers.) or sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense Crantz) to water. Natural-dead (senesced-dead) and burning-dead (standing-dead due to a prescribed fire) cattail and sawgrass were collected from highly (H) and moderately (M) impacted zones in the Florida Everglades. This experiment was conducted by incubation and water-extraction of the materials in plastic bottles for 65 d at room temperature (24 +/- 1 degrees C). Results showed that 63 to 88%, 17 to 48%, 9 to 20%, and 13 to 28% of total P (TPp) were released as TPr from cattail and sawgrass ash, cattail tissues from the H zone, cattail tissues, and sawgrass tissues from the M zone, respectively. TPp means total P of plant tissues, whereas TPr is total P release from the tissues or ash. Most of the TPr was released within 24 h after burning. The quick release of TPr observed in this experiment may help explain the P surge in the surface water immediately following a fire in the marsh. These findings suggest that prescribed burning accelerates P release from cattail and sawgrass. They also imply that it is very important to keep the water stagnant in the first 24 h to maximize the benefits of a prescribed fire in the Everglades.

  3. Phosphorus recovery as struvite from eutropic waters by XDA-7 resin.

    PubMed

    Li, Huanwen; Ye, Zhiping; Lin, Ying; Wang, Fengying

    2012-01-01

    Phosphorus releases into aquatic environment and its subsequent contribution to eutrophication have resulted in a widespread global pollution issue. However, phosphorus is a non-renewable source. The potential supplies of phosphorus are decreasing worldwide. Therefore, removal and recovery of phosphorus from the eutropic waters is important, emergent and necessary. In this research, experiments for recovering phosphate from eutropic waters by anion exchange combined with struvite precipitation were conducted. The results indicated that the prepared XDA-7 resin was an effective adsorbent for phosphate. The adsorption isotherm of XDA-7 resin was found to be a modified Freundlich type. The maximum phosphate adsorption (20.9 mg/g) occurred in the pH range of 6.0-8.0. Phosphate adsorbed on the XDA-7 resin was effectively desorbed with 8% NaCl solution, and the resin was able to be regenerated with 3% NaClO and 4% NaOH solutions. Phosphate desorbed from the resin was recovered as magnesium ammonium phosphate (struvite). The obtained struvite was analyzed by acid dissolution method, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The struvite precipitate was found to be 75.8% in purity, a high-value fertilizer.

  4. Ocean deoxygenation, the global phosphorus cycle and the possibility of human-caused large-scale ocean anoxia.

    PubMed

    Watson, Andrew J; Lenton, Timothy M; Mills, Benjamin J W

    2017-09-13

    The major biogeochemical cycles that keep the present-day Earth habitable are linked by a network of feedbacks, which has led to a broadly stable chemical composition of the oceans and atmosphere over hundreds of millions of years. This includes the processes that control both the atmospheric and oceanic concentrations of oxygen. However, one notable exception to the generally well-behaved dynamics of this system is the propensity for episodes of ocean anoxia to occur and to persist for 10 5 -10 6 years, these ocean anoxic events (OAEs) being particularly associated with warm 'greenhouse' climates. A powerful mechanism responsible for past OAEs was an increase in phosphorus supply to the oceans, leading to higher ocean productivity and oxygen demand in subsurface water. This can be amplified by positive feedbacks on the nutrient content of the ocean, with low oxygen promoting further release of phosphorus from ocean sediments, leading to a potentially self-sustaining condition of deoxygenation. We use a simple model for phosphorus in the ocean to explore this feedback, and to evaluate the potential for humans to bring on global-scale anoxia by enhancing P supply to the oceans. While this is not an immediate global change concern, it is a future possibility on millennial and longer time scales, when considering both phosphate rock mining and increased chemical weathering due to climate change. Ocean deoxygenation, once begun, may be self-sustaining and eventually could result in long-lasting and unpleasant consequences for the Earth's biosphere.This article is part of the themed issue 'Ocean ventilation and deoxygenation in a warming world'. © 2017 The Authors.

  5. Ocean deoxygenation, the global phosphorus cycle and the possibility of human-caused large-scale ocean anoxia

    PubMed Central

    Lenton, Timothy M.; Mills, Benjamin J. W.

    2017-01-01

    The major biogeochemical cycles that keep the present-day Earth habitable are linked by a network of feedbacks, which has led to a broadly stable chemical composition of the oceans and atmosphere over hundreds of millions of years. This includes the processes that control both the atmospheric and oceanic concentrations of oxygen. However, one notable exception to the generally well-behaved dynamics of this system is the propensity for episodes of ocean anoxia to occur and to persist for 105–106 years, these ocean anoxic events (OAEs) being particularly associated with warm ‘greenhouse’ climates. A powerful mechanism responsible for past OAEs was an increase in phosphorus supply to the oceans, leading to higher ocean productivity and oxygen demand in subsurface water. This can be amplified by positive feedbacks on the nutrient content of the ocean, with low oxygen promoting further release of phosphorus from ocean sediments, leading to a potentially self-sustaining condition of deoxygenation. We use a simple model for phosphorus in the ocean to explore this feedback, and to evaluate the potential for humans to bring on global-scale anoxia by enhancing P supply to the oceans. While this is not an immediate global change concern, it is a future possibility on millennial and longer time scales, when considering both phosphate rock mining and increased chemical weathering due to climate change. Ocean deoxygenation, once begun, may be self-sustaining and eventually could result in long-lasting and unpleasant consequences for the Earth's biosphere. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Ocean ventilation and deoxygenation in a warming world’. PMID:28784709

  6. Three-dimensional endothelial cell morphogenesis under controlled ion release from copper-doped phosphate glass.

    PubMed

    Stähli, Christoph; James-Bhasin, Mark; Nazhat, Showan N

    2015-02-28

    Copper ions represent a promising angiogenic agent but are associated with cytotoxicity at elevated concentrations. Phosphate-based glasses (PGs) exhibit adjustable dissolution properties and allow for controlled ion release. This study examined the formation of capillary-like networks by SVEC4-10 endothelial cells (ECs) seeded in a three-dimensional (3D) type I collagen hydrogel matrix mixed with PG particles of the formulation 50P2O5-30CaO-(20-x)Na2O-xCuO (x=0 and 10 mol%). Copper and total phosphorus release decreased over time and was more sustained in the case of 10% CuO PG. Moreover, increasing the concentration of 10% CuO PG in collagen substantially delayed dissolution along with preferential release of copper. A 3D morphometric characterization method based on confocal laser scanning microscopy image stacks was developed in order to quantify EC network length, connectivity and branching. Network length was initially reduced in a concentration-dependent fashion by 10% CuO PG and, to a lesser extent, by 0% CuO PG, but reached values identical to the non-PG control by day 5 in culture. This reduction was attributed to a PG-mediated decrease in cell metabolic activity while cell proliferation as well as network connectivity and branching were independent of PG content. Gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-1 and -2 was up-regulated by PGs, indicating that MMPs did not play a critical role in network growth. The relationship between ion release and EC morphogenesis in 3D provided in this study is expected to contribute to an ultimately successful pro-angiogenic application of CuO-doped PGs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Phosphorus storage and mobilization in coastal Phragmites wetlands: Influence of local-scale hydrodynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karstens, Svenja; Buczko, Uwe; Glatzel, Stephan

    2016-04-01

    Coastal Phragmites wetlands are at the interface between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and are of paramount importance for nutrient regulation. They can act both as sinks and sources for phosphorus, depending on environmental conditions, sediment properties as well as on antecedent nutrient loading and sorption capacity of the sediments. The Darss-Zingst Bodden Chain is a shallow lagoon system at the German Baltic Sea coast with a long eutrophication history. It is lined almost at its entire length by reed wetlands. In order to elucidate under which conditions these wetlands act as sources or sinks for phosphorus, in-situ data of chemo-physical characteristics of water and sediment samples were combined with hydrodynamic measurements and laboratory experiments. Small-scale basin structures within the wetland serve as sinks for fine-grained particles rich in phosphorus, iron, manganese and organic matter. Without turbulent mixing the bottom water and the sediment surface lack replenishment of oxygen. During stagnant periods with low water level, low turbulence and thus low-oxygen conditions phosphorus from the sediments is released. But the sediments are capable of becoming sinks again once oxygen is resupplied. A thin oxic sediment surface layer rich in iron and manganese adsorbs phosphorus quickly. We demonstrate that sediments in coastal Phragmites wetlands can serve both as sources and sinks of soluble reactive phosphorus on a very short time-scale, depending on local-scale hydrodynamics and the state of the oxic-anoxic sediment interface.

  8. Reexamining the Phosphorus-Protein Dilemma: Does Phosphorus Restriction Compromise Protein Status?

    PubMed

    St-Jules, David E; Woolf, Kathleen; Pompeii, Mary Lou; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Sevick, Mary Ann

    2016-05-01

    Dietary phosphorus restriction is recommended to help control hyperphosphatemia in hemodialysis patients, but many high-phosphorus foods are important sources of protein. In this review, we examine whether restricting dietary phosphorus compromises protein status in hemodialysis patients. Although dietary phosphorus and protein are highly correlated, phosphorus intakes can range up to 600 mg/day for a given energy and protein intake level. Furthermore, the collinearity of phosphorus and protein may be biased because the phosphorus burden of food depends on: (1) the presence of phosphate additives, (2) food preparation method, and (3) bioavailability of phosphorus, which are often unaccounted for in nutrition assessments. Ultimately, we argue that clinically relevant reductions in phosphorus intake can be made without limiting protein intake by avoiding phosphate additives in processed foods, using wet cooking methods such as boiling, and if needed, substituting high-phosphorus foods for nutritionally equivalent foods that are lower in bioavailable phosphorus. Copyright © 2016 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen modify composition and diversity of microbial communities in water of mesotrophic lake.

    PubMed

    Chróst, Ryszard J; Adamczewski, Tomasz; Kalinowska, Krystyna; Skowrońska, Agnieszka

    2009-01-01

    The effects of inorganic nutrients (N, P) enrichment of mesotrophic lake water on changes in bacterial and protistan (heterotrophic nanoflagellates and ciliates) communities compositions were studied in the mesocosm experiment. Phosphorus (PO4(3-)) and nitrogen (NH4+) alone and in combination were added to three types of experimental mesocosms. Mesocosms results suggested that simultaneous addition of P and N stimulated phytoplankton growth and production rates of bacterial biomass its turnover rate. Strong positive correlations between chlorophyll a and bacterial secondary production rates suggested that bacteria were mainly controlled by organic substrates released in course ofphytoplankton photosynthesis. Both nutrients increased distinctly protistan biomass and resulted in the shift in ciliate community composition from algivorous to large omnivorous species. The response of bacterial numbers and biomass to nutrients addition was less evident. However, intensive grazing caused their dynamic changes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed only small changes in bacterial taxonomic composition. There was an apparent shift in dominance from Cytophaga-Flavobacterium to the Alphaproteobacteria group in the mesocosm with simultaneous addition of P and N, which positively related to increased abundance of bacterivorous protists. Experiment demonstrated that inorganic N and P nutrients directly influenced the bottom-down control of microbial communities, which had a crucial effect on morphological diversity of bacteria.

  10. Effects of mechanical disintegration of activated sludge on the activity of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria and phosphorus accumulating organisms.

    PubMed

    Zubrowska-Sudol, Monika; Walczak, Justyna

    2014-09-15

    The purpose of the study was to analyse the impact of hydrodynamic disintegration of thickened excess activated sludge, performed at different levels of energy density (70, 140 and 210 kJ/L), on the activity of microorganisms involved in nutrient removal from wastewater, i.e. nitrifiers, denitrifiers and phosphorus accumulating organisms (PAOs). Ammonium and nitrogen utilisation rates and phosphorus release rates for raw and disintegrated sludge were determined using batch tests. The experiment also included: 1) analysis of organic and nutrient compound release from activated sludge flocs, 2) determination of the sludge disintegration degree (DD), and 3) evaluation of respiratory activity of the biomass by using the oxygen uptake rate (OUR) batch test. It was shown that the activity degree of the examined groups of microorganisms depended on energy density and related sludge disintegration degree, and that inactivation of individual groups of microorganisms occurred at different values of DD. Least resistant to the destruction of activated sludge flocs turned out to be phosphorus accumulating organisms, while the most resistant were denitrifiers. A decrease of 20-40% in PAO activity was noted already at DD equal to 3-5%. The threshold values of DD, after crossing which the inactivation of nitrifiers and denitrifiers occurred, were equal to 8% and 10%, respectively. At lesser DD values an increase in the activity of these groups of microorganisms was observed, averaging 20.2-41.7% for nitrifiers and 9.98-36.3% for denitrifiers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Enhanced primary sludge sonication by heat insulation to reclaim carbon source for biological phosphorous removal.

    PubMed

    Tian, Qing; Wang, Qi; Zhu, Yanbing; Li, Fang; Zhuang, Lin; Yang, Bo

    2017-01-01

    Ultrasound pretreatment is a potent step to disintegrate primary sludge (PS). The supernatant of sonicated PS is recycled as an alternative carbon source for biological phosphorus removal. In this study, we investigated the role of temperature on PS disintegration during sonication. We found that a temperature of 60°C yielded a dissolution rate of about 2% soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) as compared to 7% SCOD using sonication at the specific energy (SE) of 7359kJ/kg TS. Using the SE of 6000kJ/kg TS with heat insulation during sonication, the SCOD dissolution rate of PS was similar to the result at the SE of 7051kJ/kg TS without heat insulation. Upon treatment with sonication, the PS released low concentrations of Cu and Zn into the supernatant. The phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) used the supernatant of sonicated PS as the carbon source. Supplementation with the diluted sonicated PS supernatant (SCOD≈1000mg/L) in anaerobic phase resulted in the release of phosphorus (36mg/L) and the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) (0.36g PHA/g SS). Compared with sodium acetate, higher polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV) faction in the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) was observed in the biomass when incubated with sonicated PS as the carbon source. This work provides a simple pathway to conserve energy and to enhance efficiencies of ultrasonic pretreatment and the recovery of carbon source from the sludge for improving the phosphorus removal in the ENR system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Geochemical and hydrologic controls on phosphorus transport in a sewage-contaminated sand and gravel aquifer near Ashumet Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walter, Donald A.; Rea, Brigid A.; Stollenwerk, Kenneth G.; Savoie, Jennifer G.

    1996-01-01

    Currently (1993), about 170 kg/yr of phosphorus discharges into Ashumet Pond on Cape Cod from a plume of sewage-contaminated ground water. Phosphorus in the plume is mobile in two distinct geochemical environments--an anoxic zone containing dissolved iron and a suboxic zone containing dissolved oxygen. Phosphorus mobility in the suboxic zone is due to saturation of available sorption sites. Phosphorus loading to Ashumet Pond may increase significantly after sewage disposal is stopped due to phosphorus desorption from sediment surfaces.

  13. Effects of Land-Applied Ammonia Scrubber Solutions on Yield, Nitrogen Uptake, Soil Test Phosphorus, and Phosphorus Runoff.

    PubMed

    Martin, Jerry W; Moore, Philip A; Li, Hong; Ashworth, Amanda J; Miles, Dana M

    2018-03-01

    Ammonia (NH) scrubbers reduce amounts of NH and dust released from animal rearing facilities while generating nitrogen (N)-rich solutions, which may be used as fertilizers. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various NH scrubber solutions on forage yields, N uptake, soil-test phosphorus (P), and P runoff. A small plot study was conducted using six treatments: (i) an unfertilized control, (ii) potassium bisulfate (KHSO) scrubber solution, (iii) aluminum sulfate [Al(SO) ⋅14HO, alum] scrubber solution, (iv) sodium bisulfate (NaHSO) scrubber solution, (v) sulfuric acid (HSO) scrubber solution, and (vi) ammonium nitrate (NHNO) fertilizer. The scrubber solutions were obtained from ARS Air Scrubbers attached to commercial broiler houses. All N sources were applied at a rate of 112 kg N ha. Plots were harvested approximately every 4 wk and soil-test P measurements were made, then a rainfall simulation study was conducted. Cumulative forage yields were greater ( < 0.05) for KHSO (7.6 Mg ha) and NaHSO (7.5 Mg ha) scrubber solutions than for alum (6.7 Mg ha) or HSO (6.5 Mg ha) scrubber solutions or for NHNO (6.9 Mg ha). All N sources resulted in higher yields than the control (5.1 Mg ha). The additional potassium in the KHSO treatment likely resulted in higher yields. Although Mehlich-III-extractable P was not affected, water-extractable P in soil was lowered by the alum-based scrubber solution, which also resulted in lower P runoff. This study demonstrates that N captured using NH scrubbers is a viable N fertilizer. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  14. Low Phosphorus Diet: Best for Kidney Disease?

    MedlinePlus

    ... for Standard Reference, Release 27. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service. http://ndb.nal.usda.gov. Accessed ... in America, NHANES 2011-2012. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/80400530/ ...

  15. Bacterial production and their role in the removal of dissolved organic matter from tributaries of drinking water reservoirs.

    PubMed

    Kamjunke, Norbert; Oosterwoud, Marieke R; Herzsprung, Peter; Tittel, Jörg

    2016-04-01

    Enhanced concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in freshwaters are an increasing problem in drinking water reservoirs. In this study we investigated bacterial DOM degradation rates in the tributaries of the reservoirs and tested the hypotheses that (1) DOM degradation is high enough to decrease DOM loads to reservoirs considerably, (2) DOM degradation is affected by stream hydrology, and (3) phosphorus addition may stimulate bacterial DOM degradation. Bacterial biomass production, which was used as a measure of DOM degradation, was highest in summer, and was usually lower at upstream than at downstream sites. An important proportion of bacterial production was realized in epilithic biofilms. Production of planktonic and biofilm bacteria was related to water temperature. Planktonic production weakly correlated to DOM quality and to total phosphorus concentration. Addition of soluble reactive phosphorus did not stimulate bacterial DOM degradation. Overall, DOM was considerably degraded in summer at low discharge levels, whereas degradation was negligible during flood events (when DOM load in reservoirs was high). The ratio of DOM degradation to total DOM release was negatively related to discharge. On annual average, only 0.6-12% of total DOM released by the catchments was degraded within the tributaries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Impact of point-source pollution on phosphorus and nitrogen cycling in stream-bed sediments.

    PubMed

    Palmer-Felgate, Elizabeth J; Mortimer, Robert J G; Krom, Michael D; Jarvie, Helen P

    2010-02-01

    Diffusive equilibration in thin films was used to study the cycling of phosphorus and nitrogen at the sediment-water interface in situ and with minimal disturbance to redox conditions. Soluble reactive phosphate (SRP), nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, sulfate, iron, and manganese profiles were measured in a rural stream, 12 m upstream, adjacent to, and 8 m downstream of a septic tank discharge. Sewage fungus adjacent to the discharge resulted in anoxic conditions directly above the sediment. SRP and ammonium increased with depth through the fungus layer to environmentally significant concentrations (440 and 1800 microM, respectively) due to release at the sediment surface. This compared to only 0.8 microM of SRP and 2.0 microM of ammonium in the water column upstream of the discharge. Concomitant removal of ammonium, nitrite and nitrate within 0.5 cm below the fungus-water interface provided evidence for anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox). "Hotspots" of porewater SRP (up to 350 microM) at the downstream site demonstrated potential in-stream storage of the elevated P concentrations from the effluent. These results provide direct in situ evidence of phosphorus and nitrogen release from river-bed sediments under anoxic conditions created by sewage-fungus, and highlight the wider importance of redox conditions and rural point sources on in-stream nutrient cycling.

  17. Evaluation of a method for comparing phosphorus loads from barnyards and croplands in Otter Creek Watershed, Wisconsin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wierl, Judy A.; Giddings, Elise M.P.; Bannerman, Roger T.

    1998-01-01

    Control of phosphorus from rural nonpoint sources is a major focus of current efforts to improve and protect water resources in Wisconsin and is recommended in almost every priority watershed plan prepared for the State's Nonpoint Source (NFS) Program. Barnyards and crop- lands usually are identified as the primary rural sources of phosphorus. Numerous questions have arisen about which of these two sources to control and about the method currently being used by the NFS program to compare phosphorus loads from barnyards and croplands. To evaluate the method, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, used phosphorus-load and sediment-load data from streams and phosphorus concentrations in soils from the Otter Creek Watershed (located in the Sheboygan River Basin: fig. 1) in conjunction with two computer-based models. 

  18. Water quality, hydrology, and simulated response to changes in phosphorus loading of Mercer Lake, Iron County, Wisconsin, with special emphasis on the effects of wastewater discharges

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robertson, Dale M.; Garn, Herbert S.; Rose, William J.; Juckem, Paul F.; Reneau, Paul C.

    2012-01-01

    Mercer Lake is a relatively shallow drainage lake in north-central Wisconsin. The area near the lake has gone through many changes over the past century, including urbanization and industrial development. To try to improve the water quality of the lake, actions have been taken, such as removal of the lumber mill and diversion of all effluent from the sewage treatment plant away from the lake; however, it is uncertain how these actions have affected water quality. Mercer Lake area residents and authorities would like to continue to try to improve the water quality of the lake; however, they would like to place their efforts in the actions that will have the most beneficial effects. To provide a better understanding of the factors affecting the water quality of Mercer Lake, a detailed study of the lake and its watershed was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with the Mercer Lake Association. The purposes of the study were to describe the water quality of the lake and the composition of its sediments; quantify the sources of water and phosphorus loading to the lake, including sources associated with wastewater discharges; and evaluate the effects of past and future changes in phosphorus inputs on the water quality of the lake using eutrophication models (models that simulate changes in phosphorus and algae concentrations and water clarity in the lake). Based on analyses of sediment cores and monitoring data collected from the lake, the water quality of Mercer Lake appears to have degraded as a result of the activities in its watershed over the past 100 years. The water quality appears to have improved, however, since a sewage treatment plant was constructed in 1965 and its effluent was routed away from the lake in 1995. Since 2000, when a more consistent monitoring program began, the water quality of the lake appears to have changed very little. During the two monitoring years (MY) 2008-09, the average summer near-surface concentration of total phosphorus was 0.023 mg/L, indicating the lake is borderline mesotrophic-eutrophic, or has moderate to high concentrations of phosphorus, whereas the average summer chlorophyll a concentration was 3.3 mg/L and water clarity, as measured with a Secchi depth, was 10.4 ft, both indicating mesotrophic conditions or that the lake has a moderate amount of algae and water clarity. Although actions have been taken to eliminate the wastewater discharges, the bottom sediment still has slightly elevated concentrations of several pollutants from wastewater discharges, lumber operations, and roadway drainage, and a few naturally occurring metals (such as iron). None of the concentrations, however, were high enough above the defined thresholds to be of concern. Based on nitrogen to phosphorus ratios, the productivity (algal growth) in Mercer Lake should typically be limited by phosphorus; therefore, understanding the phosphorus input to the lake is important when management efforts to improve or prevent degradation of the lake water quality are considered. Total inputs of phosphorus to Mercer Lake were directly estimated for MY 2008-09 at about 340 lb/yr and for a recent year with more typical hydrology at about 475 lb/yr. During these years, the largest sources of phosphorus were from Little Turtle Inlet, which contributed about 45 percent, and the drainage area near the lake containing the adjacent urban and residential developments, which contributed about 24 percent. Prior to 1965, when there was no sewage treatment plant and septic systems and other untreated systems contributed nutrients to the watershed, phosphorus loadings were estimated to be about 71 percent higher than during around 2009. In 1965, a sewage treatment plant was built, but its effluent was released in the downstream end of the lake. Depending on various assumptions on how much effluent was retained in the lake, phosphorus inputs from wastewater may have ranged from 0 to 342 lb. Future highway and stormwater improvements have been identified in the Mercer Infrastructure Improvement Project, and if they are done with the proposed best management practices, then phosphorus inputs to the lake may decrease by about 40 lb. Eutrophication models [Canfield and Bachman model (1981) and Carlson Trophic State Index equations (1977)] were used to predict how the water quality of Mercer Lake should respond to changes in phosphorus loading. A relatively linear response was found between phosphorus loading and phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations in the lake, with changes in phosphorus concentrations being slightly less (about 80 percent) and changes in chlorophyll a concentrations being slightly more (about 120 percent) than the changes in phosphorus loadings to the lake. Water clarity, indicated by Secchi depths, responded more to decreases in phosphorus loading than to increases in loading. Results from the eutrophication models indicated that the lake should have been negatively affected by the wastewater discharges. Prior to 1965, when there was no sewage treatment plant effluent and inputs from the septic systems and other untreated systems were thought to be high, the lake should have been eutrophic; near the surface, average phosphorus concentrations were almost 0.035 mg/L, chlorophyll a concentrations were about 7 μg/L, and Secchi depths were about 6 ft, which agreed with the shallower Secchi depths during this time estimated from the sediment-core analysis. The models indicated that between 1965 and 1995, when the lake retained some of the effluent from the new sewage treatment plant, water quality should have been between the conditions estimated prior to 1965 and what was expected during typical hydrologic conditions around MY 2008-09. The models also indicated that if the future Mercer Infrastructure Improvement Project is conducted with the best management practices as proposed, the water quality in the lake could improve slightly from that measured during 2006-10. Because of the small amount of phosphorus that is presently input into Mercer Lake any additional phosphorus added to the lake could degrade water quality; therefore, management actions can usefully focus on minimizing future phosphorus inputs. Phosphorus released from the sediments of a degraded lake often delays its response to decreases in external phosphorus loading, especially in shallow, frequently mixed systems. Mercer Lake, however, remains stratified throughout most of the summer, and phosphorus released from the sediments represents only about 6 percent, or a small fraction, of the total phosphorus load to the lake. Therefore, the phosphorus trapped in the sediments should minimally affect the long-term water quality of the lake and should not delay the response in its productivity to future changes in nutrient loading from its watershed.

  19. Development of a biologically based fertilizer, incorporating Bacillus megaterium A6, for improved phosphorus nutrition of oilseed rape.

    PubMed

    Hu, Xiaojia; Roberts, Daniel P; Xie, Lihua; Maul, Jude E; Yu, Changbing; Li, Yinshui; Zhang, Shujie; Liao, Xing

    2013-04-01

    Sustainable methods with diminished impact on the environment need to be developed for the production of oilseed rape in China and other regions of the world. A biological fertilizer consisting of Bacillus megaterium A6 cultured on oilseed rape meal improved oilseed rape seed yield (P < 0.0001) relative to the nontreated control in 2 greenhouse pot experiments using natural soil. This treatment resulted in slightly greater yield than oilseed rape meal without strain A6 in 1 of 2 experiments, suggesting a role for strain A6 in improving yield. Strain A6 was capable of solubilizing phosphorus from rock phosphate in liquid culture and produced enzymes capable of mineralizing organic phosphorus (acid phosphatase, phytase) in liquid culture and in the biological fertilizer. The biologically based fertilizer, containing strain A6, improved plant phosphorus nutrition in greenhouse pot experiments resulting in significantly greater available phosphorus in natural soil and in significantly greater plant phosphorus content relative to the nontreated control. Seed yield and available phosphorus in natural soil were significantly greater with a synthetic chemical fertilizer treatment, reduced in phosphorus content, than the biological fertilizer treatment, but a treatment containing the biological fertilizer combined with the synthetic fertilizer provided the significantly greatest seed yield, available phosphorus in natural soil, and plant phosphorus content. These results suggest that the biological fertilizer was capable of improving oilseed rape seed yield, at least in part, through the phosphorus-solubilizing activity of B. megaterium A6.

  20. Nutrient Control Design Manual–State of the Technology Review Report

    EPA Science Inventory

    This EPA document is an interim product in the development of revised design guidance for nitrogen and phosphorus control at municipal WWTPs. This document presents findings from an extensive review of nitrogen and phosphorus control technologies and techniques currently applied...

  1. Phosphatase activity and culture conditions of the yeast Candida mycoderma sp. and analysis of organic phosphorus hydrolysis ability.

    PubMed

    Yan, Mang; Yu, Liufang; Zhang, Liang; Guo, Yuexia; Dai, Kewei; Chen, Yuru

    2014-11-01

    Orthophosphate is an essential but limiting macronutrient for plant growth. About 67% cropland in China lacks sufficient phosphorus, especially that with red soil. Extensive soil phosphorus reserves exist in the form of organic phosphorus, which is unavailable for root uptake unless hydrolyzed by secretory acid phosphatases. Thus, many microorganisms with the ability to produce phosphatase have been exploited. In this work, the activity of an extracellular acid phosphatase and yeast biomass from Candida mycoderma was measured under different culture conditions, such as pH, temperature, and carbon source. A maximal phosphatase activity of 8.47×10(5)±0.11×10(5)U/g was achieved by C. Mycoderma in 36 hr under the optimal conditions. The extracellular acid phosphatase has high activity over a wide pH tolerance range from 2.5 to 5.0 (optimum pH3.5). The effects of different phosphorus compounds on the acid phosphatase production were also studied. The presence of phytin, lecithin or calcium phosphate reduced the phosphatase activity and biomass yield significantly. In addition, the pH of the culture medium was reduced significantly by lecithin. The efficiency of the strain in releasing orthophosphate from organic phosphorus was studied in red soil (used in planting trees) and rice soil (originating as red soil). The available phosphorus content was increased by 230% after inoculating 20 days in rice soil and decreased by 50% after inoculating 10 days in red soil. This work indicates that the yeast strain C. mycoderma has potential application for enhancing phosphorus utilization in plants that grow in rice soil. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Rethinking early Earth phosphorus geochemistry

    PubMed Central

    Pasek, Matthew A.

    2008-01-01

    Phosphorus is a key biologic element, and a prebiotic pathway leading to its incorporation into biomolecules has been difficult to ascertain. Most potentially prebiotic phosphorylation reactions have relied on orthophosphate as the source of phosphorus. It is suggested here that the geochemistry of phosphorus on the early Earth was instead controlled by reduced oxidation state phosphorus compounds such as phosphite (HPO32−), which are more soluble and reactive than orthophosphates. This reduced oxidation state phosphorus originated from extraterrestrial material that fell during the heavy bombardment period or was produced during impacts, and persisted in the mildly reducing atmosphere. This alternate view of early Earth phosphorus geochemistry provides an unexplored route to the formation of pertinent prebiotic phosphorus compounds, suggests a facile reaction pathway to condensed phosphates, and is consistent with the biochemical usage of reduced oxidation state phosphorus compounds in life today. Possible studies are suggested that may detect reduced oxidation state phosphorus compounds in ancient Archean rocks. PMID:18195373

  3. Rethinking early Earth phosphorus geochemistry.

    PubMed

    Pasek, Matthew A

    2008-01-22

    Phosphorus is a key biologic element, and a prebiotic pathway leading to its incorporation into biomolecules has been difficult to ascertain. Most potentially prebiotic phosphorylation reactions have relied on orthophosphate as the source of phosphorus. It is suggested here that the geochemistry of phosphorus on the early Earth was instead controlled by reduced oxidation state phosphorus compounds such as phosphite (HPO(3)(2-)), which are more soluble and reactive than orthophosphates. This reduced oxidation state phosphorus originated from extraterrestrial material that fell during the heavy bombardment period or was produced during impacts, and persisted in the mildly reducing atmosphere. This alternate view of early Earth phosphorus geochemistry provides an unexplored route to the formation of pertinent prebiotic phosphorus compounds, suggests a facile reaction pathway to condensed phosphates, and is consistent with the biochemical usage of reduced oxidation state phosphorus compounds in life today. Possible studies are suggested that may detect reduced oxidation state phosphorus compounds in ancient Archean rocks.

  4. Effect of aluminum phosphate on alkaline phosphatase activity of polyurethane foam immobilized cyanobacteria.

    PubMed

    Ramalingam, N; Prasanna, B Gowtham

    2006-09-01

    The impact of insoluble phosphorus such as aluminum and rock phosphate on alkaline phosphatase activity of polyurethane foam immobilized cyanobacteria was assessed. Polyurethane foam immobilized Nodularia recorded the highest alkaline phosphatase activity of 9.04 (m. mol p-nitrophenol released h(-1) mg(-1) protein) in vitro. A higher concentration of aluminum phosphate was recorded a 25% reduction in alkaline phosphatase activity, ammonia content, and available phosphorus in culture filtrate of polyurethane foam immobilized cyanobacteria. In general, immobilized cyanobacteria exhibited a higher alkaline phosphatase activity in rock phosphate than aluminum phosphate.

  5. Groundwater dynamics in wetland soils control the production and transfer mechanisms of dissolved reactive phosphorus in an agricultural landscape

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dupas, Rémi; Gu, Sen; Gruau, Gérard; Gascuel-Odoux, Chantal

    2015-04-01

    Because of its high sorption affinity on soils solid phase, mitigation options to reduce diffuse P transfer usually focus on trapping particulate P forms delivered via surface flowpaths. Therefore, vegetated buffer zones placed between croplands and watercourses have been promoted worldwide, sometimes in wetland areas. To investigate the risk of such P trapping riparian wetlands (RWs) releasing dissolved P to rivers, we monitored molybdate reactive P (MRP) in the free soil solution of two RWs in an intensively farmed catchment. Two main mechanisms causing MRP release were identified in light of the geochemical and hydrological conditions in the RWs, controlled by groundwater dynamics. First, soil rewetting after the dry summer was associated with the presence of a pool of mobile P, limited in size. Its mobilization started under conditions of water saturation caused by groundwater uprise in RW organo-mineral soil horizons. Second, the establishment of anoxic conditions in the end of the winter caused reductive solubilization of Fe oxide-hydroxide, along with release of P. Comparison between sites revealed that the first MRP release occurred only in a RW with P enriched soils, whereas the second was recorded even in a RW with a low soil P status. Seasonal variations in MRP concentrations in the stream were synchronized with those in RW soils. Hence, enriched and/or periodically anoxic RWs can act as a key component of the P transfer continuum in agricultural landscapes by converting particulate P from croplands into MRP released to rivers.

  6. Ferric Citrate Controls Phosphorus and Delivers Iron in Patients on Dialysis

    PubMed Central

    Sika, Mohammed; Koury, Mark J.; Chuang, Peale; Schulman, Gerald; Smith, Mark T.; Whittier, Frederick C.; Linfert, Douglas R.; Galphin, Claude M.; Athreya, Balaji P.; Nossuli, A. Kaldun Kaldun; Chang, Ingrid J.; Blumenthal, Samuel S.; Manley, John; Zeig, Steven; Kant, Kotagal S.; Olivero, Juan Jose; Greene, Tom; Dwyer, Jamie P.

    2015-01-01

    Patients on dialysis require phosphorus binders to prevent hyperphosphatemia and are iron deficient. We studied ferric citrate as a phosphorus binder and iron source. In this sequential, randomized trial, 441 subjects on dialysis were randomized to ferric citrate or active control in a 52-week active control period followed by a 4-week placebo control period, in which subjects on ferric citrate who completed the active control period were rerandomized to ferric citrate or placebo. The primary analysis compared the mean change in phosphorus between ferric citrate and placebo during the placebo control period. A sequential gatekeeping strategy controlled study-wise type 1 error for serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, and intravenous iron and erythropoietin-stimulating agent usage as prespecified secondary outcomes in the active control period. Ferric citrate controlled phosphorus compared with placebo, with a mean treatment difference of −2.2±0.2 mg/dl (mean±SEM) (P<0.001). Active control period phosphorus was similar between ferric citrate and active control, with comparable safety profiles. Subjects on ferric citrate achieved higher mean iron parameters (ferritin=899±488 ng/ml [mean±SD]; transferrin saturation=39%±17%) versus subjects on active control (ferritin=628±367 ng/ml [mean±SD]; transferrin saturation=30%±12%; P<0.001 for both). Subjects on ferric citrate received less intravenous elemental iron (median=12.95 mg/wk ferric citrate; 26.88 mg/wk active control; P<0.001) and less erythropoietin-stimulating agent (median epoetin-equivalent units per week: 5306 units/wk ferric citrate; 6951 units/wk active control; P=0.04). Hemoglobin levels were statistically higher on ferric citrate. Thus, ferric citrate is an efficacious and safe phosphate binder that increases iron stores and reduces intravenous iron and erythropoietin-stimulating agent use while maintaining hemoglobin. PMID:25060056

  7. Vertical distribution of sediment phosphorus in Lake Hachirogata related to the effect of land reclamation on phosphorus accumulation.

    PubMed

    Jin, G; Onodera, S; Saito, M; Maruyama, Y; Hayakawa, A; Sato, T; Ota, Y; Aritomi, D

    2016-01-13

    The focus of this work is the change in sediment properties and chemical characteristics that occur after land reclamation projects. The results indicate a higher sedimentation rate in Lake Hachirogata after reclamation, with the rate increasing with proximity to the agricultural zone. In the west-side water samples, higher levels of dissolved total nitrogen and dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) were found in both surface and bottom waters. The increase in P (39-80%) was generally greater than that for N (12-16%), regarding the nutrient supply from reclaimed farmland in the western part of the lake. In the eastern part of the lake, the pore-water Cl - profile showed a decreasing vertical gradient in the sediment core. This indicates desalination of the lake water after construction of a sluice gate in 1961. In the western sediment-core sample, a uniform Cl - profile indicates the mixing of lake water and pore water after reclamation. Considering the sedimentation of P in the last 100 years, there is a trend of increasing accumulation of P and P-activities after the reclamation project. This appears to be an impact from change in the lake environment as a result of increased agricultural nutrients, desalination, and residence. A large amount of mobile phosphorus (42-72% of TP in the western core sample) trapped in sediment increases the risk of phosphorus release and intensification of algal blooms. High sediment phosphorus and phosphorus mobility should be considered a source of pollution in the coastal environment.

  8. Phosphorus and nitrogen recycle following algal bio-crude production via continuous hydrothermal liquefaction

    DOE PAGES

    Edmundson, S.; Huesemann, M.; Kruk, R.; ...

    2017-07-25

    Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential components of microalgal growth media. Critical to a wide range of biochemical processes, they commonly limit primary productivity. Recycling elemental phosphorus and fixed nitrogen after fuel conversion via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of algae biomass reduces the need for mined phosphorus and synthetic nitrogen resources. We used scenedesmus obliquus DOE 0152.Z and Chlorella sorokiniana DOE1412 as test organisms in assessing nutrient recycle of phosphorus from filtered solids collected downstream of the HTL reactor and nitrogen collected from the aqueous phase after gravimetric biocrude separation. Maximum specific growth rates were measured in growth media using HTL wastemore » as the sole source of either phosphorus or nitrogen and were compared to an algal growth medium control (BG-11). The maximum specific growth rate of both organisms in the recycled phosphorus medium were nearly identical to rates observed in the control medium. Both organisms showed significantly reduced growth rates in the recycled nitrogen medium. C. sorokiniana DOE1412 adapted after several days of exposure whereas S. obliquus DOE0152.Z exhibited poor adaptability to the recycled nitrogen medium. After adaptation, growth rates observed with C. sorokiniana DOE1412 in the recycled nitrogen medium were 3.02 (± 0.13) day -1, 89% of the control medium (3.40 ± 0.21). We further tested maximum specific growth rates of C. sorokiniana DOE1412 in a medium derived entirely from HTL byproducts, completely replacing all components including nitrogen and phosphorus. In this medium we observed rates of 2.70 ± 0.05 day -1, 79% of the control. By adding trace metals to this recycled medium we improved growth rates significantly to 3.10 ± 0.10, 91% of the control, which indicates a critical element is lost in the conversion process. Recycling elemental resources such as phosphorus and nitrogen from the HTL biofuel conversion process can provide a significant reduction in media cost and improves the prospects for industrial scale, algae-based biofuels.« less

  9. Phosphorus and nitrogen recycle following algal bio-crude production via continuous hydrothermal liquefaction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Edmundson, S.; Huesemann, M.; Kruk, R.

    Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential components of microalgal growth media. Critical to a wide range of biochemical processes, they commonly limit primary productivity. Recycling elemental phosphorus and fixed nitrogen after fuel conversion via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of algae biomass reduces the need for mined phosphorus and synthetic nitrogen resources. We used scenedesmus obliquus DOE 0152.Z and Chlorella sorokiniana DOE1412 as test organisms in assessing nutrient recycle of phosphorus from filtered solids collected downstream of the HTL reactor and nitrogen collected from the aqueous phase after gravimetric biocrude separation. Maximum specific growth rates were measured in growth media using HTL wastemore » as the sole source of either phosphorus or nitrogen and were compared to an algal growth medium control (BG-11). The maximum specific growth rate of both organisms in the recycled phosphorus medium were nearly identical to rates observed in the control medium. Both organisms showed significantly reduced growth rates in the recycled nitrogen medium. C. sorokiniana DOE1412 adapted after several days of exposure whereas S. obliquus DOE0152.Z exhibited poor adaptability to the recycled nitrogen medium. After adaptation, growth rates observed with C. sorokiniana DOE1412 in the recycled nitrogen medium were 3.02 (± 0.13) day -1, 89% of the control medium (3.40 ± 0.21). We further tested maximum specific growth rates of C. sorokiniana DOE1412 in a medium derived entirely from HTL byproducts, completely replacing all components including nitrogen and phosphorus. In this medium we observed rates of 2.70 ± 0.05 day -1, 79% of the control. By adding trace metals to this recycled medium we improved growth rates significantly to 3.10 ± 0.10, 91% of the control, which indicates a critical element is lost in the conversion process. Recycling elemental resources such as phosphorus and nitrogen from the HTL biofuel conversion process can provide a significant reduction in media cost and improves the prospects for industrial scale, algae-based biofuels.« less

  10. Changes in total phosphorus concentration in the Red River of the North Basin, 1970-2012

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ryberg, Karen R.; Akyüz, F. Adnan; Lin, Wei

    2015-01-01

    The Red River of the North drains much of eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota and flows north into Manitoba, Canada, ultimately into Lake Winnipeg; therefore, water quality is an International concern. With increased runoff in the past few decades, phosphorus flux (the amount of phosphorus transported by the river) has increased. This is a concern, especially with respect to Lake Winnipeg, an important inland fishery and recreational destination. There is pressure at the State and International levels to reduce phosphorus flux, an expensive proposition. Depending on the method (controlling sources, settling ponds, buffer strips), control of phosphorus flux is not always effective during spring runoff. This work represents a first step in developing a causal model for phosphorus flux by examining available data and changes in concentration over time. Total phosphorus concentration data for the Red River at Emerson, Manitoba, and at Fargo, North Dakota-Moorhead, Minnesota, were summarized and then analyzed using WRTDS (Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season) to describe total phosphorus changes over time in two analysis periods: 1970-1993 and 1993-2012. Total phosphorus concentration increased in the first period at Emerson, Manitoba, indicating phosphorus was likely being transported to streams during runoff events. A very different pattern occurred at Fargo-Moorhead with declines in concentration, except at high discharge. While concentration continually changes, during the second period it decreased during spring runoff at Emerson and Fargo-Moorhead and during the growing season at Fargo-Moorhead, perhaps because of improved agricultural practices and declines in some uses of phosphorus.

  11. 76 FR 8942 - Poison Prevention Packaging Requirements; Proposed Exemption of Powder Formulations of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-16

    ... control of elevated serum phosphorus in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis. The proposed rule... carbonate, is a phosphate binder indicated for the control of serum phosphorus in patients with chronic...

  12. Phosphorus Balance in Adolescent Girls and the Effect of Supplemental Dietary Calcium.

    PubMed

    Vorland, Colby J; Martin, Berdine R; Weaver, Connie M; Peacock, Munro; Gallant, Kathleen M Hill

    2018-03-01

    There are limited data on phosphorus balance and the effect of dietary calcium supplements on phosphorus balance in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine phosphorus balance and the effect of increasing dietary calcium intake with a supplement on net phosphorus absorption and balance in healthy adolescent girls. This study utilized stored urine, fecal, and diet samples from a previously conducted study that focused on calcium balance. Eleven healthy girls ages 11 to 14 years participated in a randomized crossover study, which consisted of two 3-week periods of a controlled diet with low (817 ± 19.5 mg/d) or high (1418 ± 11.1 mg/d) calcium, separated by a 1-week washout period. Phosphorus intake was controlled at the same level during both placebo and calcium supplementation (1435 ± 23.5 and 1453 ± 28.0 mg/d, respectively, p = 0.611). Mean phosphorus balance was positive by about 200 mg/d and was unaffected by the calcium supplement ( p = 0.826). Urinary phosphorus excretion was lower with the calcium supplement (535 ± 42 versus 649 ± 41 mg/d, p = 0.013), but fecal phosphorus and net phosphorus absorption were not significantly different between placebo and calcium supplement (553 ± 60 versus 678 ± 63 versus mg/d, p = 0.143; 876 ± 62 versus 774 ± 64 mg/d, p = 0.231, respectively). Dietary phosphorus underestimates using a nutrient database compared with the content measured chemically from meal composites by ~40%. These results show that phosphorus balance is positive in girls during adolescent growth and that a calcium dietary supplement to near the current recommended level does not affect phosphorus balance when phosphorus intake is at 1400 mg/d, a typical US intake level. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

  13. PHOSPHORUS-BEARING MOLECULES IN MASSIVE DENSE CORES

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fontani, F.; Rivilla, V. M.; Caselli, P.

    2016-05-10

    Phosphorus is a crucial element for the development of life, but so far P-bearing molecules have been detected only in a few astrophysical objects; hence, its interstellar chemistry is almost totally unknown. Here, we show new detections of phosphorus nitride (PN) in a sample of dense cores in different evolutionary stages of the intermediate- and high-mass star formation process: starless, with protostellar objects, and with ultracompact H ii regions. All detected PN line widths are smaller than ≃5 km s{sup −1}, and they arise from regions associated with kinetic temperatures smaller than 100 K. Because the few previous detections reportedmore » in the literature are associated with warmer and more turbulent sources, the results of this work show that PN can arise from relatively quiescent and cold gas. This information is challenging for theoretical models that invoke either high desorption temperatures or grain sputtering from shocks to release phosphorus into the gas phase. Derived column densities are of the order of 10{sup 11–12} cm{sup −2}, marginally lower than the values derived in the few high-mass star-forming regions detected so far. New constraints on the abundance of phosphorus monoxide, the fundamental unit of biologically relevant molecules, are also given.« less

  14. Source, movement, and effects of nitrogen and phosphorus in three ponds in the headwaters of Hop Brook, Marlborough, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Briggs, John C.; Silvey, William D.

    1984-01-01

    The headwaters of Hop Brook near Marlborough, Massachusetts, contain a series of three in-line ponds--Hager Pond, Brist Millpond, and Carding Millpond--which receive over half of their surface-water inflow as effluent from the Marlborough Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. These ponds have a history of summer algal blooms and fish kills. Water entering these ponds contains quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus far higher than the levels known to promote excessive growth of aquatic vegetation. As the water moves through the three ponds, nitrogen levels decrease. Although some nitrogen is lost to the atmosphere by denitrification, the bulk of the nitrogen probably is retained in the pond sediments. There is a net decrease in phosphorus in the water leaving Carding Millpond compared to the water entering Hager Pond. However, during most sampling periods, the phosphorus concentration of water leaving Carding Millpond is still above the level known to cause excessive growth of aquatic vegetation in lakes. During certain summer periods, there appears to be release of some phosphorus from the sediments in Carding and Grist Millponds. No improvement in water quality of the three ponds can be expected until the concentrations of nutrients entering Hager Pond are reduced to levels that will not support excessive growth of aquatic vegetation. (USGS)

  15. Examining the proportion of dietary phosphorus from plants, animals and food additives excreted in urine

    PubMed Central

    St-Jules, David E; Jagannathan, Ram; Gutekunst, Lisa; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Sevick, Mary Ann

    2016-01-01

    Phosphorus bioavailability is an emerging topic of interest in the field of renal nutrition that has important research and clinical implications. Estimates of phosphorus bioavailability, based on digestibility, indicate that bioavailability of phosphorus increases from plants to animals to food additives. In this commentary, we examined the proportion of dietary phosphorus from plants, animals and food additives excreted in urine from four controlled feeding studies conducted in healthy adults and patients with chronic kidney disease. As expected, a smaller proportion of phosphorus from plant foods was excreted in urine compared to animal foods. However, contrary to expectations, phosphorus from food additives appeared to be incompletely absorbed. The apparent discrepancy between digestibility of phosphorus additives and the proportion excreted in urine suggests a need for human balance studies to determine the bioavailability of different sources of phosphorus. PMID:27810171

  16. Examining the Proportion of Dietary Phosphorus From Plants, Animals, and Food Additives Excreted in Urine.

    PubMed

    St-Jules, David E; Jagannathan, Ram; Gutekunst, Lisa; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Sevick, Mary Ann

    2017-03-01

    Phosphorus bioavailability is an emerging topic of interest in the field of renal nutrition that has important research and clinical implications. Estimates of phosphorus bioavailability, based on digestibility, indicate that bioavailability of phosphorus increases from plants to animals to food additives. In this commentary, we examined the proportion of dietary phosphorus from plants, animals, and food additives excreted in urine from four controlled-feeding studies conducted in healthy adults and patients with chronic kidney disease. As expected, a smaller proportion of phosphorus from plant foods was excreted in urine compared to animal foods. However, contrary to expectations, phosphorus from food additives appeared to be incompletely absorbed. The apparent discrepancy between digestibility of phosphorus additives and the proportion excreted in urine suggests a need for human balance studies to determine the bioavailability of different sources of phosphorus. Copyright © 2016 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Mechanisms involved in phosphorus mobility at sediment/water interface under redox oscillations in dam-reservoir context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rapin, Anne; Grybos, Malgorzata; Rabiet, Marion; Kestens, Tim; Mourier, Brice; Deluchat, Veronique

    2017-04-01

    The construction of dams, in response to the growing human demand of water and electricity, leads to the perturbation of several natural biogeochemical cycles, including phosphorus (P). Given its high affinity for solid phases, P tends to accumulate with the sediments in dam-reservoirs. Since the sedimentary P may contribute to water eutrophication, attention should be paid to better understand the parameters, conditions and mechanisms controlling the release of P at the sediment/water interface in such a system. The mobility of P at sediment/water interface closely depends on bio-physico-chemical conditions (redox potential, pH, temperature). Champsanglard dam-reservoir (19.5 m height; 55 ha; Creuse, France) was constructed in 1982 and is annually subject to bathing bans caused by the development of cyanobacteria, although the surface water is classified by the EU Water Framework Directive as being of medium quality regarding total dissolved P. The sediments accumulated in this reservoir are relatively rich in P (1.81 ± 0.22 mgP/gDW), in the silt-sand fraction and characterized by high organic matter content (21 ± 0.1 %). The development of temporary anoxia during summer in hypolimnion and P distribution in the sediments (66% of P associated with amorphous Mn/Fe-oxy-hydroxydes) highlight the importance of the redox potential variation on P mobility. In this context, incubation experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of alternation between aerobic and anaerobic conditions on P sediment mobility. Surface sediments (Φ<2 mm) were incubated with a synthetic solution simulating the chemistry of Champsanglard reservoir water and submitted to two successive aerated and non-aerated phases. Physico-chemical composition (pH, Eh, P-PO43-, FeII, Mn, NO3-, SO42- and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)) and organic matter aromaticity (SUVA254) of the supernatant were monitored all along the incubation. The results showed that the development of anaerobic conditions (decrease of redox potential, NO3- and SO42- and increase of FeII and Mn concentrations) during the two non-aerated phases induces the release of P to the solution. However, during the second anaerobic phase, a higher release of 57 % P- PO43- was observed (8.7 ± 0.5 mgP/L for the second phase to 6.4 ± 0.5 mgP/L for the first one). During the first anaerobic phase, P-PO43- dynamic was correlated with the release of FeII and Mn suggesting that the reductive dissolution of Mn/Fe-oxy-hydroxydes was the main mechanism controlling the P mobility. However, in the second anaerobic phase, Mn and FeII concentrations were much lower (respectively of 24 % and 56 %) than in the first anaerobic phase. SUVA254 index showed that organic compounds released in the first cycle were less aromatic than in the second cycle and exhibited the geochemical characteristics of microbial metabolites (in opposition to humic substances in the second cycle). According to Pan et al. (2016), aromatic organic matter could limit reductive dissolution of Fe-oxyhydroxydes and involve competition for P sorption sites. This experiment highlighted that organic matter quality plays together with Mn/Fe-oxy-hydroxydes an important role in P mobility at sediment/water interface in dam-reservoirs. Keywords: Phosphorus; Sediment; Redox-oscillations; Dam reservoir; Mechanisms

  18. Phosphorus release capacity of soluble P fertilizers and insoluble rock phosphate in response to phosphate solubilizing bacteria and poultry manure and their effect on plant growth promotion and P utilization efficiency of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abbasi, M. K.; Musa, N.; Manzoor, M.

    2015-01-01

    The ability of soil microorganisms and organic manures to convert insoluble phosphorus (P) to an accessible form offers a biological rescue system for improving P solubilization and utilization in soil-plant systems. Our objective was to examine the P supplying capacity of soluble P fertilizers (SPF) i.e. single super phosphate (SSP) and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and insoluble rock phosphate (RP) after adding phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and poultry manure (PM) and their subsequent effect on the growth, yield and P-utilization efficiency (PUE) of chill (Capsicum annuum L.). An incubation study was carried-out on a sandy loam neutral soil with twelve treatments including T0: control; T1: RP; T2: SSP; T3: DAP; T4: PM; T5: 1/2 RP + 1/2 SSP; T6: 1/2 RP + 1/2 DAP; T7: 1/2 RP + 1/2 PM; T8: RP + PSB; T9: 1/2 RP + 1/2 SSP + PSB; T10: 1/2 RP + 1/2 DAP + PSB; T11: 1/2 RP + 1/2 PM + PSB. Phosphorus release capacity of added amendments was measured by analyzing extractable P from the amended soil incubated under controlled condition at 25 °C for 0, 5, 15, 25, 35, 60 days period. To complement the incubation study, a greenhouse experiment was conducted in pots with chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) used as a test crop. Growth, yield, P-uptake and PUE of the chilli was determined during the study. Results indicated that P release capacity of soil amended with RP varied between 6.0 and 11.5 mg kg-1 while the soluble P fertilizers i.e. SSP and DAP displayed a maximum of 73 and 68 mg P kg-1 at the start of the experiment (day 0). However, the P released tendency from SSP and DAP declined during incubation and at the end 82 and 79% of P initially present had been lost from the mineral pool. Integrated use of PSB and PM with RP in 1/2 RP + 1/2 PM + PSB treatment stimulated P mineralization by releasing a maximum of 25 mg P kg-1 that was maintained at high levels without any loss. Application of PSB tended to decrease pH showing an acidifying effect on soil. In the greenhouse experiment, RP alone or RP + PSB was not able to generate any significant impact on plant while DAP displayed the superiority over the remaining treatments. Combined use of RP, PM and PSB in 1/2 RP + 1/2 PM + PSB resulted in the growth, yield and P-uptake of chilli comparative/equivalent to that recorded under DAP. The PUE of applied P varied between 4-29% and higher in the treatments supplemented with PSB compared to those without PSB. These results suggest that use of PSB and PM with insoluble RP or with soluble P fertilizers could be a promising management strategy and viable technology to utilize both low-grade RP and SPF or PM efficiently for crop production and nutrient improvement in our cropping systems.

  19. Antibody to fibroblast growth factor 23-peptide reduces excreta phosphorus of laying hens.

    PubMed

    Ren, Zhouzheng; Ebrahimi, Marziyeh; Bütz, Daniel E; Sand, Jordan M; Zhang, Keying; Cook, Mark E

    2017-01-01

    Novel strategies to minimize the excretion of phosphorus in swine and poultry are critical in minimizing environmental degradation. We have developed a synthetic peptide vaccine to produce autoantibodies to fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), a bone-derived hormone that blocks kidney phosphate resorption and indirectly reduces intestinal phosphate absorption. Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens, fed a standard diet (inorganic phosphorus, Pi = 0.4%), were immunized over the course of 4 weeks with either a FGF-23 peptide vaccine or adjuvant control (without FGF-23 peptide). At peak antibody titer to the peptide (week 5), 24-h excreta were collected and hens were blood sampled (represents 0.4% Pi treatment). Hens were then fed a 0.8% Pi diet and blood was sampled at 24 and 72 h and 24-h excreta were collected at 12 to 36 and 60 to 84 h (represents 0.8% Pi treatment). Increasing Pi from 0.4 to 0.8% increased (P < 0.05) percent excreta phosphorus, total 24-h phosphorus excretion, and plasma levels of FGF-23 and phosphate in either control or FGF-23 peptide vaccinated hens as early as the first sampling period. FGF-23 peptide vaccinated hens fed 0.4% Pi had reduced (P < 0.05) percent excreta phosphorus, total 24 h phosphorus excretion, and plasma levels of FGF-23 and iPTH, and increased (P < 0.05) plasma levels of phosphate and 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 when compared to control vaccinated hens fed 0.4% Pi. In the first collection period post 0.8% Pi feeding, FGF-23 peptide vaccinated hens had reduced (P < 0.05) plasma levels of FGF-23 and iPTH, and increased (P < 0.05) plasma levels of phosphate and 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 , and tended to have reduced percent excreta phosphorus (P = 0.085) and total 24 h phosphorus excretion (P = 0.078) when compared to control vaccinated hens. Results during the second collection period post 0.8% Pi feeding were similar to that at the first collection period. These results are the first to show that the inhibition of FGF-23 action by a peptide vaccine (via neutralizing antibody) reduced phosphorus excretion. The approach presented provides new information on phosphorus metabolism in the laying hen. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

  20. Automatic control and remote monitoring system for biological nutrient removal on small wastewater treatment plants in Korea.

    PubMed

    Lee, H; Min, Y M; Park, C H; Park, Y H

    2004-01-01

    Many small-size wastewater treatment plants in Korea's rural communities are designed to remove organic and suspended matter only, and they generally show a large fluctuation in the influent loading compared to municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTPs). They also have no professional engineers stationed for efficient operation against mechanical breakdown. For those reasons, the wastewater treatment plants have low efficiency in treatment of nitrogen and phosphorus as well as organic matter. In order to solve those problems, this study developed an automatic control system and RMS (remote monitoring system), which can keep efficiency stable despite any change in the small plants' loading rates and are capable of removing nutrient materials such as nitrogen or phosphorus. According to the results of the Experimental SBR system of the automatic control program, complete nitrification was made under oxic conditions and denitrification occurred as NO3-N concentration decreased by 0.5 mg/l in anoxic conditions and excellent nitrogen removal efficiency was seen generally. The Experimental SBR system created "phosphate release and uptake" effectively and displayed phosphate-removing efficiency up to more than 80% as the concentration of effluent was kept low by 0.4 mg/l. RMS developed in this study transmits a plant's data and operation states to clients in remote locations in real-time interval through the Internet. Therefore, although you are in a remote location, it allows you to see if a plant is properly operated or there is any breakdown.

  1. Allotropes of Phosphorus with Remarkable Stability and Intrinsic Piezoelectricity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Zhenqing; He, Chaoyu; Ouyang, Tao; Zhang, Chunxiao; Tang, Chao; Römer, Rudolf A.; Zhong, Jianxin

    2018-04-01

    We construct a class of two-dimensional (2D) phosphorus allotropes by assembling a previously proposed ultrathin metastable phosphorus nanotube into planar structures in different stacking orientations. Based on first-principles methods, the structures, stabilities, and fundamental electronic properties of these allotropes are systematically investigated. Our results show that these 2D van der Waals phosphorene allotropes possess remarkable stabilities due to the strong intertube van der Waals interactions, which cause an energy release of about 30 - 70 meV /atom , depending on their stacking details. Most of them are confirmed to be energetically more favorable than the experimentally viable α -P and β -P . Three of them, showing a relatively higher probability of being synthesized in the future, are further confirmed to be dynamically stable semiconductors with strain-tunable band gaps and intrinsic piezoelectricity, which may have potential applications in nanosized sensors, piezotronics, and energy harvesting in portable electronic nanodevices.

  2. Novel Alleles of Phosphorus-Starvation Tolerance 1 Gene (PSTOL1) from Oryza rufipogon Confers High Phosphorus Uptake Efficiency

    PubMed Central

    Neelam, Kumari; Thakur, Shiwali; Neha; Yadav, Inderjit S.; Kumar, Kishor; Dhaliwal, Salwinder S.; Singh, Kuldeep

    2017-01-01

    Limited phosphorus availability in the soil is one of the major constraints to the growth and productivity of rice across Asian, African and South American countries, where 50% of the rice is grown under rain-fed systems on poor and problematic soils. With an aim to determine novel alleles for enhanced phosphorus uptake efficiency in wild species germplasm of rice Oryza rufipogon, we investigated phosphorus uptake1 (Pup1) locus with 11 previously reported SSR markers and sequence characterized the phosphorus-starvation tolerance 1 (PSTOL1) gene. In the present study, we screened 182 accessions of O. rufipogon along with Vandana as a positive control with SSR markers. From the analysis, it was inferred that all of the O. rufipogon accessions undertaken in this study had an insertion of 90 kb region, including Pup1-K46, a diagnostic marker for PSTOL1, however, it was absent among O. sativa cv. PR114, PR121, and PR122. The complete PSTOL1 gene was also sequenced in 67 representative accessions of O. rufipogon and Vandana as a positive control. From comparative sequence analysis, 53 mutations (52 SNPs and 1 nonsense mutation) were found in the PSTOL1 coding region, of which 28 were missense mutations and 10 corresponded to changes in the amino acid polarity. These 53 mutations correspond to 17 haplotypes, of these 6 were shared and 11 were scored only once. A major shared haplotype was observed among 44 accessions of O. rufipogon along with Vandana and Kasalath. Out of 17 haplotypes, accessions representing 8 haplotypes were grown under the phosphorus-deficient conditions in hydroponics for 60 days. Significant differences were observed in the root length and weight among all the genotypes when grown under phosphorus deficiency conditions as compared to the phosphorus sufficient conditions. The O. rufipogon accession IRGC 106506 from Laos performed significantly better, with 2.5 times higher root weight and phosphorus content as compared to the positive control Vandana. In terms of phosphorus uptake efficiency, the O. rufipogon accessions IRGC 104639, 104712, and 105569 also showed nearly two times higher phosphorus content than Vandana. Thus, these O. rufipogon accessions could be used as the potential donor for improving phosphorus uptake efficiency of elite rice cultivars. PMID:28443109

  3. Novel Alleles of Phosphorus-Starvation Tolerance 1 Gene (PSTOL1) from Oryza rufipogon Confers High Phosphorus Uptake Efficiency.

    PubMed

    Neelam, Kumari; Thakur, Shiwali; Neha; Yadav, Inderjit S; Kumar, Kishor; Dhaliwal, Salwinder S; Singh, Kuldeep

    2017-01-01

    Limited phosphorus availability in the soil is one of the major constraints to the growth and productivity of rice across Asian, African and South American countries, where 50% of the rice is grown under rain-fed systems on poor and problematic soils. With an aim to determine novel alleles for enhanced phosphorus uptake efficiency in wild species germplasm of rice Oryza rufipogon , we investigated phosphorus uptake1 ( Pup1 ) locus with 11 previously reported SSR markers and sequence characterized the phosphorus-starvation tolerance 1 ( PSTOL1 ) gene. In the present study, we screened 182 accessions of O. rufipogon along with Vandana as a positive control with SSR markers. From the analysis, it was inferred that all of the O. rufipogon accessions undertaken in this study had an insertion of 90 kb region, including Pup1 -K46, a diagnostic marker for PSTOL1 , however, it was absent among O. sativa cv. PR114, PR121, and PR122. The complete PSTOL1 gene was also sequenced in 67 representative accessions of O. rufipogon and Vandana as a positive control. From comparative sequence analysis, 53 mutations (52 SNPs and 1 nonsense mutation) were found in the PSTOL1 coding region, of which 28 were missense mutations and 10 corresponded to changes in the amino acid polarity. These 53 mutations correspond to 17 haplotypes, of these 6 were shared and 11 were scored only once. A major shared haplotype was observed among 44 accessions of O. rufipogon along with Vandana and Kasalath. Out of 17 haplotypes, accessions representing 8 haplotypes were grown under the phosphorus-deficient conditions in hydroponics for 60 days. Significant differences were observed in the root length and weight among all the genotypes when grown under phosphorus deficiency conditions as compared to the phosphorus sufficient conditions. The O. rufipogon accession IRGC 106506 from Laos performed significantly better, with 2.5 times higher root weight and phosphorus content as compared to the positive control Vandana. In terms of phosphorus uptake efficiency, the O. rufipogon accessions IRGC 104639, 104712, and 105569 also showed nearly two times higher phosphorus content than Vandana. Thus, these O. rufipogon accessions could be used as the potential donor for improving phosphorus uptake efficiency of elite rice cultivars.

  4. Recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus from alkaline fermentation liquid of waste activated sludge and application of the fermentation liquid to promote biological municipal wastewater treatment.

    PubMed

    Tong, Juan; Chen, Yinguang

    2009-07-01

    In previous publications we reported that by controlling the pH at 10.0 the accumulation of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) during waste activated sludge (WAS) fermentation was remarkably improved [Yuan, H., Chen, Y., Zhang, H., Jiang, S., Zhou, Q., Gu, G., 2006. Improved bioproduction of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from excess sludge under alkaline conditions. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40, 2025-2029], but significant ammonium nitrogen (NH(4)-N) and soluble ortho-phosphorus (SOP) were released [Chen, Y., Jiang, S., Yuan, H., Zhou, Q., Gu, G., 2007. Hydrolysis and acidification of waste activated sludge at different pHs. Water Res. 41, 683-689]. This paper investigated the simultaneous recovery of NH(4)-N and SOP from WAS alkaline fermentation liquid and the application of the fermentation liquid as an additional carbon source for municipal wastewater biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal. The central composite design (CCD) of the response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize and model the simultaneous NH(4)-N and SOP recovery from WAS alkaline fermentation liquid. Under the optimum conditions, the predicted and experimental recovery efficiency was respectively 73.4 and 75.7% with NH(4)-N, and 82.0 and 83.2% with SOP, which suggested that the developed models described the experiments well. After NH(4)-N and SOP recovery, the alkaline fermentation liquid was added to municipal wastewater, and the influence of volume ratio of fermentation liquid to municipal wastewater (FL/MW) on biological nitrogen and phosphorus removal was investigated. The addition of fermentation liquid didn't significantly affect nitrification. Both SOP and total nitrogen (TN) removal were increased with fermentation liquid, but there was no significant increase at FL/MW greater than 1/35. Compared to the blank test, the removal efficiency of SOP and TN at FL/MW=1/35 was improved from 44.0 to 92.9%, and 63.3 to 83.2%, respectively. The enhancement of phosphorus and nitrogen removal was mainly attributed to the increase of influent SCFA, or rather, the increase of intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) which served as the carbon and energy sources for denitrification and phosphorus uptake. The addition of alkaline fermentation liquid to municipal wastewater, however, increased the effluent COD, which was caused mainly by the increase of influent humic acid, not protein or carbohydrate.

  5. Binary effect of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTio2) and phosphorus on microalgae (Chlorella 'Ellipsoides Gerneck, 1907).

    PubMed

    Matouke, Moise M; Elewa, Dorcas T; Abdullahi, Karimatu

    2018-05-01

    The wide application of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and phosphorus in the manufacturing of many industrial products mainly used in agricultural sector has resulted in the release of considerable amounts of these compounds into freshwater aquatic ecosystem. These compounds may cause some unexpected effects to aquatic organisms. This study assessed the binary effects of Titanium nanoparticles (nTiO 2 ) and Phosphorus on Chlorella ellipsoides. Toxicological assay test of the compounds nTiO 2 (1.25 μM) alone and the combination of Titanium dioxide (1.25 μM) and Phosphorus (16, 32, 80, 160, 240 μM) was assessed, after 96 h exposures, for optical density (OD 680 ), specific growth rate, chlorophyll levels and lipid peroxidation via Malondialdehyde (MDA) activity. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activities were also measured. Two-way ANOVA showed a significant interaction (P < 0.05) between binary mixture. Co-exposure showed a decreased phosphorus bioconcentration in the microalgae with significant increase (P < 0.05) in chlorophyll a/b and total chlorophyll contents. A significant decrease (P < 0.05) in specific growth rate and optical density were recorded whereas, antioxidant enzymes (MDA, SOD, POD, GST) activities were significantly (P < 0.05) increased. These results showed that the addition of nTiO 2 to Phosphorus affected the physiology of microalgae and should be of great concern for freshwater biodiversity. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Characterization of elemental and structural composition of corrosion scales and deposits formed in drinking water distribution systems.

    PubMed

    Peng, Ching-Yu; Korshin, Gregory V; Valentine, Richard L; Hill, Andrew S; Friedman, Melinda J; Reiber, Steve H

    2010-08-01

    Corrosion scales and deposits formed within drinking water distribution systems (DWDSs) have the potential to retain inorganic contaminants. The objective of this study was to characterize the elemental and structural composition of extracted pipe solids and hydraulically-mobile deposits originating from representative DWDSs. Goethite (alpha-FeOOH), magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) and siderite (FeCO(3)) were the primary crystalline phases identified in most of the selected samples. Among the major constituent elements of the deposits, iron was most prevalent followed, in the order of decreasing prevalence, by sulfur, organic carbon, calcium, inorganic carbon, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, aluminum and zinc. The cumulative occurrence profiles of iron, sulfur, calcium and phosphorus for pipe specimens and flushed solids were similar. Comparison of relative occurrences of these elements indicates that hydraulic disturbances may have relatively less impact on the release of manganese, aluminum and zinc, but more impact on the release of organic carbon, inorganic carbon, and magnesium. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Comparative Studies on Thermal, Mechanical, and Flame Retardant Properties of PBT Nanocomposites via Different Oxidation State Phosphorus-Containing Agents Modified Amino-CNTs.

    PubMed

    Zhu, San-E; Wang, Li-Li; Chen, Hao; Yang, Wei; Yuen, Anthony Chun-Yin; Chen, Timothy Bo-Yuan; Luo, Cheng; Bi, Wen-Mei; Hu, En-Zhu; Zhang, Jian; Si, Jing-Yu; Lu, Hong-Dian; Hu, Kun-Hong; Chan, Qing Nian; Yeoh, Guan Heng

    2018-01-26

    High-performance poly(1,4-butylene terephthalate) (PBT) nanocomposites have been developed via the consideration of phosphorus-containing agents and amino-carbon nanotube (A-CNT). One-pot functionalization method has been adopted to prepare functionalized CNTs via the reaction between A-CNT and different oxidation state phosphorus-containing agents, including chlorodiphenylphosphine (DPP-Cl), diphenylphosphinic chloride (DPP(O)-Cl), and diphenyl phosphoryl chloride (DPP(O₃)-Cl). These functionalized CNTs, DPP(O x )-A-CNTs ( x = 0, 1, 3), were, respectively, mixed with PBT to obtain the CNT-based polymer nanocomposites through a melt blending method. Scanning electron microscope observations demonstrated that DPP(O x )-A-CNT nanoadditives were homogeneously distributed within PBT matrix compared to A-CNT. The incorporation of DPP(O x )-A-CNT improved the thermal stability of PBT. Moreover, PBT/DPP(O₃)-A-CNT showed the highest crystallization temperature and tensile strength, due to the superior dispersion and interfacial interactions between DPP(O₃)-A-CNT and PBT. PBT/DPP(O)-A-CNT exhibited the best flame retardancy resulting from the excellent carbonization effect. The radicals generated from decomposed polymer were effectively trapped by DPP(O)-A-CNT, leading to the reduction of heat release rate, smoke production rate, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide release during cone calorimeter tests.

  8. Dietary egg whites for phosphorus control in maintenance haemodialysis patients: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Lynn M; Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar; Markewich, Theodore; Colman, Sara; Benner, Debbie; Sim, John J; Kovesdy, Csaba P

    2011-03-01

    High dietary protein intake is associated with greater survival in maintenance haemodialysis (MHD) patients. High-protein foods may increase dietary phosphorus burden, which is associated with increased mortality in these patients. Hypothesis is: an egg white based diet with low phosphorus to protein ratio (<1.4 mg/g) will lower serum phosphorus without deteriorating the nutritional status in MHD patients. We assessed serum phosphorus and albumin levels in MHD patients who agreed to ingest one meal per day with pasteurised liquid egg whites without phosphorus additives, as principal protein source. Thirteen otherwise stable MHD patients with serum phosphorus >4.0 mg/dl agreed to consume eight ounces (225 g) of pasteurised liquid egg whites one meal per day for six weeks. Recipes were suggested to improve diet variety. Thirteen participating patients included seven women, three African Americans and five diabetics. Twelve patients exhibited drop in serum phosphorus. Mean population fall in serum phosphorus was 0.94 mg/dl, i.e. from 5.58 ± 1.34 (mean ± SD) to 4.63 ± 1.18 (p = 0.003). Serum albumin showed an increase by 0.19 g/dl, i.e. from 4.02 ± 0.29 to 4.21 ± 0.36 g/dl (p = 0.014). Changes in phosphorus pill count were not statistically significant (p = 0.88). The egg white diet was well tolerated, and recipe variety appreciated. Pasteurised liquid egg whites may be an effective diet component lowering serum phosphorus without risking malnutrition. Controlled trials are indicated to examine egg white based dietary interventions in MHD patients at home or during haemodialysis treatment. © 2011 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

  9. Analyzing the distribution of hydrogeomorphic characteristics across Pennsylvania as a precursor to Phosphorus Index modifications

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Phosphorus site assessment is used nationally and internationally to assess the vulnerability of agricultural fields to phosphorus (P) loss and identify “critical source areas” controlling watershed P export. Current efforts to update P site assessment tools must ensure that the tools are representa...

  10. Analysis of factors controlling sediment phosphorus flux potential of wetlands in Hulun Buir grassland by principal component and path analysis method.

    PubMed

    He, Jing; Su, Derong; Lv, Shihai; Diao, Zhaoyan; Ye, Shengxing; Zheng, Zhirong

    2017-11-08

    Phosphorus (P) flux potential can predict the trend of phosphorus release from wetland sediments to water and provide scientific parameters for further monitoring and management for phosphorus flux from wetland sediments to overlying water. Many studies have focused on factors affecting sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface, but rarely on the relationship among these factors. In the present study, experiment on sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface was conducted in six wetlands in Hulun Buir grassland, China and the relationships among sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface, sediment physical properties, and sediment chemical characteristics were examined. Principal component analysis and path analysis were used to discuss these data in correlation coefficient, direct, and indirect effects on sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface. Results indicated that the major factors affecting sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface were amount of organophosphate-degradation bacterium in sediment, Ca-P content, and total phosphorus concentrations. The factors of direct influence sediment P flux potential were sediment Ca-P content, Olsen-P content, SOC content, and sediment Al-P content. The indirect influence sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface was sediment Olsen-P content, sediment SOC content, sediment Ca-P content, and sediment Al-P content. And the standard multiple regression describing the relationship between sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface and its major effect factors was Y = 5.849 - 1.025X 1  - 1.995X 2  + 0.188X 3  - 0.282X 4 (r = 0.9298, p < 0.01, n = 96), where Y is sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface, X 1 is sediment Ca-P content, X 2 is sediment Olsen-P content, X 3 is sediment SOC content, and X 4 is sediment Al-P content. Therefore, future research will focus on these sediment properties to analyze the interrelation among sediment properties factors, main vegetable factors, and environment factors which influence the sediment P flux potential in sediment-water interface.

  11. The application of soil amendments benefits to the reduction of phosphorus depletion and the growth of cabbage and corn.

    PubMed

    Liu, Wei; Ji, Hongli; Kerr, Philip; Wu, Yonghong; Fang, Yanming

    2015-11-01

    The loss of phosphorus from agricultural intensive areas can cause ecological problems such as eutrophication in downstream surface waters. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to control the phosphorus loss using environmentally benign soil amendments, viz, ferrous sulfate (FES), aluminum sulfate (ALS), and polyacrylamide (PAM). The phosphorus concentration changes in soil and leaching solution, the morphological index of plant (including stem and root), and root activity and quality (represented by chlorophyll and soluble sugar) at different growth stages of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.) were monitored in a pilot experiment. Phosphorus contents in soil and runoff were also investigated in field experiments cultivated with corn (Zea mays L.). The results show that the application of these amendments improved the phosphorus uptake by cabbage and corn, resulting in the enhanced morphologies of root and stem as well as the root activity at the early and middle stages of cabbage growth. The soil total phosphorus and available phosphorus in soils treated with FES, ALS, and PAM declined, resulting in lower concentrations of phosphorus in the leachate and the soil runoff. During the use of the soil amendments, the cabbage quality measures, determined as chlorophyll and soluble sugar in leaves, were not significantly different from those in the control. It is suggested that the application of these soil amendments is safe for cabbage production under single season cropping conditions, and the use of these three amendments is a promising measure to reduce phosphorus loss in intensive agricultural areas.

  12. Effects of four different phosphorus-locking materials on sediment and water quality in Xi'an moat.

    PubMed

    Wang, Guanbai; Wang, Yi; Guo, Yu; Peng, Dangcong

    2017-01-01

    To lower phosphorus concentration in Xi'an moat, four different phosphorus-locking materials, namely, calcium nitrate, sponge-iron, fly ash, and silica alumina clay, were selected in this experiment to study their effects on water quality and sediment. Results of the continuous 68-day experiment showed that calcium nitrate was the most effective for controlling phosphorus concentration in overlying and interstitial water, where the efficiency of locking phosphorus was >97 and 90 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the addition of calcium nitrate caused Fe/Al-bound phosphorus (Fe/Al-P) content in sediment declining but Ca-bound phosphorus (Ca-P) and organic phosphorus (OP) content ascending. The phosphorus-locking efficiency of sponge-iron in overlying and interstitial water was >72 and 66 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the total phosphorus (TP), OP, Fe/Al-P, and Ca-P content in sediment increased by 33.8, 7.7, 23.1, and 23.1 %, respectively, implying that under the action of sponge-iron, the locked phosphorus in sediment was mainly inorganic form and the phosphorus-locking efficiency of sponge-iron could be stable and persistent. In addition, the phosphorus-locking efficiency of fly ash was transient and limited, let alone silica alumina clay had almost no capacity for phosphorus-locking efficiency. Therefore, calcium nitrate and sponge-iron were excellent phosphorus-locking agents to repair the seriously polluted water derived from an internal source.

  13. Role of Cations in Accumulation and Release of Phosphate by Acinetobacter Strain 210A

    PubMed Central

    van Groenestijn, Johan W.; Vlekke, Gerard J. F. M.; Anink, Désirée M. E.; Deinema, Maria H.; Zehnder, Alexander J. B.

    1988-01-01

    Cells of the strictly aerobic Acinetobacter strain 210A, containing aerobically large amounts of polyphosphate (100 mg of phosphorus per g [dry weight] of biomass), released in the absence of oxygen 1.49 mmol of Pi, 0.77 meq of Mg2+, 0.48 meq of K+, 0.02 meq of Ca2+, and 0.14 meq of NH4+ per g (dry weight) of biomass. The drop in pH during this anaerobic phase was caused by the release of 1.8 protons per PO43− molecule. Cells of Acinetobacter strain 132, which do not accumulate polyphosphate aerobically, released only 0.33 mmol of Pi and 0.13 meq of Mg2+ per g (dry weight) of biomass but released K+ in amounts comparable to those released by strain 210A. Stationary-phase cultures of Acinetobacter strain 210A, in which polyphosphate could not be detected by Neisser staining, aerobically took up phosphate simultaneously with Mg2+, the most important counterion in polyphosphate. In the absence of dissolved phosphate in the medium, no Mg2+ was taken up. Cells containing polyphosphate granules were able to grow in a Mg-free medium, whereas cells without these granules were not. Mg2+ was not essential as a counterion because it could be replaced by Ca2+. The presence of small amounts of K+ was essential for polyphosphate formation in cells of strain 210A. During continuous cultivation under K+ limitation, cells of Acinetobacter strain 210A contained only 14 mg of phosphorus per g (dry weight) of biomass, whereas this element was accumulated in amounts of 59 mg/g under substrate limitation and 41 mg/g under Mg2+ limitation. For phosphate uptake in activated sludge, the presence of K+ seemed to be crucial. PMID:16347788

  14. Phosphorus release behaviors of poultry litter biochar as a soil amendment.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yue; Lin, Yingxin; Chiu, Pei C; Imhoff, Paul T; Guo, Mingxin

    2015-04-15

    Phosphorus (P) may be immobilized and consequently the runoff loss risks be reduced if poultry litter (PL) is converted into biochar prior to land application. Laboratory studies were conducted to examine the water extractability of P in PL biochar and its release kinetics in amended soils. Raw PL and its biochar produced through 400°C pyrolysis were extracted with deionized water under various programs and measured for water extractable P species and contents. The materials were further incubated with a sandy loam at 20 g kg(-1) soil and intermittently leached with water for 30 days. The P release kinetics were determined from the P recovery patterns in the water phase. Pyrolysis elevated the total P content from 13.7 g kg(-1) in raw PL to 27.1 g kg(-1) in PL biochar while reduced the water-soluble P level from 2.95 g kg(-1) in the former to 0.17 g kg(-1) in the latter. The thermal treatment transformed labile P in raw PL to putatively Mg/Ca phosphate minerals in biochar that were water-unextractable yet proton-releasable. Orthophosphate was the predominant form of water-soluble P in PL biochar, with condensed phosphate (e.g., pyrophosphate) as a minor form and organic phosphate in null. Release of P from PL biochar in both water and neutral soils was at a slower and steadier rate over a longer time period than from raw PL. Nevertheless, release of P from biochar was acid-driven and could be greatly promoted by the media acidity. Land application of PL biochar at soil pH-incorporated rates and frequency will potentially reduce P losses to runoffs and minimize the adverse impact of waste application on aquatic environments. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  15. Anticancer copper(II) phosphorus dendrimers are potent proapoptotic Bax activators.

    PubMed

    Mignani, Serge; El Brahmi, Nabil; Eloy, Laure; Poupon, Joel; Nicolas, Valérie; Steinmetz, Anke; El Kazzouli, Said; Bousmina, Mosto M; Blanchard-Desce, Mireille; Caminade, Anne-Marie; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Cresteil, Thierry

    2017-05-26

    A multivalent phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 and its corresponding Cu-complex, 1G 3 -Cu have been recently identified as agents retaining high antiproliferative potency. This antiproliferative capacity was preserved in cell lines overexpressing the efflux pump ABC B1, whereas cross-resistance was observed in ovarian cancer cell lines resistant to cisplatin. Theoretical 3D models were constructed: the dendrimers appear as irregularly shaped disk-like nano-objects of about 22 Å thickness and 49 Å diameter, which accumulated in cells after penetration by endocytosis. To get insight in their mode of action, cell death pathways have been examined in human cancer cell lines: early apoptosis was followed by secondary necrosis after multivalent phosphorus dendrimers exposure. The multivalent plain phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 moderately activated caspase-3 activity, in contrast with the multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 -Cu which strikingly reduced the caspase-3 content and activity. This decrease of caspase activity is not related to the presence of copper, since inorganic copper has no or little effect on caspase-3. Conversely the potent apoptosis activation could be related to a noticeable translocation of Bax to the mitochondria, resulting in the release of AIF into the cytosol, its translocation to the nucleus and a severe DNA fragmentation, without alteration of the cell cycle. The multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer is more efficient than its non-complexed analog to activate this pathway in close relationship with the higher antiproliferative potency. Therefore, this multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 -Cu can be considered as a new and promising first-in-class antiproliferative agent with a distinctive mode of action, inducing apoptosis tumor cell death through Bax activation pathway. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  16. Flux of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment from the Susquehanna River Basin to the Chesapeake Bay during Tropical Storm Lee, September 2011, as an indicator of the effects of reservoir sedimentation on water quality

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hirsch, Robert M.

    2012-01-01

    Concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment are measured at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage at Conowingo Dam at the downstream end of the Susquehanna River Basin in Maryland, where the river flows into the Chesapeake Bay. During the period September 7-15, 2011, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee, concentrations of these three constituents were among the highest ever measured at this site. These measurements indicate that sediment-storage processes behind the three dams on the lower Susquehanna River are evolving. In particular, they indicate that scouring of sediment (and the nitrogen and phosphorus attached to that sediment) may be increasing with time. Trends in flow-normalized fluxes at the Susquehanna River at Conowingo, Maryland, streamgage during 1996-2011 indicate a 3.2-percent decrease in total nitrogen, but a 55-percent increase in total phosphorus and a 97-percent increase in suspended sediment. These large increases in the flux of phosphorus and sediment from the Susquehanna River to the Chesapeake Bay have occurred despite reductions in the fluxes of these constituents from the Susquehanna River watershed upstream from the reservoirs. Although the Tropical Storm Lee flood event contributed about 1.8 percent of the total streamflow from the Susquehanna River to the Chesapeake Bay over the past decade (water years 2002-11), it contributed about 5 percent of the nitrogen, 22 percent of the phosphorus, and 39 percent of the suspended sediment during the same period. These results highlight the importance of brief high-flow events in releasing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment derived from the Susquehanna River watershed and stored in the Conowingo Reservoir to the Chesapeake Bay.

  17. Alum amendment effects on phosphorus release and distribution in poultry litter-amended sandy soils

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Staats, K.E.; Arai, Y.; Sparks, D.L.

    2004-01-01

    Increased poultry production has contributed to excess nutrient problems in Atlantic Coastal Plain soils due to land application of poultry litter (PL). Aluminum sulfate [alum, Al2(SO4)3?? 14H2O] amendment of PL effectively reduces soluble phosphorus (P) in the PL; however, the effects of these litters when added to acidic, sandy soils are not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of alum-amended poultry litter in reducing P release from three Delaware Coastal Plain soils: Evesboro loamy sand (Ev; excessively drained, mesic, coated Typic Quartzipsamments), Rumford loamy sand (Ru; well drained, coarse-loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Typic Hapludults), and Pocomoke sandy loam (Pm; very poorly drained, coarse-loamy, siliceous, active, thermic Typic Umbraquults). Long-term (25 d) and short-term (24 h) desorption studies were conducted, in addition to chemical extractions and kinetic modeling, to observe the changes that alum-amended versus unamended PL caused in the soils. The Ev, Ru, and Pm soils were incubated with 9 Mg ha-1 of alum-amended or unamended PL. Long-term desorption (25 d) of the incubated material resulted in approximately 13.5% (Ev), 12.7% (Ru), and 13.3% (Pm) reductions in cumulative P desorbed when comparing soil treated with unamended and alum-amended PL. In addition, the P release from the soil treated with alum-amended litter was not significantly different from the control (soil alone). Short-term desorption (24 h) showed 7.3% (Ev), 15.4% (Ru), and 20% (Pm) reductions. The overall implication from this study is that the use of alum as a PL amendment is useful in coarse-textured soils of the Coastal Plain. With increased application of alum-amended PL, more significant decreases may be possible with little or no effect on soil quality.

  18. Oral calcium carbonate affects calcium but not phosphorus balance in stage 3–4 chronic kidney disease

    PubMed Central

    Hill, Kathleen M.; Martin, Berdine R.; Wastney, Meryl; McCabe, George P.; Moe, Sharon M.; Weaver, Connie M.; Peacock, Munro

    2014-01-01

    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are given calcium carbonate to bind dietary phosphorus and reduce phosphorus retention, and to prevent negative calcium balance. Data are limited on calcium and phosphorus balance in CKD to support this. The aim of this study was to determine calcium and phosphorus balance and calcium kinetics with and without calcium carbonate in CKD patients. Eight stage 3/4 CKD patients, eGFR 36 mL/min, participated in two 3-week balances in a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study of calcium carbonate (1500 mg/d calcium). Calcium and phosphorus balance were determined on a controlled diet. Oral and intravenous 45calcium with blood sampling and urine and fecal collections were used for calcium kinetics. Fasting blood and urine were collected at baseline and end of each week of each balance period for biochemical analyses. Results showed that patients were in neutral calcium and phosphorus balance while on placebo. Calcium carbonate produced positive calcium balance, did not affect phosphorus balance, and produced only a modest reduction in urine phosphorus excretion compared with placebo. Calcium kinetics demonstrated positive net bone balance but less than overall calcium balance suggesting tissue deposition. Fasting biochemistries of calcium and phosphate homeostasis were unaffected by calcium carbonate. If they can be extrapolated to effects of chronic therapy, these data caution against the use of calcium carbonate as a phosphate binder. PMID:23254903

  19. Surface Changes and Impurity Release Kinetics of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Aqueous Environment

    EPA Science Inventory

    Previous studies have found the significant role of impurities (i.e., silicon, phosphorus) in the aggregation and sedimentation of TiO2 nanoparticles in water environment. However, it is not understood whether dissolution of the impurities potentially impacts the environment or t...

  20. Analysis of ambient conditions and simulation of hydrodynamics, constituent transport, and water-quality characteristics in Lake Maumelle, Arkansas, 1991-92

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Green, W. Reed

    2001-01-01

    Lake Maumelle is the major drinking-water source for the Little Rock metropolitan area in central Arkansas. Urban and agricultural development has increased in the Lake Maumelle Basin and information is needed related to constituent transport and waterquality response to changes in constituent loading or hydrologic regime. This report characterizes ambient conditions in Lake Maumelle and its major tributary, Maumelle River; describes the calibration and verification of a numerical model of hydrodynamics and water quality; and provides several simulations that describe constituent transport and water quality response to changes in constituent loading and hydrologic regime. Ambient hydrologic and water-quality conditions demonstrate the relatively undisturbed nature of Lake Maumelle and the Maumelle River. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were low, one to two orders of magnitude lower than estimates of national background nutrient concentrations. Phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations in Lake Maumelle demonstrate its oligotrophic/mesotrophic condition. However, concentrations of chlorophyll a appeared to increase since 1990 within the upper and middle reaches of the reservoir. A two-dimensional, laterally averaged hydrodynamic and water-quality model developed and calibrated for Lake Maumelle simulates water level, currents, heat transport and temperature distribution, conservative material transport, and the transport and transformation of 11 chemical constituents. Simulations included the movement and dispersion of spills or releases in the reservoir during stratified and unstratified conditions, release of the fish nursery pond off the southern shore of Lake Maumelle, and algal responses to changes in external loading. The model was calibrated using 1991 data and verified using 1992 data. Simulated temperature and dissolved oxygen concentrations related well when compared to measured values. Simulated nutrient and algal biomass also related reasonably well when compared to measured values. A simulated spill of conservative material at the upper end of Lake Maumelle during a major storm event took less than 102 hours to disperse the entire length of the reservoir. Simulation of a nursery pond release into a tributary to Lake Maumelle demonstrated how the released water plunges within the receiving embayment and enters the main stem of the reservoir at mid depths. Simulations of algal response to increases of nitrogen and phosphorus loads demonstrate the phosphorus limiting condition in Lake Maumelle. Results from this study will provide waterresource management with information to better understand how changes in hydrology and water quality in the basin affects water quality in the reservoir. With this information, managers will be able to more effectively manage their drinking-water source supply.

  1. Magnetic microparticles as a new tool for lake restoration: A microcosm experiment for evaluating the impact on phosphorus fluxes and sedimentary phosphorus pools.

    PubMed

    Funes, A; de Vicente, J; Cruz-Pizarro, L; Álvarez-Manzaneda, I; de Vicente, I

    2016-02-01

    In the last decades, magnetic particles (MPs) as adsorbents have gained special attention due to their high adsorption capacity and the possibility of recovering them by applying a magnetic separation gradient. For the first time MPs have been tested as P adsorbents in a microcosm experiment in a context of lake restoration. MPs were added to sediment cores from a hypertrophic lake, at Fe:PMobile molar ratio of 285:1 and 560:1 under both, oxic and anoxic conditions. We have found that, under anoxic conditions (anoxic), MPs are able to reduce P release rate from the sediment to the overlying water and to reduce sedimentary PMobile concentration (a 22-25% reduction within 0-4 cm depth compared to controls). Under oxic conditions, the addition of MPs do not affect P fluxes across the sediment and water interface since the lake sediment is naturally rich in iron oxides. However a measured reduction in sedimentary PMobile concentration (12-16% reduction in 0-10 cm depth) contributes to a potential reduction in long-term P efflux. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Phosphorus ionization in silicon doped by self-assembled macromolecular monolayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Haigang; Li, Ke; Gao, Xuejiao; Dan, Yaping

    2017-10-01

    Individual dopant atoms can be potentially controlled at large scale by the self-assembly of macromolecular dopant carriers. However, low concentration phosphorus dopants often suffer from a low ionization rate due to defects and impurities introduced by the carrier molecules. In this work, we demonstrated a nitrogen-free macromolecule doping technique and investigated the phosphorus ionization process by low temperature Hall effect measurements. It was found that the phosphorus dopants diffused into the silicon bulk are in nearly full ionization. However, the electrons ionized from the phosphorus dopants are mostly trapped by deep level defects that are likely carbon interstitials.

  3. [Effects of intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium channel blocker TARAM-34 on β-glycerophosphate induced vascular smooth muscle cells calcification].

    PubMed

    Zhang, S L; Xu, J S; Yang, S; Bai, Y L; Zhang, J X; Cui, L W; Yu, Q Y

    2016-06-24

    To observe the role of TRAM-34 (1-((2-chlorophenyl)diphenylmethyl)-1H-pyrazole), the blocker of intermediate conductance calcium-activated potassium channel (KCa3.1), on β-glycerophosphate induced vascular calcification in vitro. Vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) were obtained from rat thoracic aorta, and VSMCs after the fourth passage and aortic rings were divided into control group (cultured in DMEM with 10% fetal bovine serum), high phosphorus group (cultured in DMEM with 10% fetal bovine serum and 10% β-glycerophosphate) and TRAM-34 group(20 nmol/L TRAM-34 was added into high phosphorus DMEM). Calcium deposition of VSMCs and aortic rings were measured by o-cresolphthalein complexone method.Calcium influx of VSMCs was measured by immunofluorescence probe Fluo-3 AM.The expression of runt-related transcription factor 2(Runx2)was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot for cells and immunohistochemistry for aortic rings.ALP activity was measured by alkaline phosphatase activity detection kit. (1) Compared with control group, calcification was significantly increased in high phosphorus group ((121.67±6.17) mg/g vs. (84.38±8.17) mg/g, P<0.05) and this effect could be attenuated by TRAM-34 ((93.31±11.36) mg/g, P<0.05 vs. high phosphorus group) after 12 days culture. Similar results were found in aortic rings cultured for 12 days-high phosphorus group: (7.17±0.57) mg/g vs. (1.18±0.13) mg/g (P<0.05) and TRAM-34: (4.71±0.42) mg/g, P<0.05 vs. high phosphorus group.(2) Compared with control group, the calcium influx was higher in high phosphorus group (349.22±40.47 vs. 151.67±16.94, P<0.05) and reduced in TRAM-34 group (194.67±22.21, P<0.05 vs. high phosphorus group) in VSMCs simulated for 4 days. (3) Both mRNA and protein expressions of Runx2 in high phosphorus groups were higher than in control group (0.630±0.033 vs.0.340±0.058 and 0.865±0.031 vs.0.414±0.011, both P<0.05) and lower in TRAM-34 group (0.399±0.023 and 0.575±0.014, both P<0.05 vs. high phosphorus group) in VSMCs simulated for 4 days.Besides, compared with high phosphorus group, the expression of Runx2 was decreased in control group(0.113±0.010 vs.0.067±0.008, P<0.05) and TRAM-34 group (0.069±0.006, P<0.05) after aortic rings were cultured for 4 days. (4) Compared with control group, the activity of ALP was significantly increased in high phosphorus group (96.56±9.84 vs.46.92±4.60, P<0.05) and decreased in TRAM-34 group(70.20±8.41, P<0.05 vs. high phosphorus group) in VSMCs simulated for 12 days. KCa3.1 blocker TRAM-34 can inhibit β-glycerophosphate induced VSMCs and aortic ring calcification through inhibiting calcium influx, downregulating Runx2 expression and attenuating osteogenic differentiation.

  4. 75 FR 20592 - Notice of Availability of Draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-20

    ... control is necessary based on wasteload allocations in the Lower Charles River Phosphorus TMDL (``the TMDL... management plan and a phosphorus reduction plan, as the mechanisms to achieve the required pollutant... Consistent with the wasteload allocation of the Lower Charles River Phosphorus TMDL, Part IV and Appendix D...

  5. Multifunctional Environmental Smart Fertilizer Based on l-Aspartic Acid for Sustained Nutrient Release.

    PubMed

    Lü, Shaoyu; Feng, Chen; Gao, Chunmei; Wang, Xinggang; Xu, Xiubin; Bai, Xiao; Gao, Nannan; Liu, Mingzhu

    2016-06-22

    Fertilizer is one of the most important elements of modern agriculture. However, conventional fertilizer, when applied to crops, is vulnerable to losses through volatilization, leaching, nitrification, or other means. Such a loss limits crop yields and pollutes the environment. In an effort to enhance nutrient use efficiency and reduce environmental pollution, an environmental smart fertilizer was reported in the current study. Poly(aspartic acid) and a degradable macro-cross-linker based on l-aspartic acid were synthesized and introduced into the fertilizer as a superabsorbent to improve the fertilizer degradability and soil moisture-retention capacity. Sustained release behavior of the fertilizer was achieved in soil. Cumulative release of nitrogen and phosphorus was 79.8% and 64.4% after 30 days, respectively. The water-holding and water-retention capacities of soil with the superabsorbent are obviously higher than those of the control soil without superabsorbent. For the sample of 200 g of soil with 1.5 g of superabsorbent, the water-holding capacity is 81.8%, and the water-retention capacity remains 22.6% after 23 days. All of the current results in this study indicated that the as-prepared fertilizer has a promising application in sustainable modern agriculture.

  6. Self-Motivation Is Associated With Phosphorus Control in End-Stage Renal Disease.

    PubMed

    Umeukeje, Ebele M; Merighi, Joseph R; Browne, Teri; Victoroff, Jacquelyn N; Umanath, Kausik; Lewis, Julia B; Ikizler, T Alp; Wallston, Kenneth A; Cavanaugh, Kerri

    2015-09-01

    Hyperphosphatemia is common in end-stage renal disease and associates with mortality. Phosphate binders reduce serum phosphorus levels; however, adherence is often poor. This pilot study aims to assess patients' self-motivation to adhere to phosphate binders, its association with phosphorus control, and potential differences by race. Cross sectional design. Subjects were enrolled from one academic medical center dialysis practice from July to November 2012. Self-motivation to adhere to phosphate binders was assessed with the autonomous regulation (AR) scale (range: 1-7) and self-reported medication adherence with the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Linear regression models adjusting for age, sex, health literacy, and medication adherence were applied to determine associations with serum phosphorus level, including any evidence of interaction by race. Among 100 participants, mean age was 51 years (±15 years), 53% were male, 72% were non-white, 89% received hemodialysis, and mean serum phosphorus level was 5.7 ± 1.6 mg/dL. More than half (57%) reported the maximum AR score (7). Higher AR scores were noted in those reporting better health overall (P = .001) and those with higher health literacy (P = .01). AR score correlated with better medication adherence (r = 0.22; P = .02), and medication adherence was negatively associated with serum phosphorus (r = -0.40; P < .001). In subgroup analysis among non-whites, higher AR scores correlated with lower serum phosphorus (high vs lower AR score: 5.55 [1.5] vs 6.96 [2.2]; P = .01). Associations between AR score (β 95% confidence interval: -0.37 [-0.73 to -0.01]; P = .04), medication adherence (β 95% confidence interval: -0.25 [-0.42 to -0.07]; P = .01), and serum phosphorus persisted in adjusted analyses. Self-motivation was associated with phosphate binder adherence and phosphorus control, and this differed by race. Additional research is needed to determine if personalized, culturally sensitive strategies to understand and overcome motivational barriers may optimize mineral bone health in end-stage renal disease. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  7. Phosphorus retention in stormwater control structures across streamflow in urban and suburban watersheds

    EPA Science Inventory

    Recent studies have shown that stormwater control measures (SCMs) are less effective at retaining phosphorus (P) than nitrogen. We compared P retention between two urban/suburban SCMs and their adjacent restored stream reaches at the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Study (LTER) s...

  8. Effects of fire on chaparral soils in Arizona and California and postfire management implications

    Treesearch

    Leonard F. DeBano

    1989-01-01

    Wildfires and prescribed burns are common throughout Arizona and California chaparral. Predicting fire effects requires understanding fire behavior, estimating soil heating, and predicting changes in soil properties. Substantial quantities of some nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, are lost directly during combustion. Highly available nutrients released...

  9. Water quality trends following anomalous phosphorus inputs to Grand Bay, Mississippi, USA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR) is a 7500 ha protected area in Jackson County, MS. In 2005, a levee breach at a fertilizer manufacturing facility released highly acidic and phosphate—rich wastewater into the reserve. A second spill occurred in September 201...

  10. Extracellular enzymes in sensing environmental nutrients and ecosystem changes: Ligand mediation in organic phosphorus cycling

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Inorganic and organic phosphates react strongly with soil constituents, resulting in relatively low concentrations of soluble P in the soil solution. Multiple competing reactions are operating to regulate the solution-phase concentration of P-containing organic substrates and the released phosphate...

  11. GROWTH, NUTRIENT STORAGE, AND RELEASE OF DON BY ENTEROMORPHA INTESTINALIS IN RESPONSE TO PULSES OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS. (R827637)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  12. Evaluation of laboratory-scale in situ capping sediments with purple parent rock to control the eutrophication.

    PubMed

    Huang, Xuejiao; Shi, Wenhao; Ni, Jiupai; Li, Zhenlun

    2017-03-01

    In this study, the effectiveness of controlling the eutrophication using purple parent rock to cap the sediments was evaluated in the laboratory scale. Sediments were collected from Sanxikou reservoir (China) in July 2013. Then, three types of purple parent rock (T 1 f, J 3 p, and J 2 s) which are distributed widely in southwest China were used to cap the sediments. Limestone and calcite were used as the contrast group, because they had been reported as effective controls on eutrophication. Then, they were incubated at 20 °C for 46 days. The results indicated that the application of purple parent rock as a barrier material can effectively inhibit the release of nutrient elements in sediments, and the inhibition rates of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonium (NH 4 -N), and nitrate (NO 3 -N) were much better than that of limestone and calcite. Among the three types of purple parent rock, J 3 p exhibited the best inhibitory effect on the release of nitrogen in sediments, and the inhibition efficiency of TN, NH 4 -N, and NO 3 -N was 59.7, 77.6, and 45.1%, respectively. As for T 1 f, it exhibited the best inhibitory effect on the release of TP in sediments with the inhibition rate of 94.4%. Whereas all these capping materials showed weak inhibition on release of organic matter in sediments, and the inhibition efficiencies were less than 20%. Moreover, these treatments could also cause distinct changes in the microbial community in sediments and overlying water, and the contents of TN and TP in all capping materials increased. All results demonstrated that purple parent rock could inhibit the release of nutrient in sediments through mechanical interception, physical adsorption, and chemical absorption as well as changing the microbial activity in the covering layer, sediments, or overlying water.

  13. Plant adaptations to severely phosphorus-impoverished soils.

    PubMed

    Lambers, Hans; Martinoia, Enrico; Renton, Michael

    2015-06-01

    Mycorrhizas play a pivotal role in phosphorus (P) acquisition of plant roots, by enhancing the soil volume that can be explored. Non-mycorrhizal plant species typically occur either in relatively fertile soil or on soil with a very low P availability, where there is insufficient P in the soil solution for mycorrhizal hyphae to be effective. Soils with a very low P availability are either old and severely weathered or relatively young with high concentrations of oxides and hydroxides of aluminium and iron that sorb P. In such soils, cluster roots and other specialised roots that release P-mobilising carboxylates are more effective than mycorrhizas. Cluster roots are ephemeral structures that release carboxylates in an exudative burst. The carboxylates mobilise sparingly-available sources of soil P. The relative investment of biomass in cluster roots and the amount of carboxylates that are released during the exudative burst differ between species on severely weathered soils with a low total P concentration and species on young soils with high total P concentrations but low P availability. Taking a modelling approach, we explore how the optimal cluster-root strategy depends on soil characteristics, thus offering insights for plant breeders interested in developing crop plants with optimal cluster-root strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. The effect of phosphomonoesterases on the oxygen isotope composition of phosphate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    von Sperber, Christian; Kries, Hajo; Tamburini, Federica; Bernasconi, Stefano M.; Frossard, Emmanuel

    2014-01-01

    Plants and microorganisms under phosphorus (P) stress release extracellular phosphatases as a strategy to acquire inorganic phosphate (Pi). These enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphoesters leading to a release of Pi. During the enzymatic hydrolysis an isotopic fractionation (ε) occurs leaving an imprint on the oxygen isotope composition of the released Pi which might be used to trace phosphorus in the environment. Therefore, enzymatic assays with acid phosphatases from wheat germ and potato tuber and alkaline phosphatase from Escherichia coli were prepared in order to determine the oxygen isotope fractionation caused by these enzymes. Adenosine 5‧ monophosphate and glycerol phosphate were used as substrates. The oxygen isotope fractionation caused by acid phosphatases is 20-30‰ smaller than for alkaline phosphatases, resulting in a difference of 5-7.5‰ in δ18O of Pi depending on the enzyme. We attribute the enzyme dependence of the isotopic fractionation to distinct reaction mechanisms of the two types of phosphatases. The observed difference is large enough to distinguish between the two enzymatic processes in environmental samples. These findings show that the oxygen isotope composition of Pi can be used to trace different enzymatic processes, offering an analytical tool that might contribute to a better understanding of the P-cycle in the environment.

  15. Weathering Profiles in Phosphorus-Rich Rocks at Gusev Crater, Mars, Suggest Dissolution of Phosphate Minerals into Potentially Habitable Near-Neutral Waters.

    PubMed

    Adcock, Christopher T; Hausrath, Elisabeth M

    2015-12-01

    Abundant evidence indicates that significant surface and near-surface liquid water has existed on Mars in the past. Evaluating the potential for habitable environments on Mars requires an understanding of the chemical and physical conditions that prevailed in such aqueous environments. Among the geological features that may hold evidence of past environmental conditions on Mars are weathering profiles, such as those in the phosphorus-rich Wishstone-class rocks in Gusev Crater. The weathering profiles in these rocks indicate that a Ca-phosphate mineral has been lost during past aqueous interactions. The high phosphorus content of these rocks and potential release of phosphorus during aqueous interactions also make them of astrobiological interest, as phosphorus is among the elements required for all known life. In this work, we used Mars mission data, laboratory-derived kinetic and thermodynamic data, and data from terrestrial analogues, including phosphorus-rich basalts from Idaho, to model a conceptualized Wishstone-class rock using the reactive transport code CrunchFlow. Modeling results most consistent with the weathering profiles in Wishstone-class rocks suggest a combination of chemical and physical erosion and past aqueous interactions with near-neutral waters. The modeling results also indicate that multiple Ca-phosphate minerals are likely in Wishstone-class rocks, consistent with observations of martian meteorites. These findings suggest that Gusev Crater experienced a near-neutral phosphate-bearing aqueous environment that may have been conducive to life on Mars in the past. Mars-Gusev Crater-Wishstone-Reactive transport modeling-CrunchFlow-Aqueous interactions-Neutral pH-Habitability.

  16. Influence of organic phosphorus on reproductive performance and metabolic profiles of anoestrous Farafra ewes in subtropics at the end of breeding season.

    PubMed

    Senosy, W; Kassab, A Y; Hamdon, H A; Mohammed, A A

    2018-05-07

    The effect of organic phosphorus on metabolic, haematological and hormonal status, restoration of ovarian functions and conception rate in anoestrous Farafra ewes in subtropics were evaluated. Anoestrous Farafra ewes (n = 24; 34.72 ± 0.52 kg body weight) were allocated into two equal groups: control and phosphorus groups. The ewes of phosphorus group were treated with sodium 4-dimethylamino-2-methyl-phenyl-phosphonate as an organic bound phosphorous twice a week for successive 3 weeks. Ovarian follicle development and corpora lutea were checked three times a week till occurrence of oestrus using ultrasonography while pregnancy was confirmed at 30 days post-service. Plasma metabolites, reproductive hormones, thyroid hormones and minerals were detected at weeks -2, -1, 0 (mating day) and + 4 weeks post-oestrus. Phosphorus group had significantly (p < .05) short interval to oestrous resumption if compared to control ewes (2.1 ± 0.8 weeks vs. 4.6 ± 1.1 weeks). In addition, phosphorous supplementation significantly (p < .05) increased the number of antral follicles (developed and their sizes in addition to sizes of corpora lutea (8.72 ± 0.3 mm vs. 7.46 ± 0.9 mm) as well. Number of services per conception (2.6 vs. 1.4; p < .01) was higher in control group than that of phosphorus group. Pregnancy rate (80 vs. 50%) was significantly (p < .01) higher in phosphorus group when compared to control. White blood cells in treated ewes (10.8 ± 0.44; p < .05) and monocytes (2.93 ± 0.13; p < .01) were higher than that of control group (white blood cells; 9.53 ± 0.50 and monocytes; 2.24 ± 0.14). Metabolic parameters did not differ between phosphorus and control groups during different times of treatment. It could be concluded that phosphorous administration to anoestrous Farafra ewes in subtropics could improve reproductive performance and restore ovarian activity at the end of spring and early summer. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  17. Long-term balance in heavy metal adsorption and release in biochar derived from sewage sludge

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sohi, Saran; Cleat, Robert; Graham, Margaret; Cross, Andrew

    2014-05-01

    In Europe, sewage sludge has major potential as a resource for producing biochar. Biochar from sludge could offer a means for the controlled recycling of phosphorus to soil, with the additional benefit of carbon stabilisation. Biochar made from contaminated feedstock could, however, also leach heavy metals into soil. Counter to release of metals, biochar from fresh plant biomass has a documented affinity and adsorption capacity. The longer term balance of release and adsorption of metals in sludge-derived biochar has not been established. Our work compared the adsorption and release of both indigenous metals and metals adsorbed to sludge derived biochar. The hypotheses were threefold: (1) the capacity to adsorb metals is lower than the potential to release them, (2) the affinity for indigenous metals is higher than for metals in solution, 3) oxidative ageing of biochar leads to partial release of adsorbed metals. Sludge biochar was produced in a horizontal, externally heated kiln at a feed rate of approx. 0.5 kg/hr. Dry sludge was converted in a 20 min. transit time with peak kiln temperature of 550°C. Elemental analysis using ICP OES (after a published preparation step) showed Zn, Pb and Cu to be the most abundant heavy metals in the biochar. The same elements were assessed in sequential water and Mehlich III extracts. Adsorption of the metals from pure and mixed Zn, Pb and Pb solutions were undertaken before and after the other extractions. All the treatments were applied to the same biochar after oxidative ageing, in which biochar C was also found to be very stable. Extractability of all three metals from fresh biochar was low (less than 5 %), but for two of the metals it was lower after ageing. For one of the metals, ageing increased extractability. For the same metal, adsorption was lower when undertaken with a mixed rather than pure solution. Capacity for adsorption of one of the other metals was higher after biochar ageing; the general capacity for metal adsorption was similar to indigenous content. The affinity of biochar for adsorbed metals was higher after ageing than it had been for fresh biochar. The findings provide a quite positive picture in terms of the potential for safe use of sludge-derived biochar in agriculture, over the long- as well as near-term. Integrating further work on metals and its integration with work biochar phosphorus and C stability could lead to strategies that successfully address multiple goals and are also economically feasible.

  18. Phosphorus and Nitrogen Regulate Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in Petunia hybrida

    PubMed Central

    Nouri, Eva; Breuillin-Sessoms, Florence; Feller, Urs; Reinhardt, Didier

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrient elements that are needed by plants in large amounts. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and soil fungi improves phosphorus and nitrogen acquisition under limiting conditions. On the other hand, these nutrients influence root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi and symbiotic functioning. This represents a feedback mechanism that allows plants to control the fungal symbiont depending on nutrient requirements and supply. Elevated phosphorus supply has previously been shown to exert strong inhibition of arbuscular mycorrhizal development. Here, we address to what extent inhibition by phosphorus is influenced by other nutritional pathways in the interaction between Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis. We show that phosphorus and nitrogen are the major nutritional determinants of the interaction. Interestingly, the symbiosis-promoting effect of nitrogen starvation dominantly overruled the suppressive effect of high phosphorus nutrition onto arbuscular mycorrhiza, suggesting that plants promote the symbiosis as long as they are limited by one of the two major nutrients. Our results also show that in a given pair of symbiotic partners (Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis), the entire range from mutually symbiotic to parasitic can be observed depending on the nutritional conditions. Taken together, these results reveal complex nutritional feedback mechanisms in the control of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. PMID:24608923

  19. Phosphorus and nitrogen regulate arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in Petunia hybrida.

    PubMed

    Nouri, Eva; Breuillin-Sessoms, Florence; Feller, Urs; Reinhardt, Didier

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential nutrient elements that are needed by plants in large amounts. The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and soil fungi improves phosphorus and nitrogen acquisition under limiting conditions. On the other hand, these nutrients influence root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi and symbiotic functioning. This represents a feedback mechanism that allows plants to control the fungal symbiont depending on nutrient requirements and supply. Elevated phosphorus supply has previously been shown to exert strong inhibition of arbuscular mycorrhizal development. Here, we address to what extent inhibition by phosphorus is influenced by other nutritional pathways in the interaction between Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis. We show that phosphorus and nitrogen are the major nutritional determinants of the interaction. Interestingly, the symbiosis-promoting effect of nitrogen starvation dominantly overruled the suppressive effect of high phosphorus nutrition onto arbuscular mycorrhiza, suggesting that plants promote the symbiosis as long as they are limited by one of the two major nutrients. Our results also show that in a given pair of symbiotic partners (Petunia hybrida and R. irregularis), the entire range from mutually symbiotic to parasitic can be observed depending on the nutritional conditions. Taken together, these results reveal complex nutritional feedback mechanisms in the control of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

  20. Multiple myeloma on polycythemia vera following radioactive phosphorus therapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    West, W.O.

    1976-11-01

    A 74-year-old white man with established polycythemia vera was treated with radioactive phosphorus after phlebotomies alone failed to control his disease. About 2/sup 3///sub 4/ years later he died of multiple myeloma. The mutagenic effect of radioactive phosphorus may have caused or possibly accelerated preexisting myeloma. Basic nonmalignant disease deserves careful consideration before radiation or radiomimetic agents are used. One might consider a probably less mutagenic drug such as hydroxyurea in patients with polycythemia vera when phlebotomy alone does not give good control of red cell mass and thrombocytosis.

  1. Climate change effects on runoff, catchment phosphorus loading and lake ecological state, and potential adaptations.

    PubMed

    Jeppesen, Erik; Kronvang, Brian; Meerhoff, Mariana; Søndergaard, Martin; Hansen, Kristina M; Andersen, Hans E; Lauridsen, Torben L; Liboriussen, Lone; Beklioglu, Meryem; Ozen, Arda; Olesen, Jørgen E

    2009-01-01

    Climate change may have profound effects on phosphorus (P) transport in streams and on lake eutrophication. Phosphorus loading from land to streams is expected to increase in northern temperate coastal regions due to higher winter rainfall and to a decline in warm temperate and arid climates. Model results suggest a 3.3 to 16.5% increase within the next 100 yr in the P loading of Danish streams depending on soil type and region. In lakes, higher eutrophication can be expected, reinforced by temperature-mediated higher P release from the sediment. Furthermore, a shift in fish community structure toward small and abundant plankti-benthivorous fish enhances predator control of zooplankton, resulting in higher phytoplankton biomass. Data from Danish lakes indicate increased chlorophyll a and phytoplankton biomass, higher dominance of dinophytes and cyanobacteria (most notably of nitrogen fixing forms), but lower abundance of diatoms and chrysophytes, reduced size of copepods and cladocerans, and a tendency to reduced zooplankton biomass and zooplankton:phytoplankton biomass ratio when lakes warm. Higher P concentrations are also seen in warm arid lakes despite reduced external loading due to increased evapotranspiration and reduced inflow. Therefore, the critical loading for good ecological state in lakes has to be lowered in a future warmer climate. This calls for adaptation measures, which in the northern temperate zone should include improved P cycling in agriculture, reduced loading from point sources, and (re)-establishment of wetlands and riparian buffer zones. In the arid Southern Europe, restrictions on human use of water are also needed, not least on irrigation.

  2. Sediment studies in the Assabet River, central Massachusetts, 2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zimmerman, Marc J.; Sorenson, Jason R.

    2005-01-01

    From its headwaters in Westborough, Massachusetts, to its confluence with the Sudbury River, the 53-kilometer-long Assabet River passes through a series of small towns and mixed land-use areas. Along the way, wastewater-treatment plants release nutrient-rich effluents that contribute to the eutrophic state of this waterway. This condition is most obvious where the river is impounded by a series of dams that have sequestered large amounts of sediment and support rooted and floating macrophytes and epiphytic algae. The water in parts of these impoundments may also have low concentrations of dissolved oxygen, another symptom of eutrophication. All of the impoundments had relatively shallow maximum water depths, which ranged from approximately 2.4 to 3.4 meters, and all had extensive shallow areas. Sediment volumes estimated for the six impoundments ranged from approximately 380 cubic meters in the Aluminum City impoundment to 580,000 cubic meters in the Ben Smith impoundment. The other impoundments had sediment volumes of 120,000 cubic meters (Powdermill), 67,000 cubic meters (Gleasondale), 55,000 cubic meters (Hudson), and 42,000 cubic meters (Allen Street). The principal objective of this study was the determination of sediment volume, extent, and chemistry, in particular, the characterization of toxic inorganic and organic chemicals in the sediments. To determine the bulk-sediment chemical-constituent concentrations, more than one hundred sediment cores were collected in pairs from the six impoundments. One core from each pair was sampled for inorganic constituents and the other for organic constituents. Most of the cores analyzed for inorganics were sectioned to provide information on the vertical distribution of analytes; a subset of the cores analyzed for organics was also sectioned. Approximately 200 samples were analyzed for inorganic constituents and 100 for organics; more than 10 percent were quality-control replicate or blank samples. Maximum bulk-sediment phosphorus concentrations in surface samples from the impoundments increased along a downstream gradient, with the exception of samples from the last impoundment, where the concentrations decreased. In addition, the highest phosphorus concentrations were generally in the surface samples; this finding may prove helpful if surface dredging is selected as a means to control phosphorus release from sediments. There is no known relation, however, between bulk-sediment concentration of phosphorus and the concentrations of phosphorus available to biota. Potentially toxic metals, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, and zinc were frequently measured at concentrations that exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sediment-quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life and that occasionally exceeded Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection guidelines governing landfill disposal (reuse). Due to the effects of matrix interference and sample dilution on laboratory analyses, neither pesticides nor volatile organic compounds were detected at any sites. However, samples collected in other studies from nearby streams indicated the possibility that pesticides might have been detected in the impoundments if not for these analytical problems. Although polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations, as individual Aroclors, generally exceeded published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guideline concentrations for potential effects on aquatic life, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guideline concentrations for human contact or the Massachusetts guidelines for landfill reuse were rarely exceeded. Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, both individually and total, frequently were greater than guideline concentrations. Concentrations of total extractable petroleum hydrocarbons did not exceed Massachusetts guideline concentrations in any samples. When the sediment analytes from surface samples are considered togethe

  3. Nutrient dynamics in five off-stream reservoirs in the lower South Platte River basin, March-September 1995

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sprague, Lori A.

    2002-01-01

    In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study to characterize nutrient concentrations in five off-stream reservoirs in the lower South Platte River Basin?Riverside, Jackson, Prewitt, North Sterling, and Julesburg. These reservoirs are critical sources of irrigation water for agricultural areas, and several also are used for fishing, boating, swimming, hunting, and camping. Data collected for this study include depth profiles of water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance; nutrient species concentrations in the water column, bottom sediment, and inflow and outflow canals; and chlorophyll-a concentrations in the water column. Data were collected during the irrigation season from March through September 1995 at five sites each in Riverside, Jackson, Prewitt, and Julesburg Reservoirs and at six sites in North Sterling Reservoir. The five reservoirs studied are located in similar geographic, climatic, and land-use areas and, as a result, have a number of similarities in their internal nutrient dynamics. Nitrogen concentrations in the reservoirs were highest in March and decreased through September as a result of dilution from river inflows and biological activity. From March through June, decreases in nitrogen concentrations in the river and biological activity contributed to decreases in reservoir concentrations. From July through September, inflows from the river were cut off, and biological activity in the reservoirs led to further decreases in nitrate concentrations, which fell to near or below detectable levels. Phosphorus concentrations in the reservoirs did not show the same consistent decrease from March through September. Phosphorus likely was recycled continuously back to algae during the study period through processes such as excretion from fish, decay of aquatic plants and animals, and release of orthophosphate from bottom sediment during periods of low oxygen. With the exception of phosphorus in Jackson Reservoir, the reservoirs acted as a sink for both nitrogen and phosphorus; the percentage of the total mass (initial storage plus inflows) trapped in the reservoirs during the study period ranged from 49 to 88 percent for nitrogen and from 20 to 86 percent for phosphorus. The nutrient loading, morphology, and operation of the five reservoirs differed, however, leading to several important differences in nutrient dynamics among the reservoirs. Mean nutrient concentrations during the study period decreased in a downstream direction from Riverside Reservoir to Julesburg Reservoir because concentrations in the source water?the South Platte River?decreased downstream as a result of increased distance from wastewater loading upstream from Kersey, Colorado, and the replacement of diverted river water with more dilute ground-water return flow. North Sterling was an exception to this decrease; the strong stratification and resulting anoxia that developed in the reservoir led to nutrient release from the bottom sediments that offset the decrease in external nutrient loading. Variations in nutrient loading also contributed to differences in the nutrient limiting algal growth in the reservoirs, as indicated by mass nitrogen:phosphorus ratios. In Riverside and Jackson Reservoirs, nitrogen became the potential limiting nutrient by midsummer as biological activity depleted the available supply of nitrogen while the high initial phosphorus load was recycled. Prewitt, North Sterling, and Julesburg Reservoirs, with lower initial loadings of phosphorus, were phosphorus-limited throughout the study period, with additional colimitation of nitrogen as biological uptake reduced nitrogen concentrations to near or below laboratory detection limits. The percentage of the total nitrogen and phosphorus mass lost through outflow and trapped in the reservoir due to processes such as biological uptake and sedimentation varied between reservoirs.Generally, reservoirs with short residence times such as North Ste

  4. TiO2 nanoparticles for the remediation of eutrophic shallow freshwater systems: Efficiency and impacts on aquatic biota under a microcosm experiment.

    PubMed

    Bessa da Silva, Márcia; Abrantes, Nelson; Nogueira, Verónica; Gonçalves, Fernando; Pereira, Ruth

    2016-09-01

    The application of nanomaterials (NMs) in the remediation of eutrophic waters, particularly in the control of internal loading of nutrients, has been started, but limited investigations evaluated the effectiveness of these new treatment approaches and of their potential impacts on species from shallow freshwater lakes. The present work investigated, under a microcosm experiment, the application of a TiO2 nanomaterial both for reducing nutrient (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen forms) desorption and release from sediments (preventive treatment-PT) and for eliminating algal blooms (remediation treatment-RT). Furthermore, we also intended to assess the potential impacts of nano-TiO2 application on key freshwater species. The results showed the effectiveness of nano-TiO2 in controlling the release of phosphates from surface sediment and the subsequent reduction of total phosphorus in the water column. A reduction in total nitrogen was also observed. Such changes in nutrient dynamics contributed to a progressive inhibition of development of algae after the application of the NM in PT microcosms. Concerning the ability of nano-TiO2 to interact with algal cells, this interaction has likely occurred, mainly in RT, enhancing the formation of aggregates and their rapid settlement, thus reducing the algal bloom. Both treatments caused deleterious effects on freshwater species. In PT, Daphnia magna and Lemna minor showed a significant inhibition of several endpoints. Conversely, no inhibitory effect on the growth of Chironomus riparius was recorded. In opposite, C. riparius was the most affected species in RT microcosms. Such difference was probably caused by the formation of larger TiO2-algae aggregates in RT, under a high algal density, that rapidly settled in the sediment, becoming less available for pelagic species. In summary, despite the effectiveness of both treatments in controlling internal nutrient loading and in the mitigating algal bloom episodes, their negative effects on biota have to be seriously taken into account. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Evaluation of total phosphorus mass balance in the lower Boise River and selected tributaries, southwestern Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Etheridge, Alexandra B.

    2013-01-01

    he U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, developed spreadsheet mass-balance models for total phosphorus using results from three synoptic sampling periods conducted in the lower Boise River watershed during August and October 2012, and March 2013. The modeling reach spanned 46.4 river miles (RM) along the Boise River from Veteran’s Memorial Parkway in Boise, Idaho (RM 50.2), to Parma, Idaho (RM 3.8). The USGS collected water-quality samples and measured streamflow at 14 main-stem Boise River sites, two Boise River north channel sites, two sites on the Snake River upstream and downstream of its confluence with the Boise River, and 17 tributary and return-flow sites. Additional samples were collected from treated effluent at six wastewater treatment plants and two fish hatcheries. The Idaho Department of Water Resources quantified diversion flows in the modeling reach. Total phosphorus mass-balance models were useful tools for evaluating sources of phosphorus in the Boise River during each sampling period. The timing of synoptic sampling allowed the USGS to evaluate phosphorus inputs to and outputs from the Boise River during irrigation season, shortly after irrigation ended, and soon before irrigation resumed. Results from the synoptic sampling periods showed important differences in surface-water and groundwater distribution and phosphorus loading. In late August 2012, substantial streamflow gains to the Boise River occurred from Middleton (RM 31.4) downstream to Parma (RM 3.8). Mass-balance model results indicated that point and nonpoint sources (including groundwater) contributed phosphorus loads to the Boise River during irrigation season. Groundwater exchange within the Boise River in October 2012 and March 2013 was not as considerable as that measured in August 2012. However, groundwater discharge to agricultural tributaries and drains during non-irrigation season was a large source of discharge and phosphorus in the lower Boise River in October 2012 and March 2013. Model results indicate that point sources represent the largest contribution of phosphorus to the Boise River year round, but that reductions in point and nonpoint source phosphorus loads may be necessary to achieve seasonal total phosphorus concentration targets at Parma (RM 3.8) from May 1 through September 30, as set by the 2004 Snake River-Hells Canyon Total Maximum Daily Load document. The mass-balance models do not account for biological or depositional instream processes, but are useful indicators of locations where appreciable phosphorus uptake or release by aquatic plants may occur.

  6. Degree of Phosphorus Saturation and Soil Phosphorus Thresholds in an Ultisol Amended with Triple Superphosphate and Phosphate Rocks

    PubMed Central

    Gikonyo, E. W.; Zaharah, A. R.; Hanafi, M. M.; Anuar, A. R.

    2011-01-01

    Soil phosphorus (P) release capability could be assessed through the degree of P saturation (DPS). Our main objective was to determine DPS and, hence, P threshold DPS values of an Ultisol treated with triple superphosphate (TSP), Gafsa phosphate rocks (GPR), or Christmas Island phosphate rocks (CIPR), plus or minus manure. P release was determined by the iron oxide—impregnated paper strip (strip P), while DPS was determined from ammonium oxalate—extractable aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and P. Soils were sampled from a closed incubation study involving soils treated with TSP, GPR, and CIPR at 0–400 mg P kg-1, and a field study where soils were fertilized with the same P sources at 100–300 kg P ha-1 plus or minus manure. The DPS was significantly influenced by P source x P rate, P source x manure (incubated soils), and by P source x P rate x time (field-sampled soils). Incubated soil results indicated that both initial P and total strip P were related to DPS by exponential functions: initial strip P = 1.38exp0.18DPS, R2 = 0.82** and total strip P = 8.01exp0.13DPS, R2 = 0.65**. Initial strip P was linearly related to total P; total P = 2.45, initial P + 8.41, R2 = 0.85**. The threshold DPS value established was about 22% (incubated soil). Field soils had lower DPS values <12% and strip P was related to initial DPS and average DPS in exponential functions: strip P = 2.6exp0.44DPS, R2 = 0.77** and strip P = 1.1DPS2 — 2.4DPS + 6.2, R2 = 0.58**, respectively. The threshold values were both at ≈8% and P release was 11–14 mg P kg-1. Results are evident that DPS can be used to predict P release, but the threshold values are environmentally sensitive; hence, recommendations should be based on field trials. PMID:21805012

  7. Degree of phosphorus saturation and soil phosphorus thresholds in an ultisol amended with triple superphosphate and phosphate rocks.

    PubMed

    Gikonyo, E W; Zaharah, A R; Hanafi, M M; Anuar, A R

    2011-07-28

    Soil phosphorus (P) release capability could be assessed through the degree of P saturation (DPS). Our main objective was to determine DPS and, hence, P threshold DPS values of an Ultisol treated with triple superphosphate (TSP), Gafsa phosphate rocks (GPR), or Christmas Island phosphate rocks (CIPR), plus or minus manure. P release was determined by the iron oxide-impregnated paper strip (strip P), while DPS was determined from ammonium oxalate-extractable aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), and P. Soils were sampled from a closed incubation study involving soils treated with TSP, GPR, and CIPR at 0-400 mg P kg-1, and a field study where soils were fertilized with the same P sources at 100-300 kg P ha-1 plus or minus manure. The DPS was significantly influenced by P source x P rate, P source x manure (incubated soils), and by P source x P rate x time (field-sampled soils). Incubated soil results indicated that both initial P and total strip P were related to DPS by exponential functions: initial strip P = 1.38exp0.18DPS, R2 = 0.82** and total strip P = 8.01exp0.13DPS, R2 = 0.65**. Initial strip P was linearly related to total P; total P = 2.45, initial P + 8.41, R2 = 0.85**. The threshold DPS value established was about 22% (incubated soil). Field soils had lower DPS values <12% and strip P was related to initial DPS and average DPS in exponential functions: strip P = 2.6exp0.44DPS, R2 = 0.77** and strip P = 1.1DPS2 ¨C 2.4DPS + 6.2, R2 = 0.58**, respectively. The threshold values were both approximately equal to 8% and P release was 11-14 mg P kg-1. Results are evident that DPS can be used to predict P release, but the threshold values are environmentally sensitive; hence, recommendations should be based on field trials.

  8. Response curves for phosphorus plume lengths from reactive-solute-transport simulations of onland disposal of wastewater in noncarbonate sand and gravel aquifers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Colman, John A.

    2005-01-01

    Surface-water resources in Massachusetts often are affected by eutrophication, excessive plant growth, which has resulted in impaired use for a majority of the freshwater ponds and lakes and a substantial number of river-miles in the State. Because supply of phosphorus usually is limiting to plant growth in freshwater systems, control of phosphorus input to surface waters is critical to solving the impairment problem. Wastewater is a substantial source of phosphorus for surface water, and removal of phosphorus before disposal may be necessary. Wastewater disposed onland by infiltration loses phosphorus from the dissolved phase during transport through the subsurface and may be an effective disposal method; quantification of the phosphorus loss can be simulated to determine disposal feasibility. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, initiated a project to simulate distance of phosphorus transport in the subsurface for plausible conditions of onland wastewater disposal and subsurface properties. A coupled one-dimensional unsaturated-zone and three-dimensional saturated-zone reactive-solute-transport model (PHAST) was used to simulate lengths of phosphorus plumes. Knowledge of phosphorus plume length could facilitate estimates of setback distances for wastewater-infiltration sites from surface water that would be sufficient to protect the surface water from eutrophication caused by phosphorus transport through the subsurface and ultimate discharge to surface water. The reactive-solute-transport model PHAST was used to simulate ground-water flow, solute transport, equilibrium chemistry for dissolved and sorbed species, and kinetic regulation of organic carbon decomposition and phosphate mineral formation. The phosphorus plume length was defined for the simulations as the maximum extent of the contour for the 0.015 milligram-per-liter concentration of dissolved phosphorus downgradient from the infiltration bed after disposal cessation. Duration of disposal before cessation was assumed to be 50 years into an infiltration bed of 20,000 square feet at the rate of 3 gallons per square foot per day. Time for the maximum extent of the phosphorus plume to develop is on the order of 100 years after disposal cessation. Simulations indicated that phosphorus transport beyond the extent of the 0.015 milligram-per-liter concentration contour was never more than 0.18 kilogram per year, an amount that would likely not alter the ecology of most surface water. Simulations of phosphorus plume lengths were summarized in a series of response curves. Simulated plume lengths ranged from 200 feet for low phosphorus-concentration effluents (0.25 milligram per liter) and thick (50 feet) unsaturated zones to 3,400 feet for high phosphorus-concentration effluents (14 milligrams per liter) discharged directly into the aquifer (unsaturated-zone thickness of 0 feet). Plume length was nearly independent of unsaturated-zone thickness at phosphorus concentrations in the wastewater that were less than 2 milligrams per liter because little or no phosphorus mineral formed at low phosphorus concentrations. For effluents of high phosphorus concentration, plume length varied from 3,400 feet for unsaturated-zone thickness of 0 to 2,550 feet for unsaturated-zone thickness of 50 feet. Model treatments of flow and equilibrium-controlled chemistry likely were more accurate than rates of kinetically controlled reactions, notably precipitation of iron-phosphate minerals; the kinetics of such reactions are less well known and thus less well defined in the model. Sensitivity analysis indicated that many chemical and physical aquifer properties, such as hydraulic gradient and model width, did not affect the simulated plume length appreciably, but duration of discharge, size of infiltration bed, amount of dispersion, and number of sorption sites on the aquifer sediments did affect plume length ap

  9. Molecular mechanisms in response to phosphate starvation in rice.

    PubMed

    Panigrahy, Madhusmita; Rao, D Nageswara; Sarla, N

    2009-01-01

    Phosphorus is one of the most important elements that significantly affect plant growth and metabolism. Among the macro-nutrients, phosphorus is the least available to the plants as major phosphorus content of the fertiliser is sorbed by soil particles. An increased knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms controlling plant's phosphorus status is vital for improving phosphorus uptake and P-use efficiency and for reducing excessive input of fertilisers, while maintaining an acceptable yield. Phosphorus use efficiency has been studied using forward and reverse genetic analyses of mutants, quantitative genomic approaches and whole plant physiology but all these studies need to be integrated for a clearer understanding. We provide a critical overview on the molecular mechanisms and the components involved in the plant during phosphorus starvation. Then we summarize the information available on the genes and QTLs involved in phosphorus signalling and also the methods to estimate total phosphate in plant tissue. Also, an effort is made to build a comprehensive picture of phosphorus uptake, homeostasis, assimilation, remobilization, its deposition in the grain and its interaction with other micro- and macro-nutrients as well as phytohormones.

  10. Effect of fire on phosphorus forms in Sphagnum moss and peat soils of ombrotrophic bogs.

    PubMed

    Wang, Guoping; Yu, Xiaofei; Bao, Kunshan; Xing, Wei; Gao, Chuanyu; Lin, Qianxin; Lu, Xianguo

    2015-01-01

    The effect of burning Sphagnum moss and peat on phosphorus forms was studied with controlled combustion in the laboratory. Two fire treatments, a light fire (250 °C) and a severe fire (600 °C), were performed in a muffle furnace with 1-h residence time to simulate the effects of different forest fire conditions. The results showed that fire burning Sphagnum moss and peat soils resulted in losses of organic phosphorus (Po), while inorganic phosphorus (Pi) concentrations increased. Burning significantly changed detailed phosphorus composition and availability, with severe fires destroying over 90% of organic phosphorus and increasing the availability of inorganic P by more than twofold. Our study suggest that, while decomposition processes in ombrotrophic bogs occur very slowly, rapid changes in the form and availability of phosphorus in vegetation and litter may occur as the result of forest fires on peat soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Phosphorus loading to McGrath and Ellis ponds, Kennebec County, Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nichols, Wallace J.; Sowles, J.W.; Lobao, J.J.

    1984-01-01

    McGrath and Ellis Ponds in south-central Maine have been identified as having nuisance algae blooms. In 1978, a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Maine Department Environmental Protection was begun to evaluate areas in which restoration effort would best improve water quality of the ponds. Streamflow and phosphorus data were collected from 28 tributaries to the ponds, April 1 through September 30, 1978 and 1979. Phosphorus yields from each tributary watershed were compared to determine their relative importance to the phosphorus budgets of the ponds. Three tributaries to the ponds were estimated to contribute 44 percent of the phosphorus load, yet drain only 22 percent of the watershed. Phosphorus input to the ponds likely would be most easily reduced by instituting phosphorus control practices in parts of the basin drained by the three tributaries. (USGS)

  12. Sedimentary Phosphorus Dynamics in a Coastal Louisiana Prograding Delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Upreti, K.; Maiti, K.; Rivera-Monroy, V. H.

    2016-02-01

    A number of studies have quantified phosphorus (P) concentration and sediment-water column exchange undergoing changes in redox condition in the Louisiana delta plain. However, there is not information on the potential role of bacteria in P transformations in Louisiana coastal wetlands. The main objective of this work was to evaluate sedimentary P dynamics by identifying dominant forms of P in sediments and determine the magnitude of P mobilization during bacterially mediated redox reactions. Sediment samples were collected from three sites (ridge, interior, and channel) characterized by variation in the vegetation and elevation in the currently prograding Wax Lake Delta. Sediments were incubated with and without the bacterium Shewanella putrefaciencs CN32 (Sp-CN32), which is an iron reducing bacteria that consumes dissolved oxygen and leads to reduction of Fe III to Fe II thereby releasing PO43- bound to Fe III oxide. Our results revealed that P release in sediments spiked with Sp-CN32 was significantly higher in all sediments when compared to sediments in natural condition. P release from sediment spiked with Sp-CN32 significantly increased from 0.064 to 1.460 umoles/g in the sediment sampled at high elevation (ridge) and from 0.079 to 2.407 moles/g in the medium elevation area (interior) of the island. This increase in P release was significantly correlated with an increase in Fe (II) concentrations. The extent of P release was proportionally higher than the Fe (II) measured in all sediments. The P/Fe ratio steadily increased for the first 24 h followed by a rapid decrease. This temporal trend suggests a lag in Fe (III) reduction and an initial bacterial uptake and release of loosely sorbed NaHCO3-P pool when Sp-CN32 respired on O2 as the terminal electron acceptor. This study contributes to our understanding of the release mechanism of P during bacterial mediated redox reaction in wetland soils undergoing pulsing sediment deposition.

  13. Influence of Diagenesis on Bioavailable Phosphorus in Lake Mendota, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffman, A.; Armstrong, D.; Lathrop, R.; Penn, M.

    2013-12-01

    Phosphorus (P) is a major driver of productivity in many freshwater systems and in excess P can cause a variety of deleterious effects. Lake Mendota, located in Madison, Wisconsin (USA), is a eutrophic calcareous lake that is influenced by both urban and agricultural sources. As measures have been implemented to control point and non-point source pollution, internal sources, including release by sediments, has become more important. We collected multiple sediment cores from seven depositional basins to determine how diagenesis is influencing the bioavailability of sediment P. Cores were sliced in 1-cm intervals and analyzed for total P (TP), various P fractions, total metals, and multiple stable isotopes. While the average amount of total P that was bioavailable was 64.8%, the range noted was 39.2% to 88.6%. Spatial differences existed among the cores when comparing TP and bioavailable P among the cores. Depth profiles elucidated temporal differences as occasional increases in TP with depth were noted. These increases were found to contain a higher percent of bioavailable P. This variation was explored to determine if it resulted from differences in source material, for example inorganic P formed by diagenesis of organic P (algal derived) rather than soil P from external inputs. Saturation index modeling using MINEQL+ suggests that phosphorus concentrations in Lake Mendota pore waters are influenced by precipitation of vivianite (Fe3(PO4)2●8H2O) and certain calcium phosphates. However, hydroxyl apatite (Ca5(PO4)3(OH)), was highly supersaturated, indicating that precipitation of hydroxyl apatite is hindered and not important in controlling phosphate concentrations in these sediments. Yet even more important than precipitation reactions, adsorption/desorption characteristics of P seem to play a major role in P bioavailability. Sediment 210Pb and 137Cs activity profiles indicate differences exist among sedimentation rates for the various depositional sites in Lake Mendota. Implications for the modeling of P cycling and changes in internal loading following external P reduction in lakes will be discussed.

  14. Water quality, hydrology, and the effects of changes in phosphorus loading to Pike Lake, Washington County, Wisconsin, with special emphasis on inlet-to-outlet short-circuiting

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rose, William J.; Robertson, Dale M.; Mergener, Elizabeth A.

    2004-01-01

    Simulations using water-quality models within the Wisconsin Lake Model Suite (WiLMS) indicated Pike Lake's response to 13 different phosphorus-loading scenarios. These scenarios included a base 'normal' year (2000) for which lake water quality and loading were known, six different percentage increases or decreases in phosphorus loading from controllable sources, and six different loading scenarios corresponding to specific management actions. Model simulations indicate that a 50-percent reduction in controllable loading sources would be needed to achieve a mesotrophic classification with respect to phosphorus, chlorophyll a, and Secchi depth (an index of water clarity). Model simulations indicated that short-circuiting of phosphorus from the inlet to the outlet was the main reason the water quality of the lake is good relative to the amount of loading from the Rubicon River and that changes in the percentage of inlet-to-outlet short-circuiting have a significant influence on the water quality of the lake.

  15. Patient education for phosphorus management in chronic kidney disease

    PubMed Central

    Kalantar-Zadeh, Kamyar

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: This review explores the challenges and solutions in educating patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to lower serum phosphorus while avoiding protein insufficiency and hypercalcemia. Methods: A literature search including terms “hyperphosphatemia,” “patient education,” “food fatigue,” “hypercalcemia,” and “phosphorus–protein ratio” was undertaken using PubMed. Results: Hyperphosphatemia is a strong predictor of mortality in advanced CKD and is remediated via diet, phosphorus binders, and dialysis. Dietary counseling should encourage the consumption of foods with the least amount of inorganic or absorbable phosphorus, low phosphorus-to-protein ratios, and adequate protein content, and discourage excessive calcium intake in high-risk patients. Emerging educational initiatives include food labeling using a “traffic light” scheme, motivational interviewing techniques, and the Phosphate Education Program – whereby patients no longer have to memorize the phosphorus content of each individual food component, but only a “phosphorus unit” value for a limited number of food groups. Phosphorus binders are associated with a clear survival advantage in CKD patients, overcome the limitations associated with dietary phosphorus restriction, and permit a more flexible approach to achieving normalization of phosphorus levels. Conclusion: Patient education on phosphorus and calcium management can improve concordance and adherence and empower patients to collaborate actively for optimal control of mineral metabolism. PMID:23667310

  16. High performance of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in an electrolysis-integrated biofilter.

    PubMed

    Gao, Y; Xie, Y W; Zhang, Q; Yu, Y X; Yang, L Y

    A novel electrolysis-integrated biofilter system was developed in this study to evaluate the intensified removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from contaminated water. Two laboratory-scale biofilter systems were established, one with electrolysis (E-BF) and one without electrolysis (BF) as control. The dynamics of intensified nitrogen and phosphorus removal and the changes of inflow and outflow water qualities were also evaluated. The total nitrogen (TN) removal rate was 94.4% in our newly developed E-BF, but only 74.7% in the control BF. Ammonium removal rate was up to 95% in biofilters with or without electrolysis integration with an influent ammonium concentration of 40 mg/L, and the accumulation of nitrate and nitrite was much lower in the effluent of E-BF than that of BF. Thus electrolysis plays an important role in TN removal especially the nitrate and nitrite removal. Phosphorus removal was significantly enhanced, exceeding 90% in E-BF by chemical precipitation, physical adsorption, and flocculation of phosphorus because of the in situ formation of ferric ions by the anodizing of sacrificial iron anodes. Results from this study indicate that the electrolysis integrated biofilter is a promising solution for intensified nitrogen and phosphorus removal.

  17. A review of phosphate mineral nucleation in biology and geobiology.

    PubMed

    Omelon, Sidney; Ariganello, Marianne; Bonucci, Ermanno; Grynpas, Marc; Nanci, Antonio

    2013-10-01

    Relationships between geological phosphorite deposition and biological apatite nucleation have often been overlooked. However, similarities in biological apatite and phosphorite mineralogy suggest that their chemical formation mechanisms may be similar. This review serves to draw parallels between two newly described phosphorite mineralization processes, and proposes a similar novel mechanism for biologically controlled apatite mineral nucleation. This mechanism integrates polyphosphate biochemistry with crystal nucleation theory. Recently, the roles of polyphosphates in the nucleation of marine phosphorites were discovered. Marine bacteria and diatoms have been shown to store and concentrate inorganic phosphate (Pi) as amorphous, polyphosphate granules. Subsequent release of these P reserves into the local marine environment as Pi results in biologically induced phosphorite nucleation. Pi storage and release through an intracellular polyphosphate intermediate may also occur in mineralizing oral bacteria. Polyphosphates may be associated with biologically controlled apatite nucleation within vertebrates and invertebrates. Historically, biological apatite nucleation has been attributed to either a biochemical increase in local Pi concentration or matrix-mediated apatite nucleation control. This review proposes a mechanism that integrates both theories. Intracellular and extracellular amorphous granules, rich in both calcium and phosphorus, have been observed in apatite-biomineralizing vertebrates, protists, and atremate brachiopods. These granules may represent stores of calcium-polyphosphate. Not unlike phosphorite nucleation by bacteria and diatoms, polyphosphate depolymerization to Pi would be controlled by phosphatase activity. Enzymatic polyphosphate depolymerization would increase apatite saturation to the level required for mineral nucleation, while matrix proteins would simultaneously control the progression of new biological apatite formation.

  18. Differential release of manure-borne bioactive phosphorus forms to runoff and leachate under simulated rain.

    PubMed

    Blaustein, R A; Dao, Thanh H; Pachepsky, Y A; Shelton, D R

    2017-05-01

    Limited information exists on the unhindered release of bioactive phosphorus (P) from a manure layer to model the partitioning and transport of component P forms before they reach an underlying soil. Rain simulations were conducted to quantify effects of intensity (30, 60, and 90 mm h -1 ) on P release from an application of 60 Mg ha -1 of dairy manure. Runoff contained water-extractable- (WEP), exchangeable and enzyme-labile bioactive P (TBIOP), in contrast to the operationally defined "dissolved-reactive P" form. The released P concentrations and flow-weighed mass loads were described by the log-normal probability density function. At a reference condition of 30 mm h -1 and maintaining the surface at a 5% incline, runoff was minimal, and WEP accounted for 20.9% of leached total P (TP) concentrations, with an additional 25-30% as exchangeable and enzyme-labile bioactive P over the 1-h simulation. On a 20% incline, increased intensity accelerated occurrence of concentration max and shifted the skewed P concentration distribution more to the left. Differences in trends of WEP, TBIOP, or net enzyme-labile P (PHP o ) cumulative mass released per unit mass of manure between intensities were attributable to the higher frequency of raindrops striking the manure layer, thus increasing detachment and load of colloidal PHP o of the water phases. Thus, detailed knowledge of manure physical characteristics, bioactive P distribution in relation to rain intensity, and attainment of steady-state of water fluxes were critical factors in improved prediction of partitioning and movement of manure-borne P under rainfall. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Microwave enhanced oxidation treatment of organic fertilizers.

    PubMed

    More, Abhilasha; Srinivasan, Asha; Liao, Ping Huang; Lo, Kwang Victor

    2017-08-01

    Liquid organic fertilizers (LOFs) are relatively easier to degrade than those of solid organic fertilizers, and the nutrients are readily available for plant uptake. Microwave enhanced advanced oxidation treatment (MW/H 2 O 2 -AOP) was used to convert solid organic fertilizers (insoluble blood meal, bone meal, feather meal, sunflower ash and a mixture) into LOF. After the MW/H 2 O 2 -AOP treatment, high soluble nitrogen (11-29%), soluble phosphorus (64%) and potassium (92%), as well as low total suspended solids content could be obtained. The resulting LOF would make the nutrients more bioavailable, and would provide some of them for the plant uptake immediately. Temperature and hydrogen peroxide dosage were found to be significant factors affecting nitrogen release from blood meal and feather meal, while temperature and pH were found to be significant factors for solubilizing phosphorus and potassium from bone meal and ash, respectively. The MW/H 2 O 2 -AOP reduced suspended solids, and released nutrients into solution; therefore, it was an effective treatment method to make LOFs. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. Effects of polyacrylamide on soil erosion and nutrient losses from substrate material in steep rocky slope stabilization projects.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zhang; Chen, Wenlu; Li, Chengjun; Pu, Yanpin; Sun, Haifeng

    2016-06-01

    Erosion of denuded steep rocky slopes causes increasing losses of nitrogen and phosphorus, which is a severe problem in rocky slope protection. Thus, it is important to determine the appropriate materials that can reduce the erodibility and losses of nitrogen and phosphorus of the soil. In this paper, twenty-seven simulated rainfall events were carried out in a greenhouse, in which the substrate material was artificial soil; nine types of anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) were studied, which consisted of three molecular weight (6, 12, and 18 Mg mol(-1)) and three charge density (10, 20, and 30%) formulations in a 3 by 3 factorial design. The results showed that: (1) Polyacrylamide application reduced total nitrogen losses by 35.3% to 50.0% and total phosphorus losses by 34.9% to 48.0% relative to the control group. (2) The losses of total nitrogen and total phosphorus had significant correlation with the molecular weight. Besides, the losses of total phosphorus, particulate-bound phosphorus and inorganic nitrogen (NH4-N) were significantly correlated with their molecular weight and charge density. However, the losses of dissolved organic nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen (NO3-N), dissolved organic phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus (PO4-P) were non-significantly correlated with molecular weight and charge density. (3) Particulate-bound nitrogen and phosphorus were responsible for the losses of nitrogen and phosphorus during runoff events, where particulate-bound nitrogen made up 71.7% to 73.2% of total nitrogen losses, and particulate-bound phosphorus made up 82.3% to 85.2% of total phosphorus losses. (4) Polyacrylamide treatments increased water-stable aggregates content by 32.3% to 59.1%, total porosity by 11.3% to 49.0%, final infiltrative rate by 41.3% to 72.5%, and reduced soil erosion by 18.9% to 39.8% compared with the control group. Overall, the results of this study indicated that polyacrylamide application in the steep rocky slope stabilization projects could significantly reduce nutrient losses and soil erosion of substrate material. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Sediment pollution characteristics and in situ control in a deep drinking water reservoir.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Zizhen; Huang, Tinglin; Li, Yang; Ma, Weixing; Zhou, Shilei; Long, Shenghai

    2017-02-01

    Sediment pollution characteristics, in situ sediment release potential, and in situ inhibition of sediment release were investigated in a drinking water reservoir. Results showed that organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in sediments increased from the reservoir mouth to the main reservoir. Fraction analysis indicated that nitrogen in ion exchangeable form and NaOH-extractable P (Fe/Al-P) accounted for 43% and 26% of TN and TP in sediments of the main reservoir. The Risk Assessment Code for metal elements showed that Fe and Mn posed high to very high risk. The results of the in situ reactor experiment in the main reservoir showed the same trends as those observed in the natural state of the reservoir in 2011 and 2012; the maximum concentrations of total OC, TN, TP, Fe, and Mn reached 4.42mg/L, 3.33mg/L, 0.22mg/L, 2.56mg/L, and 0.61mg/L, respectively. An in situ sediment release inhibition technology, the water-lifting aerator, was utilized in the reservoir. The results of operating the water-lifting aerator indicated that sediment release was successfully inhibited and that OC, TN, TP, Fe, and Mn in surface sediment could be reduced by 13.25%, 15.23%, 14.10%, 5.32%, and 3.94%, respectively. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Water Quality of a Drained Wetland, Caledonia Marsh on Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, after Flooding in 2006

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lindenberg, Mary K.; Wood, Tamara M.

    2009-01-01

    The unexpected inundation of Caledonia Marsh, a previously drained wetland adjacent to Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, provided an opportunity to observe nutrient release from sediments into the water column of the flooded area and the resulting algal growth. Three sites, with differing proximity to the levee breach that reconnected the area to Upper Klamath Lake, were selected for water sample collection in the marsh. Chlorophyll a concentrations (an indicator of algal biomass) were lowest and dissolved nutrient concentrations were highest at the site farthest from the breach. At the site where chlorophyll a concentrations were lowest, dissolved organic carbon concentrations were highest, and the presence of tannic compounds was indicated by the dark brown color of the water. Both DOC and specific conductance was higher at the site farthest from the breach, which indicated less mixing with Upper Klamath Lake water at that site. Dissolved oxygen concentrations and pH were lowest at the beginning of the sampling period at the site farthest from the levee breach, coincident with the lowest algal growth. Phosphorus concentrations measured in the flooded Caledonia Marsh were greater than median concentrations in Upper Klamath Lake, indicating that phosphorus likely was released from the previously drained wetland soils of the marsh when they were flooded. However, a proportional increase in algal biomass was not measured either in the marsh or in the adjacent bay of the lake. Nitrogen to phosphorus ratios indicated that phosphorus was not limiting to algal growth at the marsh sites, and possibly was not limiting in the adjacent bay either. In terms of nutrient dynamics, wetlands normally function as nutrient sinks. In contrast, the drained wetlands around Upper Klamath Lake cannot be expected to provide that function in the short term after being flooded and may, in fact, be a source of nutrients to the lake instead. The consequences for algal growth in the lake, however, seem to be small.

  3. Microbial Phosphorus Solubilization and Its Potential for Use in Sustainable Agriculture

    PubMed Central

    Alori, Elizabeth T.; Glick, Bernard R.; Babalola, Olubukola O.

    2017-01-01

    The use of excess conventional Phosphorus (P) fertilizers to improve agricultural productivity, in order to meet constantly increasing global food demand, potentially causes surface and ground water pollution, waterway eutrophication, soil fertility depletion, and accumulation of toxic elements such as high concentration of selenium (Se), arsenic (As) in the soil. Quite a number of soil microorganisms are capable of solubilizing/mineralizing insoluble soil phosphate to release soluble P and making it available to plants. These microorganisms improve the growth and yield of a wide variety of crops. Thus, inoculating seeds/crops/soil with Phosphate Solubilizing Microorganisms (PSM) is a promising strategy to improve world food production without causing any environmental hazard. Despite their great significance in soil fertility improvement, phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms have yet to replace conventional chemical fertilizers in commercial agriculture. A better understanding of recent developments in PSM functional diversity, colonizing ability, mode of actions and judicious application should facilitate their use as reliable components of sustainable agricultural systems. In this review, we discussed various soil microorganisms that have the ability to solubilize phosphorus and hence have the potential to be used as bio fertilizers. The mechanisms of inorganic phosphate solubilization by PSM and the mechanisms of organic phosphorus mineralization are highlighted together with some factors that determine the success of this technology. Finally we provide some indications that the use of PSM will promote sustainable agriculture and conclude that this technology is ready for commercial exploitation in various regions worldwide. PMID:28626450

  4. Transfer kinetics of phosphorus (P) in macrophyte rhizosphere and phytoremoval performance for lake sediments using DGT technique.

    PubMed

    Wu, Zhihao; Wang, Shengrui; Luo, Jun

    2018-05-15

    DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) technique and DIFS (DGT induced fluxes in sediment) model are firstly designed for macrophyte-rhizobox system and in-situ macrophytes in Lake Erhai. Dynamics of phosphorus (P) transfer in Zizania latifolia (ZL) and Myriophyllum verticiilatur (MV) rhizosphere is revealed and phytoremediation performance for P in sediment is evaluated. Dynamic transfer process of P at DGT/sediment interface includes (i) diffusion flux and concentration gradients at DGT(root)/porewater interface leading to porewater concentration (C 0 ) depletion and (ii) P desorption from labile P pool in sediment solid to resupply C 0 depletion. Fe-redox controlled P release from Fe-bound P (BD-P2) and then NH 4 Cl-P1 in rhizosphere sediment resupplies porewater depletion due to DGT (root) sink. K d (labile P pool size in solid phase), r (resupply ratio) and kinetic exchange (Tc and k -1 ) lead to change characters of DIFS curves of (1) r against deployment time and (2) C solu (dissolved concentration) against distance at 24 h. They include two opposite types of "fast" and "slow" rate of resupplies. Sediment properties and DIFS parameters control P diffusion and resupply in rhizosphere sediment. Phytoremoval ability for sediment P in lake is estimated to be 23.4 (ZL) or 15.0 t a -1 (MV) by "DGT-flux" method. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Phosphorus retention and internal loading in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario, using diagenetic modelling.

    PubMed

    Doan, Phuong T K; Watson, Sue B; Markovic, Stefan; Liang, Anqi; Guo, Jay; Mugalingam, Shan; Stokes, Jonathan; Morley, Andrew; Zhang, Weitao; Arhonditsis, George B; Dittrich, Maria

    2018-04-24

    Internal phosphorus (P) loading significantly contributes to hysteresis in ecosystem response to nutrient remediation, but the dynamics of sediment P transformations are often poorly characterized. Here, we applied a reaction-transport diagenetic model to investigate sediment P dynamics in the Bay of Quinte, a polymictic, spatially complex embayment of Lake Ontario, (Canada). We quantified spatial and temporal variability of sediment P binding forms and estimated P diffusive fluxes and sediment P retention in different parts of the bay. Our model supports the notion that diagenetic recycling of redox sensitive and organic bound P forms drive sediment P release. In the recent years, summer sediment P diffusive fluxes varied in the range of 3.2-3.6 mg P m -2  d -1 in the upper bay compared to 1.5 mg P m -2  d -1 in the middle-lower bay. Meanwhile sediment P retention ranged between 71% and 75% in the upper and middle-lower bay, respectively. The reconstruction of temporal trends of internal P loading in the past century, suggests that against the backdrop of reduced external P inputs, sediment P exerts growing control over the lake nutrient budget. Higher sediment P diffusive fluxes since mid-20th century with particular increase in the past 20 years in the shallower upper basins, emphasize limited sediment P retention potential and suggest prolonged ecosystem recovery, highlighting the importance of ongoing P control measures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Nutritional evaluation of low-phytate peas (Pisum sativum L.) for young broiler chicks.

    PubMed

    Thacker, Philip; Deep, Aman; Petri, Daniel; Warkentin, Thomas

    2013-02-01

    This experiment determined the effects of including normal and low-phytate peas in diets fed to young broiler chickens on performance, phosphorus availability and bone strength. A total of 180, day-old, male broilers (Ross-308 line) were assigned to six treatments. The control was based on corn and soybean meal while two additional corn-based diets were formulated containing 30% of either normal or low-phytate pea providing 0.45% available phosphorus. For each of these three diets, a similar diet was formulated by reducing the amount of dicalcium phosphate to produce a diet with 0.3% available phosphorus. The total tract apparent availability (TTAA) of phosphorus was higher (p = 0.02) for broilers fed the low-phytate pea than for birds fed the normal pea diets. Birds fed diets containing the lower level of phosphorus had a higher TTAA of phosphorus (50.64 vs. 46.68%) than broilers fed diets adequate in phosphorus. Protein source had no effect on weight gain, feed intake or feed conversion. Broilers fed the low phosphorus diets had lower weight gain (p = 0.04) and feed intake (p < 0.01) than broilers fed the higher phosphorus level. Bone strength was higher (p < 0.01) for broilers fed diets based on low-phytate pea than for those fed diets based on normal pea or soybean meal. Increasing the availability of the phosphorus in peas could mean that less inorganic phosphorus would be required in order to meet the nutritional requirements of broilers. Since inorganic phosphorus sources tend to be expensive, a reduction in their use would lower ration costs. In addition, increased availability of phosphorus would reduce the amount of phosphorus excreted thus reducing the amount of phosphorus that can potentially pollute the environment.

  7. Entrapped Sediments as a Source of Phosphorus in Epilithic Cyanobacterial Proliferations in Low Nutrient Rivers

    PubMed Central

    Wood, Susanna A.; Depree, Craig; Brown, Logan; McAllister, Tara; Hawes, Ian

    2015-01-01

    Proliferations of the benthic mat-forming cyanobacteria Phormidium have been reported in rivers worldwide. Phormidium commonly produces natural toxins which pose a health risk to animal and humans. Recent field studies in New Zealand identified that sites with Phormidium proliferations consistently have low concentrations of water column dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP). Unlike other river periphyton, Phormidium mats are thick and cohesive, with water and fine sediment trapped in a mucilaginous matrix. We hypothesized that daytime photosynthetic activity would elevate pH inside the mats, and/or night time respiration would reduce dissolved oxygen. Either condition could be sufficient to facilitate desorption of phosphates from sediment incorporated within mats, thus allowing Phormidium to utilize it for growth. Using microelectrodes, optodes and pulse amplitude modulation fluorometry we demonstrated that photosynthetic activity results in elevated pH (>9) during daytime, and that night-time respiration causes oxygen depletion (<4 mg L-1) within mats. Water trapped within the mucilaginous Phormidium mat matrix had on average 320-fold higher DRP concentrations than bulk river water and this, together with elevated concentrations of elements, including iron, suggest phosphorus release from entrapped sediment. Sequential extraction of phosphorus from trapped sediment was used to investigate the role of sediment at sites on the Mangatainoka River (New Zealand) with and without Phormidium proliferations. Deposition of fine sediment (<63 μm) was significantly higher at the site with the most extensive proliferations and concentrations of biological available phosphorus were two- to four- fold higher. Collectively these results provide evidence that fine sediment can provide a source of phosphorus to support Phormidium growth and proliferation. PMID:26479491

  8. Response of carbon assimilation and chlorophyll fluorescence to soybean leaf phosphorus across CO2: Alternative electron sink, nutrient efficiency and critical phosphorus concentration

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    To evaluate the response of CO2 assimilation (PN) and various chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) parameters to phosphorus (P) nutrition soybean plants were grown in controlled environment growth chambers with sufficient (0.50 mM) and deficient (0.10 and 0.01 mM) P supply under ambient and elevated CO2 (a...

  9. Changes in phosphorus concentrations and loads in the Assabet River, Massachusetts, October 2008 through April 2014

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Savoie, Jennifer G.; DeSimone, Leslie A.; Mullaney, John R.; Zimmerman, Marc J.; Waldron, Marcus C.

    2016-10-24

    Treated effluent discharged from municipal wastewater-treatment plants to the Assabet River in central Massachusetts includes phosphorus, which leads to increased growth of nuisance aquatic plants that decrease the river’s water quality and aesthetics in impounded reaches during the growing season. To improve the river’s water quality and aesthetics, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a total maximum daily load for phosphorus in 2004 that directed the wastewater-treatment plants to reduce the amount of total phosphorus discharged to the river by 2012. The permitted total phosphorus monthly average of 0.75 milligrams per liter during the aquatic plant growing season (April 1 through October 31) was reduced by the total maximum daily load to a target of 0.1 milligrams per liter by 2012, and the nongrowing-season limit was unchanged at 1.0 milligrams per liter.From October 2008 through April 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, measured streamflow and collected weekly flow-proportional, composite samples of water from the Assabet River for analysis of concentrations of total phosphorus and orthophosphate. Streamflow and concentration data were used to estimate total phosphorus and orthophosphate loads in the river. The purpose of this monitoring effort was to evaluate phosphorus concentrations and loads in the river before, during, and after the wastewater-treatment-plant upgrades and to assess the effects of seasonal differences in permitted discharges. The locations of water-quality-monitoring stations, with respect to the Hudson and Ben Smith impoundments, enabled examination of effects of phosphorus entering and leaving the impoundments.Annual median concentrations of total phosphorus in wastewater-treatment plants were reduced by more than 80 percent with the plant upgrades. Measured instream annual median concentrations of total phosphorus in the Assabet River decreased by about 38 to 50 percent at three of the four monitoring stations following the wastewater-treatment-plant upgrades. At the station farthest upstream, the median total phosphorus concentration remained unchanged throughout the study; this may be attributed to the site location and potential resuspension of particulate organic matter during periods of increased streamflow. Annual median loads from the wastewater-treatment plants were reduced by up to 91 percent following the upgrades, instream annual median total phosphorus loads at the three downstream stations decreased by 71 to 76 percent, and instream orthophosphate loads at the three downstream stations decreased by 79 to 87 percent.Seasonal fluctuations (growing versus nongrowing) of total phosphorus and orthophosphate were observed instream before the upgrades. However, after the upgrades, fluctuations in phosphorus released from the treatment plants were slight and seasonal changes were typically not observed instream.Annual loads entering and leaving the two impoundments were inconclusive in determining whether the impoundments were sources or sinks of total phosphorus during the study. Total phosphorus loads entering the Hudson impoundment were consistently greater than those leaving; however, there was uncertainty about the loads at the monitoring station upstream from this impoundment. At the Ben Smith impoundment, total phosphorus and orthophosphate loads downstream were slightly greater than those upstream from the impoundment, but the differences may reflect additions from tributaries and overland runoff.Estimated instream total phosphorus concentrations and loads indicated that the decreases in total phosphorus in wastewater-treatment-plant discharges were accompanied by reductions measured in the Assabet River. A statistical analysis which incorporates the effect of varying flow conditions demonstrated significant reductions in total phosphorus concentrations after the wastewater-treatment-plant upgrades at three of the four instream monitoring stations. No significant change was observed at the most upstream location, the Assabet River at Port Street at Hudson, Massachusetts (station number 01096835), which may have been affected by flow-related resuspension of particulate phosphorus.

  10. Psr1, a nuclear localized protein that regulates phosphorus metabolism in Chlamydomonas.

    PubMed

    Wykoff, D D; Grossman, A R; Weeks, D P; Usuda, H; Shimogawara, K

    1999-12-21

    Understanding the ways in which phosphorus metabolism is regulated in photosynthetic eukaryotes is critical for optimizing crop productivity and managing aquatic ecosystems in which phosphorus can be a major source of pollution. Here we describe a gene encoding a regulator of phosphorus metabolism, designated Psr1 (phosphorus starvation response), from a photosynthetic eukaryote. The Psr1 protein is critical for acclimation of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to phosphorus starvation. The N-terminal half of Psr1 contains a region similar to myb DNA-binding domains and the C-terminal half possesses glutamine-rich sequences characteristic of transcriptional activators. The level of Psr1 increases at least 10-fold upon phosphate starvation, and immunocytochemical studies demonstrate that this protein is nuclear-localized under both nutrient-replete and phosphorus-starvation conditions. Finally, Psr1 and angiosperm proteins have domains that are similar, suggesting a possible role for Psr1 homologs in the control of phosphorus metabolism in vascular plants. With the identification of regulators such as Psr1 it may become possible to engineer photosynthetic organisms for more efficient utilization of phosphorus and to establish better practices for the management of agricultural lands and natural ecosystems.

  11. [Removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in eutrophic water by Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi].

    PubMed

    Wang, Chao; Zhang, Wen-ming; Wang, Pei-fang; Hou, Jun

    2007-05-01

    Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi, a native kind of floating vegetation resembling Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., is widespread in ditches, ponds and rivers of Taihu Lake Basin. Its growth habits indicate its potential use in aquatic ecological restoration in Taihu Lake Basin. The removal effects of Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi on nitrogen and phosphorus in eutrophic water were further studied in indoor experiment, as well as in field observation. The results of indoor experiment show that in summer, the removal rate for total nitrogen was 60%, which is 1.6, 1.9 and 2.8 times greater than that of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms., Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., and control, respectively, and the removal rate for total phosphorus was about 25%, which is 0.3 times lower than that of Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms., but 0.9 and 4 times higher than that of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., and control, in winter, the removal rates for total nitrogen and total phosphorus were 23% and 20%, 2.3 and 1 times higher than that of control; Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi also has good removal effects for ammonia and nitrite. And the results of field observation in Linzhuanggang River, Yixing City, show that the removal rates of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in July to October were 10.2%-19.6% and 23.4%-41.6% in the reach with Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi, while only 0.1%-1.6% and 3.7%-5.6% in control reach. Based on its good purifying effect on nitrogen and phosphorus in indoor experiment and field observation, the indigene Jussiaea stipulacea Ohwi is recommended as one species of aquatic vegetation in phytoremediation for eutrophic water in rivers of Tailu Lake Basin.

  12. Evaluation of internal loading and water level changes: implications for phosphorus, algal production, and nuisance blooms in Kabetogama Lake, Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Christensen, Victoria G.; Maki, Ryan P.; Kiesling, Richard L.

    2013-01-01

    Hydrologic manipulations have the potential to exacerbate or remediate eutrophication in productive reservoirs. Dam operations at Kabetogama Lake, Minnesota, were modified in 2000 to restore a more natural water regime and improve water quality. The US Geological Survey and National Park Service evaluated nutrient, algae, and nuisance bloom data in relation to changes in Kabetogama Lake water levels. Comparison of the results of this study to previous studies indicates that chlorophyll a concentrations have decreased, whereas total phosphorus (TP) concentrations have not changed significantly since 2000. Water and sediment quality data were collected at Voyageurs National Park during 2008–2009 to assess internal phosphorus loading and determine whether loading is a factor affecting TP concentrations and algal productivity. Kabetogama Lake often was mixed vertically, except for occasional stratification measured in certain areas, including Lost Bay in the northeastern part of Kabetogama Lake. Stratification, higher bottom water and sediment nutrient concentrations than in other parts of the lake, and phosphorus release rates estimated from sediment core incubations indicated that Lost Bay is one of several areas that may be contributing to internal loading. Internal loading of TP is a concern because increased TP may cause excessive algal growth including potentially toxic cyanobacteria.

  13. The role of potassium, magnesium and calcium in the Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal treatment plants.

    PubMed

    Barat, R; Montoya, T; Seco, A; Ferrer, J

    2005-09-01

    Cations as potassium and magnesium play an important role in maintaining the stability of Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) process. In this paper potassium, magnesium and calcium behaviour in EBPR treatment plants has been studied. An ASM2d model extension which takes into account the role of potassium and magnesium in the EBPR process has been developed. Finally, a simulation of the effect on P removal of a shortage of K and Mg was studied. The experimental results showed that K and Mg play an important role in the EBPR process being cotransported with P into and out of bacterial cells. It has been observed that calcium is not involved in P release and uptake. The values of the molar ratios K/P (0.28 mol K mol P(-1)) and Mg/P (0.36 mol Mg mol P(-1)) were obtained accomplishing the charge balance, with different K/Mg mass ratios and without phosphorus precipitation. Model predictions accurately reproduced experimental data. The simulations carried out showed the important effect of the K and Mg influent concentration for P removal efficiency. The results illustrate that the proposed ASM2d model extension must be considered in order to accurately simulate the phosphorus removal process.

  14. 75 FR 54651 - Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Amendment

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-08

    ... contaminants of concern (including phosphorus) at or near Simplot's phosphoric acid plant; the development and implementation of a verifiable plan to control the sources of phosphorus and other contaminants of concern within...

  15. Hydrology, water quality, and nutrient loads to the Bauman Park Lake, Cherry Valley, Winnebago County, Illinois, May 1996-April 1997

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kay, Robert T.; Trugestaad, Aaron

    1998-01-01

    The Bauman Park Lake occupies a former sand and gravel quarry in the Village of Cherry Valley, Illinois. The lake is eutrophic, and nuisance growths of algae and aquatic macrophytes are supported by nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) that are derived primarily from ground-water inflow, the main source of water for the lake. The lake has an average depth of about 18 feet, a maximum depth of about 28 feet, and a volume of 466 acre-feet at a stage of about 717 feet above sea level. The lake also is subject to thermal stratification, and although most of the lake is well oxidized, nearly anoxic conditions were present at the lake bottom during part of the summer of 1996. 4,648 pounds of nitrogen compounds were added to the Bauman Park Lake from May 1996 through April 1997. Phosphorus compounds were derived primarily from inflow from ground water (68.7 percent), sediments derived from shoreline erosion (15.6 percent), internal regeneration (11.7 percent), waterfowl excrement (1.6 percent), direct precipitation and overland runoff (1.2 percent), and particulate matter deposited from the atmosphere (1.2 percent). Nitrogen compounds were derived from inflow from ground water (62.1 percent), internal regeneration (19.6 percent), direct precipitation and overland runoff (10.1 percent), particulate matter deposited from the atmosphere (3.5 percent), sediments derived from shoreline erosion (4.4 percent), and waterfowl excrement (0.3 percent). About 13 pounds of phosphorus and 318 pounds of nitrogen compounds flow out of the lake to ground water. About 28 pounds of nitrogen is removed by denitrification. Algae and aquatic macrophytes utilize nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and dissolved phosphorus. The availability of dissolved phosphorus in the lake water controls algal growth. Uptake of the nutrients, by aquatic macrophytes and algae, temporarily removes nutrients from the water column but not from the lake basin. Because the amount of nutrients entering the lake greatly exceeds the amount leaving, the nutrients are concentrated in the sediments at the lake bottom, where they can be used by the rooted aquatic macrophytes and released to the water column when the proper geochemical conditions are present.

  16. Linking physiological processes with mangrove forest structure: phosphorus deficiency limits canopy development, hydraulic conductivity and photosynthetic carbon gain in dwarf Rhizophora mangle.

    PubMed

    Lovelock, Catherine E; Ball, Marilyn C; Choat, Brendan; Engelbrecht, Bettina M J; Holbrook, N Michelle; Feller, Ilka C

    2006-05-01

    Spatial gradients in mangrove tree height in barrier islands of Belize are associated with nutrient deficiency and sustained flooding in the absence of a salinity gradient. While nutrient deficiency is likely to affect many parameters, here we show that addition of phosphorus (P) to dwarf mangroves stimulated increases in diameters of xylem vessels, area of conductive xylem tissue and leaf area index (LAI) of the canopy. These changes in structure were consistent with related changes in function, as addition of P also increased hydraulic conductivity (Ks), stomatal conductance and photosynthetic assimilation rates to the same levels measured in taller trees fringing the seaward margin of the mangrove. Increased xylem vessel size and corresponding enhancements in stem hydraulic conductivity in P fertilized dwarf trees came at the cost of enhanced mid-day loss of hydraulic conductivity and was associated with decreased assimilation rates in the afternoon. Analysis of trait plasticity identifies hydraulic properties of trees as more plastic than those of leaf structural and physiological characteristics, implying that hydraulic properties are key in controlling growth in mangroves. Alleviation of P deficiency, which released trees from hydraulic limitations, reduced the structural and functional distinctions between dwarf and taller fringing tree forms of Rhizophora mangle.

  17. Phosphorus content in three physical fractions of typical Chernozem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kotelnikova, Anna; Egorova, Zoya; Sushkov, Nikolai; Matveeva, Natalia; Fastovets, Ilya; Rogova, Olga; Volkov, Dmitriy

    2017-04-01

    The widespread use of fertilizers makes it necessary to study not only the content but also the forms of occurrence of nutrients in soil, as well as the phase in which nutrients are transferred. These characteristics determine the availability of chemical elements for plants, but remain insufficiently studied. In this work we attempted to gain insight into the distribution of organo-mineral fractions in agriculturally used Chernozem from Voronezh (Russia) and the distribution of phosphorus - one of the most important nutrient elements - in this type of soil. We compared the distributions of phosphorus in physical fractions of the soil in 3 experimental groups: the control group (without fertilizers), the group fertilized with 1 dose of NPK, and the group fertilized with 2 doses of NPK. The soil was sampled during the period of treatment with fertilizers and during the period of aftereffect (4 years after the last application of fertilizers). In order to analyze organo-mineral fractions, we used size-density fractionation to separate the soil samples into three physical fractions: clay-associated fraction with particle size < 1μm (CF), light fraction with particle density < 2.0 g cm-3 (LF), and residual fraction > 2.0 g cm-3 (RF). Total phosphorus content (TPC) in the fractions was determined with Agilent 5100 ICP-AES spectrometer. To compare groups, simultaneous confidence intervals were computed from pooled variance estimators in ANOVA, and Fisher's LSD test was used. We showed that during the period of treatment with fertilizers LF increased proportionally to the dose of fertilizers, and a simultaneous reduction in RF was observed. During the period of aftereffect, the content of these fractions tended to the control value. The increase of LF may indicate increasing availability of nutrients, since this fraction is likely to participate in biological cycles. The analysis of TPC in fractions suggested that during the period of treatment with fertilizers most of phosphorus accumulates in CF. In the group with double dose of fertilizers TPC in CF was more than 1.5 times higher than in the control, while for LF the increase in TPC was not significant, and RF TPC was practically the same as in the control. Association of phosphorus predominantly with CF suggests that phosphorus was mainly adsorbed to the surface of clay particles rather than to organic components. Therefore, despite the increase in CF TPC as a consequence of treatment with fertilizers, the increase in availability of phosphorus is questionable. In the aftereffect period no significant differences in TPC were found. In conclusion, we showed that availability of fertilizers may be dependent on fractional composition of soil. Under our experimental conditions, phosphorus tended to bind predominantly to clay particles. However, in the aftereffect period, fractionation of TPC was similar to the control, indicating the need to further investigate the fate of phosphorus in soils.

  18. Calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus metabolism, and parathyroid-calcitonin function during prolonged exposure to elevated CO2 concentrations on submarines.

    PubMed

    Messier, A A; Heyder, E; Braithwaite, W R; McCluggage, C; Peck, A; Schaefer, K E

    1979-01-01

    Studies of calcium and phosphorus metabolism and acid-base balance were carried out on three Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines during prolonged exposure to elevated concentrations of CO2. The average CO2 concentration in the submarine atmosphere during patrols ranged from 0.85% to 1% CO2. In the three studies, in which 9--15 subjects participated, the urinary excretion of calcium and phosphate fell during the first three weeks to a level commensurate with a decrease in plasma calcium and increase in phosphorus. In the fourth week of one patrol, a marked increase was found in urinary calcium excretion, associated with a rise in blood PCO2 and bicarbonate. Urinary calcium excretion decreased again during the 5th to 8th week, with a secondary decrease in blood pH and plasma calcium. During the third patrol, the time course of acid-base changes corresponded well with that found during the second patrol. There was a trend toward an increase in plasma calcium between the fourth and fifth week commensurate with the transient rise in pH and bicarbonate. Plasma parathyroid and calcitonin hormone activities were measured in two patrols and no significant changes were found. Hydroxyproline excretion decreased in the three-week study and remained unchanged in the second patrol, which lasted 57 days. It is suggested that during prolonged exposure to low levels of CO2 (up to 1% CO2), calcium metabolism is controlled by the uptake and release of CO2 in the bones. The resulting phases in bone buffering, rather than renal regulation, determine acid-base balance.

  19. Phosphorus and potassium cycling in a long-term no-till integrated soybean-beef cattle production system under different grazing intensities in subtropics

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Long-term crop-livestock integration enables constant and high nutrient cycling because animal, pasture and crop residues release nutrients at different rates. Therefore, appropriate management of these systems is needed to maximize the benefits of nutrient cycling. The objective of this study was t...

  20. Effect of temperature and manure placement in a snowpack on nutrient release from dairy manure during snowmelt

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Agricultural nutrient management is an issue due to nitrogen (NH4) and phosphorus (P) losses from fields and water quality degradation. Better information is needed on the risk of nutrient loss in runoff from dairy manure applied in winter. We investigated the effect of temperature on nutrient relea...

  1. High phosphorus diet-induced changes in NaPi-IIb phosphate transporter expression in the rat kidney: DNA microarray analysis.

    PubMed

    Suyama, Tatsuya; Okada, Shinji; Ishijima, Tomoko; Iida, Kota; Abe, Keiko; Nakai, Yuji

    2012-01-01

    The mechanism by which phosphorus levels are maintained in the body was investigated by analyzing changes in gene expression in the rat kidney following administration of a high phosphorus (HP) diet. Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups and fed a diet containing 0.3% (control) or 1.2% (HP) phosphorous for 24 days. Phosphorous retention was not significantly increased in HP rats, but fractional excretion of phosphorus was significantly increased in the HP group compared to controls, with an excessive amount of the ingested phosphorus being passed through the body. DNA microarray analysis of kidney tissue from both groups revealed changes in gene expression profile induced by a HP diet. Among the genes that were upregulated, Gene Ontology (GO) terms related to ossification, collagen fibril organization, and inflammation and immune response were significantly enriched. In particular, there was significant upregulation of type IIb sodium-dependent phosphate transporter (NaPi-IIb) in the HP rat kidney compared to control rats. This upregulation was confirmed by in situ hybridization. Distinct signals for NaPi-IIb in both the cortex and medulla of the kidney were apparent in the HP group, while the corresponding signals were much weaker in the control group. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that NaPi-IIb localized to the basolateral side of kidney epithelial cells surrounding the urinary duct in HP rats but not in control animals. These data suggest that NaPi-IIb is upregulated in the kidney in response to the active excretion of phosphate in HP diet-fed rats.

  2. Infrared fingerprints of few-layer black phosphorus.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Guowei; Huang, Shenyang; Chaves, Andrey; Song, Chaoyu; Özçelik, V Ongun; Low, Tony; Yan, Hugen

    2017-01-06

    Black phosphorus is an infrared layered material. Its bandgap complements other widely studied two-dimensional materials: zero-gap graphene and visible/near-infrared gap transition metal dichalcogenides. Although highly desirable, a comprehensive infrared characterization is still lacking. Here we report a systematic infrared study of mechanically exfoliated few-layer black phosphorus, with thickness ranging from 2 to 15 layers and photon energy spanning from 0.25 to 1.36 eV. Each few-layer black phosphorus exhibits a thickness-dependent unique infrared spectrum with a series of absorption resonances, which reveals the underlying electronic structure evolution and serves as its infrared fingerprints. Surprisingly, unexpected absorption features, which are associated with the forbidden optical transitions, have been observed. Furthermore, we unambiguously demonstrate that controllable uniaxial strain can be used as a convenient and effective approach to tune the electronic structure of few-layer black phosphorus. Our study paves the way for black phosphorus applications in infrared photonics and optoelectronics.

  3. In Situ Disinfection through Photoinspired Radical Oxygen Species Storage and Thermal-Triggered Release from Black Phosphorous with Strengthened Chemical Stability.

    PubMed

    Tan, Lei; Li, Jun; Liu, Xiangmei; Cui, Zhenduo; Yang, Xianjin; Yeung, Kelvin Wai Kwok; Pan, Haobo; Zheng, Yufeng; Wang, Xianbao; Wu, Shuilin

    2018-03-01

    Photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilizing light-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a promising alternative to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria and biofilm. However, the photosensitizer (PS)-modified surface only exhibits antibacterial properties in the presence of light. It is known that extended photoirradiation may lead to phototoxicity and tissue hypoxia, which greatly limits PDT efficiency, while ambient pathogens also have the opportunity to attach to biorelevant surfaces in medical facilities without light. Here, an antimicrobial film composed of black phosphorus nanosheets (BPSs) and poly (4-pyridonemethylstyrene) endoperoxide (PPMS-EPO) to control the storage and release of ROS reversibly is introduced. BPS, as a biocompatible PS, can produce high singlet oxygen under the irradiation of visible light of 660 nm, which can be stably stored in PPMS-EPO. The ROS can be gradually thermally released in the dark. In vitro antibacterial studies demonstrate that the PPMS-EPO/BPS film exhibits a rapid disinfection ability with antibacterial rate of 99.3% against Escherichia coli and 99.2% against Staphylococcus aureus after 10 min of irradiation. Even without light, the corresponding antibacterial rate reaches 76.5% and 69.7%, respectively. In addition, incorporating PPMS significantly improves the chemical stability of the BPS. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Use of phosphorus to reduce blooms of the benthic diatom Didymosphenia geminata in an oligotrophic stream

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    James, Daniel A.; Bothwell, Max L.; Chipps, Steven R.; Carreiro, John

    2015-01-01

    Blooms of the benthic alga, Didymosphenia geminata [Lyngbye (Schmidt)], were first documented in Rapid Creek, South Dakota, in 2002 and have since been associated with changes to aquatic resources. Low concentration of P has been associated with D. geminata stalk development (i.e., blooms), so we considered elevating P as a possible method to reduce D. geminata blooms. We conducted 2 whole-stream P-enrichment experiments in Rapid Creek during 2007 and 2008. Enrichment with a slow-release fertilizer (Osmocote®: 14-14-14) in 2007 significantly reduced D. geminata blooms (indexed by D. geminata biomass) compared to upstream control sites. The reduction in biomass was less pronounced as distance from the enrichment source increased, a result indicating that P augmentation effectively decreased D. geminata biomass. In 2008, we implemented a before-after–control-impact (BACI) study to assess effects of a quick-release fertilizer (MAP: 11-52-0) on D. geminata biomass. The addition of 6 μg/L P to Rapid Creek resulted in a significant decrease in D. geminata biomass within 0.6 km downstream of the nutrient-addition point. Effects on D. geminata biomass were not evident further downstream. This study provides evidence to support the hypothesis that low P concentration regulates D. geminata blooms.

  5. Effects of white phosphorus on mallard reproduction

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vann, S.I.; Sparling, D.W.; Ottinger, M.A.

    2000-01-01

    Extensive waterfowl mortality involving thousands of ducks, geese, and swans has occurred annually at Eagle River Flats, Alaska since at least 1982. The primary agent for this mortality has been identified as white phosphorus. Although acute and subacute lethality have been described, sublethal effects are less well known. This study reports on the effects of white phosphorus on reproductive function in the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in captivity. Fertility, hatching success, teratogenicity, and egg laying frequency were examined in 70 adult female mallards who received up to 7 daily doses of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mg/kg of white phosphorus. Measurements of fertility and hatchability were reduced by the white phosphorus. Teratogenic effects were observed in embryos from hens dosed at all treatment levels. Egg laying frequency was reduced even at the lowest treatment level; treated hens required a greater number of days to lay a clutch of 12 eggs than control hens. After two doses at 2.0 mg/kg, all females stopped laying completely for a minimum of 10 days and laying frequency was depressed for at least 45 days. Fertility of 10 adult male mallards dosed with 1.0 mg/kg of white phosphorus did not differ from 10 controls, but plasma testosterone levels were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the treated males 1 day after dosing ended. These results provide evidence that productivity of free-ranging mallards may be impaired if they are exposed to white phosphorus at typical field levels.

  6. Oral calcium carbonate affects calcium but not phosphorus balance in stage 3-4 chronic kidney disease.

    PubMed

    Hill, Kathleen M; Martin, Berdine R; Wastney, Meryl E; McCabe, George P; Moe, Sharon M; Weaver, Connie M; Peacock, Munro

    2013-05-01

    Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are given calcium carbonate to bind dietary phosphorus, reduce phosphorus retention, and prevent negative calcium balance; however, data are limited on calcium and phosphorus balance during CKD to support this. Here, we studied eight patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD (mean estimated glomerular filtration rate 36 ml/min) who received a controlled diet with or without a calcium carbonate supplement (1500 mg/day calcium) during two 3-week balance periods in a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over design. All feces and urine were collected during weeks 2 and 3 of each balance period and fasting blood, and urine was collected at baseline and at the end of each week. Calcium kinetics were determined using oral and intravenous (45)calcium. Patients were found to be in neutral calcium and phosphorus balance while on the placebo. Calcium carbonate supplementation produced positive calcium balance, did not affect phosphorus balance, and produced only a modest reduction in urine phosphorus excretion compared with placebo. Calcium kinetics demonstrated positive net bone balance but less than overall calcium balance, suggesting soft-tissue deposition. Fasting blood and urine biochemistries of calcium and phosphate homeostasis were unaffected by calcium carbonate. Thus, the positive calcium balance produced by calcium carbonate treatment within 3 weeks cautions against its use as a phosphate binder in patients with stage 3 or 4 CKD, if these findings can be extrapolated to long-term therapy.

  7. Water-quality assessment of the Frank Lyon, Jr., nursery pond releases into Lake Maumelle, Arkansas, 1991-1996

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Green, William Reed

    1998-01-01

    Releases of the Frank Lyon, Jr., Nursery Pond into Lake Maumelle were monitored during 1991 through 1996 to assess the impact that the releases have on the water quality of Lake Maumelle. Results indicated that the water-quality impact of the nursery pond release into Lake Maumelle is variable, and appears to be related to the volume of the nursery pond at release and the amount of fertilizer applied within the nursery pond earlier in the year. In 1991 through 1994 and in 1996, nursery pond release loads for nutrients (except for dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen), total and dissolved organic carbon, iron, and manganese were greater than what would be expected in the annual area load from that basin. In 1995, only ammonium nitrate was appliec to the nursery pond. As a result, the 1995 phosphorus load was lower than in other years, and was less than what would be expected in the annual areal load. Nutrient enrichment, on average, in Lake Maumelle from the nursery pond release resulted in what would be equivalent to an 8 percent increase in concentration of total phosphorus, 50 percent increase in dissolved orthophosphorus, 0.1 percent increase in dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, 2.5 percent increase in total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and 5.7 percent increase in dissolved ammonia nitrogen, assuming that the nutrient load was conservative and evenly distributed throughout the water body. Evidence of elevated turbidity, nutrient, and chlorphyll a concentrations in the epilimnetic water outside the receiving embayment were apparent for as long as 3 weeks after the 1995 and 1996 releases. In general, highest values were found at the site located where the receiving embayment meets the open water of Lake Maumelle. Much of the released material in the nursery pond originated in the cooler, anoxic hypolimnetic water. The initial release water was seen to plunge beneath the warmer water existing in the receiving embayment and was transported into the open water of Lake Maumelle, under the thermocline. The quantity of water and mass of constituents transported into the open water under the thermocline is unknown and probably remained isolated from the surface water until fall turnover.

  8. Bone: from a reservoir of minerals to a regulator of energy metabolism

    PubMed Central

    Confavreux, Cyrille B

    2011-01-01

    Besides locomotion, organ protection, and calcium–phosphorus homeostasis, the three classical functions of the skeleton, bone remodeling affects energy metabolism through uncarboxylated osteocalcin, a recently discovered hormone secreted by osteoblasts. This review traces how energy metabolism affects osteoblasts through the central control of bone mass involving leptin, serotoninergic neurons, the hypothalamus, and the sympathetic nervous system. Next, the role of osteocalcin (insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, and pancreas β-cell proliferation) in the regulation of energy metabolism is described. Then, the connections between insulin signaling on osteoblasts and the release of uncarboxylated osteocalcin during osteoclast bone resorption through osteoprotegerin are reported. Finally, the understanding of this new bone endocrinology will provide some insights into bone, kidney, and energy metabolism in patients with chronic kidney disease. PMID:21346725

  9. Accelerated anaerobic release of K, Mg and P from surplus activated sludge for element recovery and struvite formation inhibition.

    PubMed

    Ito, A; Kawakami, H; Ishikawa, N; Ito, M; Oikawa, T; Sato, A; Umita, T

    2017-05-01

    Accelerated release of potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) from surplus activated sludge (SAS) was investigated to develop a new system for the recovery of the elements. Anaerobic cultivation of SAS during 24 h released 78% of K and about 50% of Mg and P from SAS more effectively compared to aerobic cultivation (K: 40%, Mg: 15%, P: 15%). Furthermore, the addition of sodium acetate as an organic carbon source remarkably accelerated the release of K, Mg and P from SAS under anaerobic condition. However, no increase in the maximum release efficiencies was observed. The elements released from SAS could be transferred to separate liquid with the existing mechanical thickener and be recovered as MgKPO 4 by some additional process. Furthermore, the removal of the elements from SAS would inhibit the formation of struvite causing the blockage of sludge transport pipe after anaerobic digestion process of thickened sludge.

  10. Hydrology and phosphorus transport simulation in a lowland polder by a coupled modeling system.

    PubMed

    Yan, Renhua; Huang, Jiacong; Li, Lingling; Gao, Junfeng

    2017-08-01

    Modeling the rain-runoff processes and phosphorus transport processes in lowland polders is critical in finding reasonable measures to alleviate the eutrophication problem of downstream rivers and lakes. This study develops a lowland Polder Hydrology and Phosphorus modeling System (PHPS) by coupling the WALRUS-paddy model and an improved phosphorus module of a Phosphorus Dynamic model for lowland Polder systems (PDP). It considers some important hydrological characteristics, such as groundwater-unsaturated zone coupling, groundwater-surface water feedback, human-controlled irrigation and discharge, and detailed physical and biochemical cycles of phosphorus in surface water. The application of the model in the Jianwei polder shows that the simulated phosphorus matches well with the measured values. The high precision of this model combined with its low input data requirement and efficient computation make it practical and easy to the water resources management of Chinese polders. Parameter sensitivity analysis demonstrates that K uptake , c Q2 , c W1 , and c Q1 exert a significant effect on the modeled results, whereas K resuspensionMax , K settling , and K mineralization have little effect on the modeled total phosphorus. Among the three types of uncertainties (i.e., parameter, initial condition, and forcing uncertainties), forcing uncertainty produces the strongest effect on the simulated phosphorus. Based on the analysis result of annual phosphorus balance when considering the high import from irrigation and fertilization, lowland polder is capable of retaining phosphorus and reducing phosphorus export to surrounding aquatic ecosystems because of their special hydrological regulation regime. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The New Nordic Diet: phosphorus content and absorption.

    PubMed

    Salomo, Louise; Poulsen, Sanne K; Rix, Marianne; Kamper, Anne-Lise; Larsen, Thomas M; Astrup, Arne

    2016-04-01

    High phosphorus content in the diet may have adverse effect on cardiovascular health. We investigated whether the New Nordic Diet (NND), based mainly on local, organic and less processed food and large amounts of fruit, vegetables, wholegrain and fish, versus an Average Danish Diet (ADD) would reduce the phosphorus load due to less phosphorus-containing food additives, animal protein and more plant-based proteins. Phosphorus and creatinine were measured in plasma and urine at baseline, week 12 and week 26 in 132 centrally obese subjects with normal renal function as part of a post hoc analysis of data acquired from a 26-week controlled trial. We used the fractional phosphorus excretion as a measurement of phosphorus absorption. Mean baseline fractional phosphorus excretion was 20.9 ± 6.6 % in the NND group (n = 82) and 20.8 ± 5.5 % in the ADD group (n = 50) and was decreased by 2.8 ± 5.1 and 3.1 ± 5.4 %, respectively, (p = 0.6) at week 26. At week 26, the mean change in plasma phosphorus was 0.04 ± 0.12 mmol/L in the NND group and -0.03 ± 0.13 mmol/L in the ADD group (p = 0.001). Mean baseline phosphorus intake was 1950 ± 16 mg/10 MJ in the NND group and 1968 ± 22 mg/10 MJ in the ADD group and decreased less in the NND compared to the ADD (67 ± 36 mg/10 MJ and -266 ± 45 mg/day, respectively, p < 0.298). Contrary to expectations, the NND had a high phosphorus intake and did not decrease the fractional phosphorus excretion compared with ADD. Further modifications of the diet are needed in order to make this food concept beneficial regarding phosphorus absorption.

  12. 75 FR 62358 - Stakeholder Input on Stormwater Rulemaking Related to the Chesapeake Bay; Notice of Public Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-08

    ... including, but not limited to, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed; requiring... specificity of the minimum control measures could include considerations for nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment...

  13. Socio-Hydrological Approach to the Evaluation of Global Fertilizer Substitution by Sustainable Struvite Precipitants from Wastewater

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kok, Dirk-Jan Daniel; Pande, Saket; Renata Cordeiro Ortigara, Angela; Savenije, Hubert; Uhlenbrook, Stefan

    2018-02-01

    Despite Africa controlling the vast majority of the global phosphate it also faces the greatest food shortages - partially due to a lack of access to the fertilizer market. A more accessible source of phosphorus comes from wastewater flows, which is currently lost through the discharge to open surface waters. Analysing the potential phosphorus production of urban and livestock wastewater in meeting partial agricultural demand for phosphorus can improve food security, reduce consumption of unrenewable phosphorus, reduce pollution, and aid the transitioning to a circular economy. In this study, a global overview is provided where a selection of P-production and P-consumption sites have been determined using global spatial data. Distances, investment costs and associated carbon footprints are then considered in modelling a simple, alternative trade network of struvite phosphorus flows. The network reveals potential for increasing the phosphorus security through phosphorus recycling in particularly the South Africa, Lake Victoria and Nigeria regions. Given Africa's rapid urbanization, phosphorus recovery from wastewater will prove an important step in creating sustainable communities, protecting the environment while improving food security, and so contributing to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

  14. Phosphorus sorption-desorption and effects of temperature, pH and salinity on phosphorus sorption in marsh soils from coastal wetlands with different flooding conditions.

    PubMed

    Bai, Junhong; Ye, Xiaofei; Jia, Jia; Zhang, Guangliang; Zhao, Qingqing; Cui, Baoshan; Liu, Xinhui

    2017-12-01

    Wetland soils act as a sink or source of phosphorus (P) to the overlaying water due to phosphorus sorption-desorption processes. Litter information is available on sorption and desorption behaviors of phosphorus in coastal wetlands with different flooding conditions. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate phosphorus sorption-desorption processes, fractions of adsorbed phosphorus, and the effects of salinity, pH and temperature on phosphorus sorption on soils in tidal-flooding wetlands (TW), freshwater-flooding wetlands (FW) and seasonal-flooding wetlands (SW) in the Yellow River Delta. Our results showed that the freshly adsorbed phosphorus dominantly exists in Occluded-P and Fe/AlP and their percentages increased with increasing phosphorus adsorbed. Phosphorus sorption isotherms could be better described by the modified Langmuir model than by the modified Freundlich model. A binomial equation could be properly used to describe the effects of salinity, pH, and temperature on phosphorus sorption. Phosphorus sorption generally increased with increasing salinity, pH, and temperature at lower ranges, while decreased in excess of some threshold values. The maximum phosphorus sorption capacity (Q max ) was larger for FW soils (256 mg/kg) compared with TW (218 mg/kg) and SW soils (235 mg/kg) (p < 0.05). The percentage of phosphorus desorption (P des ) in the FW soils (7.5-63.5%) was much lower than those in TW (27.7-124.9%) and SW soils (19.2-108.5%). The initial soil organic matter, pH and the exchangeable Al, Fe and Cd contents were important factors influencing P sorption and desorption. The findings of this study indicate that freshwater restoration can contribute to controlling the eutrophication status of water bodies through increasing P sorption. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Simulation of hydrodynamics, water quality, and lake sturgeon habitat volumes in Lake St. Croix, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 2013

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, Erik A.; Kiesling, Richard L.; Ziegeweid, Jeffrey R.; Elliott, Sarah M.; Magdalene, Suzanne

    2018-01-05

    Lake St. Croix is a naturally impounded, riverine lake that makes up the last 40 kilometers of the St. Croix River. Substantial land-use changes during the past 150 years, including increased agriculture and urban development, have reduced Lake St. Croix water-quality and increased nutrient loads delivered to Lake St. Croix. A recent (2012–13) total maximum daily load phosphorus-reduction plan set the goal to reduce total phosphorus loads to Lake St. Croix by 20 percent by 2020 and reduce Lake St. Croix algal bloom frequencies. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, developed a two-dimensional, carbon-based, laterally averaged, hydrodynamic and water-quality model, CE–QUAL–W2, that addresses the interaction between nutrient cycling, primary production, and trophic dynamics to predict responses in the distribution of water temperature, oxygen, and chlorophyll a. Distribution is evaluated in the context of habitat for lake sturgeon, including a combination of temperature and dissolved oxygen conditions termed oxy-thermal habitat.The Lake St. Croix CE–QUAL–W2 model successfully reproduced temperature and dissolved oxygen in the lake longitudinally (from upstream to downstream), vertically, and temporally over the seasons. The simulated water temperature profiles closely matched the measured water temperature profiles throughout the year, including the prediction of thermocline transition depths (often within 1 meter), the absolute temperature of the thermocline transitions (often within 1.0 degree Celsius), and profiles without a strong thermocline transition. Simulated dissolved oxygen profiles matched the trajectories of the measured dissolved oxygen concentrations at multiple depths over time, and the simulated concentrations matched the depth and slope of the measured concentrations.Additionally, trends in the measured water-quality data were captured by the model simulation, gaining some potential insights into the underlying mechanisms of critical Lake St. Croix metabolic processes. The CE–QUAL–W2 model tracked nitrate plus nitrite, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus throughout the year. Inflow nutrient contributions (loads), largely dominated by upstream St. Croix River loads, were the most important controls on Lake St. Croix water quality. Close to 60 percent of total phosphorus to the lake was from phosphorus derived from organic matter, and about 89 percent of phosphorus to Lake St. Croix was delivered by St. Croix River inflows. The Lake St. Croix CE–QUAL–W2 model offered potential mechanisms for the effect of external and internal loadings on the biotic response regarding the modeled algal community types of diatoms, green algae, and blue-green algae. The model also suggested the seasonal dominance of blue-green algae in all four pools of the lake.A sensitivity analysis was completed to test the total maximum daily load phosphorus-reduction scenario responses of total phosphorus and chlorophyll a. The modeling indicates that phosphorus reductions would result in similar Lake St. Croix reduced concentrations, although chlorophyll a concentrations did not decrease in the same proportional amounts as the total phosphorus concentrations had decreased. The smaller than expected reduction in algal growth rates highlighted that although inflow phosphorus loads are important, other constituents also can affect the algal response of the lake, such as changes in light penetration and the breakdown of organic matter releasing nutrients.The available habitat suitable for lake sturgeon was evaluated using the modeling results to determine the total volume of good-growth habitat, optimal growth habitat, and lethal temperature habitat. Overall, with the calibrated model, the fish habitat volume in general contained a large proportion of good-growth habitat and a sustained period of optimal growth habitat in the summer. Only brief periods of lethal oxy-thermal habitat were present in Lake St. Croix during the model simulation.

  16. A comparison of product yields and inorganic content in process streams following thermal hydrolysis and hydrothermal processing of microalgae, manure and digestate.

    PubMed

    Ekpo, U; Ross, A B; Camargo-Valero, M A; Williams, P T

    2016-01-01

    Thermal hydrolysis and hydrothermal processing show promise for converting biomass into higher energy density fuels. Both approaches facilitate the extraction of inorganics into the aqueous product. This study compares the behaviour of microalgae, digestate, swine and chicken manure by thermal hydrolysis and hydrothermal processing at increasing process severity. Thermal hydrolysis was performed at 170°C, hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) was performed at 250°C, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) was performed at 350°C and supercritical water gasification (SCWG) was performed at 500°C. The level of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the product streams was measured for each feedstock. Nitrogen is present in the aqueous phase as organic-N and NH3-N. The proportion of organic-N is higher at lower temperatures. Extraction of phosphorus is linked to the presence of inorganics such as Ca, Mg and Fe in the feedstock. Microalgae and chicken manure release phosphorus more easily than other feedstocks. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Assessment of Available Phosphorus in the Lake Sediments Using an Innovative Composite Membrane

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Qinghui; Wang, Zijian; Wang, Donghong

    2010-11-01

    An innovative iron oxide embedded cellulose acetate membrane (FeO/CAM) was synthesized and used to study available phosphorus in Chinese lake sediments. The kinetics of available P release was investigated by FeO/CAM for different types of sediments ranging in Olsen-P from 19.1 to 170.6 mg/kg. The results showed that the average kd values (0.094 h-1) of the Taihu sediments were comparable to those of the soils with similar texture estimated by iron oxide impregnated filter paper (FeO paper) though they were generally lower than those of sandy soils. It is indicated that the FeO/CAM can be used as an infinite P sink to estimate available P (FeO-P). The concentrations of FeO-P were significantly correlated with those of extractable P forms, e.g. Olsen-P (R2 = 0.962, p<0.01) in lake sediments. This synthetic membrane excelled FeO paper in the endurance and the stain resistance to soil particles. Therefore, the FeO/CAM is useful to assess phosphorus bioavailability of the sediments.

  18. Recovery of ammonia in digestates of calf manure through a struvite precipitation process using unconventional reagents.

    PubMed

    Siciliano, A; De Rosa, S

    2014-01-01

    Land spreading of digestates causes the discharge of large quantities of nutrients into the environment, which contributes to eutrophication and depletion of dissolved oxygen in water bodies. For the removal of ammonia nitrogen, there is increasing interest in the chemical precipitation of struvite, which is a mineral that can be reused as a slow-release fertilizer. However, this process is an expensive treatment of digestate because large amounts of magnesium and phosphorus reagents are required. In this paper, a struvite precipitation-based process is proposed for an efficient recovery of digestate nutrients using low-cost reagents. In particular, seawater bittern, a by-product of marine salt manufacturing and bone meal, a by-product of the thermal treatment of meat waste, have been used as low-cost sources of magnesium and phosphorus, respectively. Once the operating conditions are defined, the process enables the removal of more than 90% ammonia load, the almost complete recovery of magnesium and phosphorus and the production of a potentially valuable precipitate containing struvite crystals.

  19. Polishing of anaerobic secondary effluent by Chlorella vulgaris under low light intensity.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Tuoyuan; Wei, Chun-Hai; Leiknes, TorOve

    2017-10-01

    To investigate anaerobic secondary effluent polishing by microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris) under low light intensity (14μmol/m 2 /s), bubbling column reactors were operated in batches of 8 d with initial ammonium nitrogen 10-50mg/L, initial phosphate phosphorus 2-10mg/L and microalgal seed 40mg/L. Maximum microalgal biomass and minimum generation time were 370.9mg/L and 2.5d, respectively. Nitrogen removal (maximum 99.6%) was mainly attributed to microalgal growth rate, while phosphorus removal (maximum 49.8%) was related to microalgal growth rate, cell phosphorus content (maximum 1.5%) and initial nutrients ratio. Dissolved microalgal organics release in terms of chemical oxygen demand (maximum 63.2mg/L) and hexane extractable material (i.e., oil and grease, maximum 8.5mg/L) was firstly reported and mainly affected by nitrogen deficiency and deteriorated effluent quality. Ultrafiltration critical flux (16.6-39.5L/m 2 /h) showed negative linear correlation to microalgal biomass. Anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent polishing showed similar results with slight inhibition to synthetic effluent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Impact of chemical amendment of dairy cattle slurry on phosphorus, suspended sediment and metal loss to runoff from a grassland soil.

    PubMed

    Brennan, R B; Fenton, O; Grant, J; Healy, M G

    2011-11-01

    Emerging remediation technologies such as chemical amendment of dairy cattle slurry have the potential to reduce phosphorus (P) solubility and consequently reduce P losses arising from land application of dairy cattle slurry. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of chemical amendment of slurry to reduce incidental losses of P and suspended sediment (SS) from grassland following application of dairy cattle slurry and to examine the effect of amendments on metal concentrations in runoff water. Intact grassed-soil samples were placed in two laboratory runoff boxes, each 200-cm-long by 22.5-cm-wide by 5-cm-deep, before being amended with dairy cattle slurry (the study control) and slurry amended with either: (i) alum, comprising 8% aluminium oxide (Al(2)O(3)) (1.11:1 aluminium (Al):total phosphorus (TP) of slurry) (ii) poly-aluminium chloride hydroxide (PAC) comprising 10% Al(2)O(3) (0.93:1 Al:TP) (iii) analytical grade ferric chloride (FeCl(2)) (2:1 Fe:TP), (iv) and lime (Ca(OH)(2)) (10:1 Ca:TP). When compared with the study control, PAC was the most effective amendment, reducing dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) by up to 86% while alum was most effective in reducing SS (88%), TP (94%), particulate phosphorus (PP) (95%), total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) (81%), and dissolved unreactive phosphorus (DUP) (86%). Chemical amendment of slurry did not appear to significantly increase losses of Al and Fe compared to the study control, while all amendments increased Ca loss compared to control and grass-only treatment. While chemical amendments were effective, the reductions in incidental P losses observed in this study were similar to those observed in other studies where the time from slurry application to the first rainfall event was increased. Timing of slurry application may therefore be a much more feasible way to reduce incidental P losses. Future work must examine the long-term effects of amendments on P loss to runoff and not only incidental losses. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is associated with hypophosphataemia: a case-control study.

    PubMed

    Bernstein, Elana J; Isakova, Tamara; Sullivan, Mary E; Chibnik, Lori B; Wolf, Myles; Kay, Jonathan

    2014-09-01

    Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is an iatrogenic fibrosing disorder that primarily affects individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) following exposure to gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs). Derangements of calcium and phosphorus have been reported in patients with NSF. The aim of this study was to investigate potential factors in addition to GBCA exposure that may be involved in the pathogenesis of NSF. We hypothesized that patients with stage 5 CKD and NSF would manifest greater alterations in calcium, phosphorus and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels than those who do not have NSF. Levels of phosphorus, calcium, FGF23 and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D were measured in 10 patients with stage 5 CKD and biopsy-proven NSF and in 19 patients with stage 5 CKD without NSF. Statistical analyses were performed using Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and the Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous variables. Patients with NSF had significantly lower phosphorus levels compared with controls (P = 0.01). There were no significant differences between NSF patients and controls in calcium, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, intact parathyroid hormone or FGF23 levels. Differences in phosphorus metabolism may exist between patients with stage 5 CKD and NSF compared with patients with stage 5 CKD without NSF. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. Year-round atmospheric wet and dry deposition of nitrogen and phosphorus on water and land surfaces in Nanjing, China.

    PubMed

    Sun, Liying; Li, Bo; Ma, Yuchun; Wang, Jinyang; Xiong, Zhengqin

    2013-06-01

    The dry deposition of ammonium, nitrate, and total phosphorus (TP) to both water (DW) and land (DD) surfaces, along with wet deposition, were simultaneously monitored from March 2009 to February 2011 in Nanjing, China. Results showed that wet deposition of total phosphorus was 1.1 kg phosphorus ha (-1)yr(-1), and inorganic nitrogen was 28.7 kg nitrogen ha (-1)yr(-1), with 43% being ammonium nitrogen. Dry deposition of ammonium, nitrate, and total phosphorus, measured by the DW/DD method, was 7.5/2.2 kg nitrogen ha (-1)yr(-1), 6.3/ 4.9 kg nitrogen ha (-1)yr(-1), and 1.9/0.4 kg phosphorus ha (-1)yr(-1), respectively. Significant differences between the DW and DD methods indicated that both methods should be employed simultaneously when analyzing deposition to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in watershed areas. The dry deposition of ammonium, nitrate, and total phosphorus contributed 38%, 28%, and 63%, respectively, to the total deposition in the simulated aquatic ecosystem; this has significance for the field of water eutrophication control.

  3. Optimisation of Noosa BNR plant to improve performance and reduce operating costs.

    PubMed

    Thomas, M; Wright, P; Blackall, L; Urbain, V; Keller, J

    2003-01-01

    Noosa WWTP is publicly owned and privately operated by Australian Water Services. The process includes primary sedimentation, raw sludge fermentation, biological nutrient removal (BNR), sand filtration and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. An innovative feature of the plant is the supplementary carbon dosing facility to avoid the use of metal salts (alum or ferric) for phosphorus removal. The average flow treated during 2000 was 9.0 ML/d. The annual 50 percentile effluent quality requirements for nutrients are total N < 5 mg/L and total P < 1 mg/L. The objectives of this project were to: determine the cause of variability in phosphorus removal; develop a strategy to control the variability in phosphorus removal; and minimise the operating cost of supplementary carbon dosing while achieving the effluent quality requirements. An investigation of chemical and microbiological parameters was implemented and it was concluded that there were several factors causing variability in phosphorus removal, rather than a single cause. The following four major causes were identified, and the control strategies that were adopted resulted in the plant achieving annual 50 percentile effluent total P = 0.37 mg/L and total N = 3.0 mg/L during 2001. First, phosphorus removal was limited by the available VFA supply due to consumption of VFA by other organisms competing with phosphate accumulating organisms (PAO), and due to diurnal variations in the sewage VFA and phosphate concentrations. Therefore, supplementary carbon dosing was essential to make allowance for competing reactions. Second, increasing the fermenter VFA yield via supplementary carbon dosing with molasses was found to be an effective and economic way of ensuring reliable phosphorus removal. Third, nitrate in the RAS resulted in consumption of VFA by denitrifying bacteria, particularly with process configurations where the RAS was recycled directly into the anaerobic zone. Incorporating a RAS denitrification zone into the process rectified this problem. Finally, glycogen accumulating organisms (GAO) were observed in BNR sludge samples, and consumption of VFA by GAO appeared to cause decreased phosphorus removal. Better phosphorus removal was obtained using VFA derived from the fermenter than dosing an equivalent amount of acetic acid. It was hypothesized that GAO have a competitive advantage to use acetate and PAO have a competitive advantage to use propionate, butyrate or some other soluble COD compound in the fermenter effluent. Contrary to popular belief, acetate may not be the optimum VFA for biological phosphorus removal. The competition between PAO and GAO for different VFA species under anaerobic conditions requires further investigation in order to control the growth of GAO and thereby improve reliability of biological phosphorus removal processes.

  4. The oxygen isotope composition of phosphate released from phytic acid by the activity of wheat and Aspergillus niger phytase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    von Sperber, C.; Tamburini, F.; Brunner, B.; Bernasconi, S. M.; Frossard, E.

    2015-07-01

    Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for living organisms. Under P-limiting conditions plants and microorganisms can exude extracellular phosphatases that release inorganic phosphate (Pi) from organic phosphorus compounds (Porg). Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate, IP6) is an important form of Porg in many soils. The enzymatic hydrolysis of IP6 by phytase yields available Pi and less phosphorylated inositol derivates as products. The hydrolysis of organic P compounds by phosphatases leaves an isotopic imprint on the oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) of released Pi, which might be used to trace P in the environment. This study aims at determining the effect of phytase on the oxygen isotope composition of released Pi. For this purpose, enzymatic assays with histidine acid phytases from wheat and Aspergillus niger were prepared using IP6, adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) and glycerophosphate (GPO4) as substrates. For a comparison to the δ18O of Pi released by other extracellular enzymes, enzymatic assays with acid phosphatases from potato and wheat germ with IP6 as a substrate were prepared. During the hydrolysis of IP6 by phytase, four of the six Pi were released, and one oxygen atom from water was incorporated into each Pi. This incorporation of oxygen from water into Pi was subject to an apparent inverse isotopic fractionation (ϵ ~ 6 to 10 ‰), which was similar to that imparted by acid phosphatase from potato during the hydrolysis of IP6 (ϵ ~ 7 ‰), where less than three Pi were released. The incorporation of oxygen from water into Pi during the hydrolysis of AMP and GPO4 by phytase yielded a normal isotopic fractionation (ϵ ~ -12 ‰), similar to values reported for acid phosphatases from potato and wheat germ. We attribute this similarity in ϵ to the same amino acid sequence motif (RHGXRXP) at the active site of these enzymes, which leads to similar reaction mechanisms. We suggest that the striking substrate dependency of the isotopic fractionation could be attributed to a difference in the δ18O values of the C-O-P bridging and non-bridging oxygen atoms in organic phosphate compounds.

  5. The oxygen isotope composition of phosphate released from phytic acid by the activity of wheat and Aspergillus niger phytase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sperber, C. v.; Tamburini, F.; Brunner, B.; Bernasconi, S. M.; Frossard, E.

    2015-03-01

    Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient for living organisms. Under P-limiting conditions plants and microorganisms can exude extracellular phosphatases that release inorganic phosphate (Pi) from organic phosphorus compounds (Porg). Phytic acid (IP6) is an important form of Porg in many soils. The enzymatic hydrolysis of IP6 by phytase yields plant available inorganic phosphate (Pi) and less phosphorylated inositol derivates as products. The hydrolysis of organic P-compounds by phosphatases leaves an isotopic imprint on the oxygen isotope composition (δ18O) of released Pi, which might be used to trace P in the environment. This study aims at determining the effect of phytase on the oxygen isotope composition of released Pi. For this purpose, enzymatic assays with histidine acid phytases from wheat and Aspergillus niger were prepared using IP6, adenosine 5'monophosphate (AMP) and glycerophosphate (GPO4) as substrates. For a comparison to the δ18O of Pi released by other extracellular enzymes, enzymatic assays with acid phosphatases from potato and wheat germ with IP6 as substrate were prepared. During the hydrolysis of IP6 by phytase, four Pi are released, and one oxygen atom from water is incorporated into each Pi. This incorporation of oxygen from water into Pi is subject to an apparent inverse isotopic fractionation (ϵ ∼ 6 to 10‰), which is similar to that imparted by acid phosphatase from potato during the hydrolysis of IP6 (ϵ ∼ 7‰) where less than three Pi are released. The incorporation of oxygen from water into Pi during the hydrolysis of AMP and GPO4 by phytase yielded a normal isotopic fractionation (ϵ ∼ -12‰), again similar to values reported for acid phosphatases from potato and wheat germ. We attribute this similarity in ɛ to the same amino acid sequence motif (RHGXRXP) at the active site of these enzymes, which leads to similar reaction mechanisms. We suggest that the striking substrate-dependency of the isotopic fractionation could be attributed to a difference in the δ18O-values of the C-O-P bridging and non-bridging oxygen atoms in organic phosphate compounds.

  6. Higher Strength Lanthanum Carbonate Provides Serum Phosphorus Control With a Low Tablet Burden and Is Preferred by Patients and Physicians: A Multicenter Study

    PubMed Central

    Mehrotra, Rajnish; Martin, Kevin J.; Fishbane, Steven; Sprague, Stuart M.; Zeig, Steven; Anger, Michael

    2008-01-01

    Background and objectives: Management of hyperphosphatemia, a predictor of mortality in chronic kidney disease, is challenging. Nonadherence to dietary phosphate binders, in part, contributes to uncontrolled serum phosphorus levels. This phase IIIb trial assessed the efficacy of increased dosages (3000 to 4500 mg/d) of reformulated lanthanum carbonate (500-, 750-, and 1000-mg tablets) in nonresponders to dosages of up to 3000 mg/d. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: This 8-wk study with a 4-mo open-label extension enrolled 513 patients who were undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Patients who achieved serum phosphorus control at week 4 with ≤3000 mg/d lanthanum carbonate entered cohort A; nonresponders were randomly assigned to receive 3000, 3750, or 4500 mg/d (cohort B). The primary outcome measure was the control rate for predialysis serum phosphorus levels at the end of week 8, among patients in cohort B. Results: At the end of week 4, 54% of patients achieved serum phosphorus control at dosages ≤3000 mg/d administered as one tablet per meal. Among patients who entered cohort B, control rates of 25, 38, and 32% for patients who were randomly assigned to 3000, 3750, or 4500 mg/d lanthanum carbonate, respectively, were achieved, with no increase in adverse events. Patients and physicians reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with reformulated lanthanum carbonate compared with previous phosphate binders, partly because of reduced tablet burden with higher dosage strengths. Physicians and patients also expressed a preference for lanthanum carbonate over previous medication. Conclusions: Reformulated lanthanum carbonate is an effective phosphate binder that may reduce daily tablet burden. PMID:18579668

  7. The implementation of the new Kentucky nitrogen and phosphorus index to reduce agricultural nonpoint source pollution

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A new study released in September 2011 by the USDA found that all of three best management practices (BMPs) for nitrogen in terms of application rate, time, and method, are done for only about a third of U.S. cropland (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR127/). Without BMPs, the potential for ni...

  8. Urea fertilizer increases growth of 20-year-old, thinned Douglas-fir on poor quality site

    Treesearch

    Richard E. Miller; Donald L. Reukema

    1977-01-01

    In 20-year-old, site V Douglas-fir in southwest Washington, fertilizing with nitrogen increased average 5-year diameter and height growth of concurrently released dominant trees by about 85 percent. There was no additional response when phosphorus, potassium, and sulfur were added with the nitrogen fertilizer. Thinning with no other treatment in this moderately stocked...

  9. If a tree falls in the woods, who will measure it? DecAID decayed wood advisor.

    Treesearch

    Jonathan Thompson

    2006-01-01

    Decayed wood plays many critical roles in forest ecosystems. Standing dead trees, called snags, provide habitat for a suite of wildlife, including several species of birds, insects, bats, and other mammals. Down wood provides wildlife habitat and performs ecosystem services such as releasing humus, nitrogen, and phosphorus into the forest soil, storing pockets of...

  10. CO2-assisted phosphorus extraction from poultry litter and selective recovery of struvite and potassium struvite.

    PubMed

    Shashvatt, Utsav; Benoit, Josh; Aris, Hannah; Blaney, Lee

    2018-06-18

    Phosphorus recovery from industrialized poultry operations is necessary to ensure sustainable waste management and resource consumption. To realize these goals, an innovative, two-stage process chemistry has been developed to extract nutrients from poultry litter and recover value-added products. Over 75% phosphorus extraction was achieved by bubbling carbon dioxide into poultry litter slurries and adding strong acid to reach pH 4.5-5.5. After separating the nutrient-deficient poultry litter solids and the nutrient-rich liquid, the extract pH was increased through aeration and strong base addition. Over 95% of the extracted phosphorus was recovered as solid precipitate at pH 8.5-9.0. High-purity struvite and potassium struvite products were selectively recovered through pH control, introduction of a calcium-complexing agent, and addition of magnesium chloride. The nitrogen-to-phosphorus-to-potassium (NPK) ratio of the recovered solids was controlled through aeration and pH adjustment. Precipitation at pH 8.5-9.0 and 10.5-11.0 resulted in NPK ratios of 2.0:1.0:0.1 and 0.9:1.0:0.2, respectively. The process effluent was effectively recycled as makeup water for the subsequent batch of poultry litter, thereby decreasing water consumption and increasing overall nutrient recovery. Sequencing batch operation yielded greater than 70% phosphorus recovery within a 45-min process, demonstrating the potential for this technology to alleviate nutrient pollution in agricultural settings and generate an alternative supply of phosphorus fertilizers. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. [Effects of irrigation using dairy effluent on grain yield, phosphorus utilization and distribu- tion in soil profile in winter wheat-summer maize rotation system].

    PubMed

    Du, Hui-ying; Feng, Jie; Guo, Hai-gang; Wang, Feng; Zhang, Ke-qiang

    2015-08-01

    Field experiments of winter wheat-summer maize rotation were conducted in North China Plain irrigation area to explore the effects of wheat season irrigation with dairy effluent on grain yield, phosphorus uptake, accumulative phosphorus usage efficiency and phosphorus accumulation in soil. The results showed that the irrigation with dairy effluent significantly improved the yields of winter wheat and summer maize. With the increasing of P2O5 carried by dairy effluent into soil, winter wheat yield increased at first and then decreased. When the P2O5 increased 137 kg · hm(-2), winter wheat yield increased to the maximum (7646.4 kg · hm(-2)) and the phosphorus utilization rate was the highest (24.8%). But excessive phosphorus decreased the winter wheat yield and phosphorus utilization efficiency. Summer maize yield and phosphorus uptake increased with the increase of P2O5 carried by dairy effluent. The summer maize yield increased by 2222.4-2628.6 kg · hm(-2) and the phosphorus uptake increased by 13.9-21.1 kg · hm(-2) in contrast to the control (CK). Under conventional phosphorus fertilization at 88 kg · hm(-2), and the summer maize yield increased by 2235.0 kg · hm(-2) compared with CK. As the time of irrigation with dairy effluent increasing, the grain yield increased more significantly. The cumulative phosphorus utilization in this rotation system increased year by year. After six seasons of crop harvest, the cumulative phosphorus utilization rate increased into 40.0%-47.7%. Under the experimental condition, two times of irrigation with the dairy effluents in the winter wheat-summer maize rotation system was the best operating mode.

  12. Infrared fingerprints of few-layer black phosphorus

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Guowei; Huang, Shenyang; Chaves, Andrey; Song, Chaoyu; Özçelik, V. Ongun; Low, Tony; Yan, Hugen

    2017-01-01

    Black phosphorus is an infrared layered material. Its bandgap complements other widely studied two-dimensional materials: zero-gap graphene and visible/near-infrared gap transition metal dichalcogenides. Although highly desirable, a comprehensive infrared characterization is still lacking. Here we report a systematic infrared study of mechanically exfoliated few-layer black phosphorus, with thickness ranging from 2 to 15 layers and photon energy spanning from 0.25 to 1.36 eV. Each few-layer black phosphorus exhibits a thickness-dependent unique infrared spectrum with a series of absorption resonances, which reveals the underlying electronic structure evolution and serves as its infrared fingerprints. Surprisingly, unexpected absorption features, which are associated with the forbidden optical transitions, have been observed. Furthermore, we unambiguously demonstrate that controllable uniaxial strain can be used as a convenient and effective approach to tune the electronic structure of few-layer black phosphorus. Our study paves the way for black phosphorus applications in infrared photonics and optoelectronics. PMID:28059084

  13. Iron limitation of microbial phosphorus acquisition in the tropical North Atlantic

    PubMed Central

    Browning, T. J.; Achterberg, E. P.; Yong, J. C.; Rapp, I.; Utermann, C.; Engel, A.; Moore, C. M.

    2017-01-01

    In certain regions of the predominantly nitrogen limited ocean, microbes can become co-limited by phosphorus. Within such regions, a proportion of the dissolved organic phosphorus pool can be accessed by microbes employing a variety of alkaline phosphatase (APase) enzymes. In contrast to the PhoA family of APases that utilize zinc as a cofactor, the recent discovery of iron as a cofactor in the more widespread PhoX and PhoD implies the potential for a biochemically dependant interplay between oceanic zinc, iron and phosphorus cycles. Here we demonstrate enhanced natural community APase activity following iron amendment within the low zinc and moderately low iron Western North Atlantic. In contrast we find no evidence for trace metal limitation of APase activity beneath the Saharan dust plume in the Eastern Atlantic. Such intermittent iron limitation of microbial phosphorus acquisition provides an additional facet in the argument for iron controlling the coupling between oceanic nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. PMID:28524880

  14. Electron Doping of Ultrathin Black Phosphorus with Cu Adatoms.

    PubMed

    Koenig, Steven P; Doganov, Rostislav A; Seixas, Leandro; Carvalho, Alexandra; Tan, Jun You; Watanabe, Kenji; Taniguchi, Takashi; Yakovlev, Nikolai; Castro Neto, Antonio H; Özyilmaz, Barbaros

    2016-04-13

    Few-layer black phosphorus is a monatomic two-dimensional crystal with a direct band gap that has high carrier mobility for both holes and electrons. Similarly to other layered atomic crystals, like graphene or layered transition metal dichalcogenides, the transport behavior of few-layer black phosphorus is sensitive to surface impurities, adsorbates, and adatoms. Here we study the effect of Cu adatoms onto few-layer black phosphorus by characterizing few-layer black phosphorus field effect devices and by performing first-principles calculations. We find that the addition of Cu adatoms can be used to controllably n-dope few layer black phosphorus, thereby lowering the threshold voltage for n-type conduction without degrading the transport properties. We demonstrate a scalable 2D material-based complementary inverter which utilizes a boron nitride gate dielectric, a graphite gate, and a single bP crystal for both the p- and n-channels. The inverter operates at matched input and output voltages, exhibits a gain of 46, and does not require different contact metals or local electrostatic gating.

  15. Phosphorus Doping Effect in a Zinc Oxide Channel Layer to Improve the Performance of Oxide Thin-Film Transistors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Dong-Suk; Moon, Yeon-Keon; Lee, Sih; Kim, Kyung-Taek; Moon, Dae-Yong; Lee, Sang-Ho; Kim, Woong-Sun; Park, Jong-Wan

    2012-09-01

    In this study, we fabricated phosphorus-doped zinc oxide-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) using direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering at a relatively low temperature of 100°C. To improve the TFT device performance, including field-effect mobility and bias stress stability, phosphorus dopants were employed to suppress the generation of intrinsic defects in the ZnO-based semiconductor. The positive and negative bias stress stabilities were dramatically improved by introducing the phosphorus dopants, which could prevent turn-on voltage ( V ON) shift in the TFTs caused by charge trapping within the active channel layer. The study showed that phosphorus doping in ZnO was an effective method to control the electrical properties of the active channel layers and improve the bias stress stability of oxide-based TFTs.

  16. Geohydrology and limnology of Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Colman, John A.; Friesz, Paul J.

    2001-01-01

    The trophic ecology and ground-water contributing area of Walden Pond, in Concord and Lincoln, Mass., were investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management from April 1997 to July 2000. Bathymetric investigation indicated that Walden Pond (24.88 hectares), a glacial kettle-hole lake with no surface inlet or outlet, has three deep areas. The maximum depth (30.5 meters) essentially was unchanged from measurements made by Henry David Thoreau in 1846. The groundwater contributing area (621,000 square meters) to Walden Pond was determined from water-table contours in areas of stratified glacial deposits and from land-surface contours in areas of bedrock highs. Walden Pond is a flow-through lake: Walden Pond gains water from the aquifer along its eastern perimeter and loses water to the aquifer along its western perimeter. Walden Pond contributing area also includes Goose Pond and its contributing area. A water budget calculated for Walden Pond, expressed as depth of water over the lake surface, indicated that 45 percent of the inflow to the lake was from precipitation (1.215 meters per year) and 55 percent from ground water (1.47 meters per year). The groundwater inflow estimate was based on the average of two different approaches including an isotope mass-balance approach. Evaporation accounted for 26 percent of the outflow from the lake (0.71 meters per year) whereas lake-water seepage to the groundwater system contributed 74 percent of the outflow (1.97 meters per year). The water-residence time of Walden Pond is approximately 5 years. Potential point sources of nutrients to ground water, the Concord municipal landfill and a trailer park, were determined to be outside the Walden Pond groundwater contributing area. A third source, the septic leach field for the Walden Pond State Reservation facilities, was within the groundwater contributing area. Nutrient budgets for the lake indicated that nitrogen inputs (858 kilograms per year) were dominated (30 percent) by plume water from the septic leach field and, possibly, by swimmers (34 percent). Phosphorus inputs (32 kilograms per year) were dominated by atmospheric dry deposition, background ground water, and estimated swimmer inputs. Swimmer inputs may represent more than 50 percent of the phosphorus load during the summer. The septic-system plume did not contribute phosphorus, but increased the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio for inputs from 41 to 59, on an atom-to-atom basis. The ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus in input loads and within the lake indicated algal growth would be strongly phosphorus limited. Nitrogen supply in excess of plant requirements may mitigate against nitrogen fixing organisms including undesirable blooms of cyanobacteria. Based on areal nutrient loading, Walden Pond is a mesotrophic lake. Hypolimnetic oxygen demand of Walden Pond has increased since a profile was measured in 1939. Currently (1999), the entire hypolimnion of Walden Pond becomes devoid of dissolved oxygen before fall turnover in late November; whereas historical data indicated dissolved oxygen likely remained in the hypolimnion during 1939. The complete depletion of dissolved oxygen likely causes release of phosphorus from the sediments. Walden Pond contains a large population of the deep-growing benthic macro alga Nitella, which has been hypothesized to promote water clarity in other clear-water lakes by sequestering nutrients and keeping large areas of the sediment surface oxygenated. Loss of Nitella populations in other lakes has correlated with a decline in water quality. Although the Nitella standing crop is large in Walden Pond, Nitella still appears to be controlled by nutrient availability. Decreasing phosphorus inputs to Walden Pond, by amounts under anthropogenic control would likely contribute to the stability of the Nitella population in the metalimnion, may reverse oxygen depletion in the hypolimnion, and decreas

  17. Responses of alkaline phosphatase activity to phosphorus stress in Daphnia magna.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, S D S; Rafferty, S P; Frost, P C

    2010-01-15

    We examined how alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity within the bodies and in the materials released by the crustacean Daphnia magna responds to variable algal food phosphorus (P)-content. We found that Daphnia eating P-poor food (C:P approximately 700) had significantly higher AP activity in their bodies on a mass-specific basis compared with individuals eating P-rich food (C:P approximately 100). This dietary P effect on AP activity was not altered by Daphnia starvation but was partially related to differences in the P concentration of animal body homogenates. By contrast, poor P-nutrition of Daphnia lowered AP activity in released materials compared with that measured from their P-sufficient conspecifics. Moreover, AP activity in Daphnia release was lowest in animals consuming P-poor food for longer time periods. Our results support the hypothesis that AP activity increases inside P-limited Daphnia as a mechanism to increase P-acquisition and retention from ingested algae in these nutritionally stressed animals. The lower level of AP activity present in the water of P-deprived animals could reflect a change from largely free to membrane-bound AP isotypes in the digestive tracts of P-starved animals or a decrease in the shedding of membrane-anchored AP from their intestinal lining. These results supplement accumulating evidence that P-poor algal food reduces the dietary mineral P available to Daphnia. In addition, animal body AP activity measurements, with some refinement, may prove useful as an in situ indicator of P-stress in aquatic consumers.

  18. Preparation and Properties of a Novel Semi-IPN Slow-Release Fertilizer with the Function of Water Retention.

    PubMed

    Xiang, Yang; Ru, Xudong; Shi, Jinguo; Song, Jiang; Zhao, Haidong; Liu, Yaqing; Guo, Dongdong; Lu, Xin

    2017-12-20

    A new semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) slow-release fertilizer (SISRF) with water absorbency, based on the kaolin-g-poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylic amide) (kaolin-g-P(AA-co-AM)) network and linear urea-formaldehyde oligomers (UF), was prepared by solution polymerization. Nutrients phosphorus and potassium were supplied by adding dipotassium hydrogen phosphate during the preparation process. The structure and properties of SISRF were characterized by various characterization methods. SISRF showed excellent water absorbency of 68 g g -1 in tap water. The slow-release behavior of nutrients and water-retention capacity of SISRF were also measured. Meanwhile, the swelling kinetics was well described by a pseudo-second-order kinetics model. Results suggested the formation of SISRF with simultaneously good slow-release and water-retention capacity, which was expected to apply in modern agriculture and horticulture.

  19. Complementary Enzymes Activities in Organic Phosphorus Mineralization and Cycling by Phosphohydrolases in Soils

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Inorganic and organic phosphates react strongly with soil constituents, resulting in relatively low concentrations of soluble phosphates in the soil solution. Multiple competing reactions control the solution-phase concentration and the cycling of phosphorus-containing organic substrates and the re...

  20. How can we reduce phosphorus export from lowland polders? Implications from a sensitivity analysis of a coupled model.

    PubMed

    Huang, Jiacong; Gao, Junfeng; Yan, Renhua

    2016-08-15

    Phosphorus (P) export from lowland polders has caused severe water pollution. Numerical models are an important resource that help water managers control P export. This study coupled three models, i.e., Phosphorus Dynamic model for Polders (PDP), Integrated Catchments model of Phosphorus dynamics (INCA-P) and Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), to describe the P dynamics in polders. Based on the coupled models and a dataset collected from Polder Jian in China, sensitivity analysis were carried out to analyze the cause-effect relationships between environmental factors and P export from Polder Jian. The sensitivity analysis results showed that P export from Polder Jian were strongly affected by air temperature, precipitation and fertilization. Proper fertilization management should be a strategic priority for reducing P export from Polder Jian. This study demonstrated the success of model coupling, and its application in investigating potential strategies to support pollution control in polder systems. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Comparative research on phosphorus removal by pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands using steel slag and modified steel slag as substrates.

    PubMed

    Yun, Yupan; Zhou, Xiaoqin; Li, Zifu; Uddin, Sayed Mohammad Nazim; Bai, Xiaofeng

    2015-01-01

    This research mainly focused on the phosphorus removal performance of pilot-scale vertical flow constructed wetlands with steel slag (SS) and modified steel slag (MSS). First, bench-scale experiments were conducted to evaluate the phosphorus adsorption capacity. Results showed that the Langmuir model could better describe the adsorption characteristics of the two materials; the maximum adsorption of MSS reached 12.7 mg/g, increasing by 34% compared to SS (9.5 mg/g). Moreover, pilot-scale constructed wetlands with SS and MSS were set up outdoors. Then, the influence of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and phosphorus concentration in phosphorus removal for two wetlands were investigated. Results revealed that better performance of the two systems could be achieved with an HRT of 2 d and phosphorus concentration in the range of 3-4.5 mg/L; the system with MSS had a better removal efficiency than the one with SS in the same control operation. Finally, the study implied that MSS could be used as a promising substrate for wetlands to treat wastewater with a high phosphorus concentration. However, considering energy consumption, SS could be regarded as a better alternative for substrate when treating sewage with a low phosphorus concentration.

  2. [Distribution characteristics and correlations of phosphorus in sediment and interstitial water of Nansi Lake, Shandong Province of East China in summer and winter].

    PubMed

    Li, Bao; Wang, Zhi-Qi; Wang, Qian-Suo; Cuan, Jing-Bo

    2013-06-01

    By using cylindrical sediment sampler and Peeper' s interstitial water sampler, the intact sediment and interstitial water were collected from different zones of Nansi Lake in Shandong Province in summer and winter. The distribution characteristics of the sediment phosphorus forms and of the phosphate (PO4(3-)-P) in interstitial water were analyzed, and their correlations were discussed. In the sediments of Nansi Lake, phosphorus was richer, and had a significant spatial differentiation, with an overall decreasing trend from north to south, which was related to the seriously polluted Northern Nansi Lake near Jining City. Among the phosphorous forms, inorganic phosphorus (IP) had the highest concentration, accounting for 52.3%-87.2% and 60.6%-88.3% of the total phosphorus (TP) in summer and winter, respectively. The TP concentrations in 5 cm surface sediment of four sub-lakes were all higher in summer than in winter, which could be related to the human activities such as exuberant aquaculture, more chemical fertilizers application around lake, and frequent tourism activities, etc. in summer. In vertical direction, the PO4(3-)-P concentration in interstitial water decreased after an initial increase in summer and winter, and was obviously higher in summer than in winter, suggesting that the phosphorous in sediment had a higher potential to release to the overlying water in summer. The organic phosphorus (OP) and IP in sediment had a significant correlation in summer but less correlation in winter, indicating that the transformation between sediment IP and OP was more active in summer than in winter. The iron and aluminum bound phosphorus (Fe/Al-P) and IP in sediment were significantly positively correlated with the PO4(3-)-P in interstitial water. In summer and winter, the average PO4(3-)-P concentration in interstitial water collected by Peeper' s interstitial water sampler was about 20%-50% higher than that collected by the conventional centrifugal method, suggesting that using Peeper' s interstitial water sampler could be more precise.

  3. [Startup, stable operation and process failure of EBPR system under the low temperature and low dissolved oxygen condition].

    PubMed

    Ma, Juan; Li, Lu; Yu, Xiao-Jun; Wei, Xue-Fen; Liu, Juan-Li

    2015-02-01

    A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was started up and operated with alternating anaerobic/oxic (An/O) to perform enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) under the condition of 13-16 degrees C. The results showed that under the condition of low temperature, the EBPR system was successfully started up in a short time (<6 d). The reactor achieved a high and stable phosphorus removal performance with an influent phosphate concentration of 20 mg x L(-1) and the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration of 2 mg x L(-1). The effluent phosphate concentration was lower than 0.5 mg x L(-1). It was found that decreasing DO had an influence on the steady operation of EBPR system. As DO concentration of aerobic phase decreased from 2 mg x L(-1) to 1 mg x L(-1), the system could still perform EBPR and the phosphorus removal efficiency was greater than 97.4%. However, the amount of phosphate released during anaerobic phase was observed to decrease slightly compared with that of 2 mg x L(-1) DO condition. Moreover, the phosphorus removal performance of the system deteriorated immediately and the effluent phosphate concentration couldn't meet the national integrated wastewater discharge standard when DO concentration was further lowered to 0.5 mg x L(-1). The experiments of increasing DO to recover phosphorus removal performance of the EBPR suggested the process failure resulted from low DO was not reversible in the short-term. It was also found that the batch tests of anoxic phosphorus uptake using nitrite and nitrate as electron acceptors had an impact on the stable operation of EBPR system, whereas the resulting negative influence could be recovered within 6 cycles. In addition, the mixed liquid suspended solids (MLSS) of the EBPR system remained stable and the sludge volume index (SVI) decreased to a certain extend in a long run, implying long-term low temperature and low DO condition favored the sludge sedimentation.

  4. Release of dissolved phosphorus from riparian wetlands: Evidence for complex interactions among hydroclimate variability, topography and soil properties.

    PubMed

    Gu, Sen; Gruau, Gérard; Dupas, Rémi; Rumpel, Cornélia; Crème, Alexandra; Fovet, Ophélie; Gascuel-Odoux, Chantal; Jeanneau, Laurent; Humbert, Guillaume; Petitjean, Patrice

    2017-11-15

    In agricultural landscapes, establishment of vegetated buffer zones in riparian wetlands (RWs) is promoted to decrease phosphorus (P) emissions because RWs can trap particulate P from upslope fields. However, long-term accumulation of P risks the release of dissolved P, since the unstable hydrological conditions in these zones may mobilize accumulated particulate P by transforming it into a mobile dissolved P species. This study evaluates how hydroclimate variability, topography and soil properties interact and influence this mobilization, using a three-year dataset of molybdate-reactive dissolved P (MRDP) and total dissolved P (TDP) concentrations in soil water from two RWs located in an agricultural catchment in western France (Kervidy-Naizin), along with stream P concentrations. Two main drivers of seasonal dissolved P release were identified: i) soil rewetting during water-table rise after dry periods and ii) reductive dissolution of soil Fe (hydr)oxides during prolonged water saturation periods. These mechanisms were shown to vary greatly in space (according to topography) and time (according to intra- and interannual hydroclimate variability). The concentration and speciation of the released dissolved P also varied spatially depending on soil chemistry and local topography. Comparison of sites revealed a similar correlation between soil P speciation (percentage of organic P ranging from 35-70%) and the concentration and speciation of the released P (MRDP from <0.10 to 0.40mgl -1 ; percentage of MRDP in TDP from 25-70%). These differences propagated to stream water, suggesting that the two RWs investigated were the main sources of dissolved P to streams. RWs can be critical areas due to their ability to biogeochemically transform the accumulated P in these zones into highly mobile and highly bioavailable dissolved P forms. Hydroclimate variability, local topography and soil chemistry must be considered to decrease the risk of remobilizing legacy soil P when establishing riparian buffer zones in agricultural landscapes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Ecological scenarios analyzed and evaluated by a shallow lake model.

    PubMed

    Kardaetz, Sascha; Strube, Torsten; Brüggemann, Rainer; Nützmann, Gunnar

    2008-07-01

    We applied the complex ecosystem model EMMO, which was adopted to the shallow lake Müggelsee (Germany), in order to evaluate a large set of ecological scenarios. By means of EMMO, 33 scenarios and 17 indicators were defined to characterize their effects on the lake ecosystem. The indicators were based on model outputs of EMMO and can be separated into biological indicators, such as chlorophyll-a and cyanobacteria, and hydro-chemical indicators, such as phosphorus. The question to be solved was, what is the ranking of the scenarios based on their characterization by these 17 indicators? And how can we handle high quantities of complex data within evaluation procedures? The scenario evaluation was performed by partial order theory which, however, did not provide a clear result. By subsequently applying the hierarchical cluster analysis (complete linkage) it was possible to reduce the data matrix to indicator and scenario representatives. Even though this step implies losses of information, it simplifies the application of partial order theory and the post processing by METEOR. METEOR is derived from partial order theory and allows the stepwise aggregation of indicators, which subsequently leads to a distinct and clear decision. In the final evaluation result the best scenario was the one which defines a minimum nutrient input and no phosphorus release from the sediment while the worst scenario is characterized by a maximum nutrient input and extensive phosphorus release from the sediment. The reasonable and comprehensive results show that the combination of partial order, cluster analysis and METEOR can handle big amounts of data in a very clear and transparent way, and therefore is ideal in the context of complex ecosystem models, like that we applied.

  6. The dilemma of controlling cultural eutrophication of lakes

    PubMed Central

    Schindler, David W.

    2012-01-01

    The management of eutrophication has been impeded by reliance on short-term experimental additions of nutrients to bottles and mesocosms. These measures of proximate nutrient limitation fail to account for the gradual changes in biogeochemical nutrient cycles and nutrient fluxes from sediments, and succession of communities that are important components of whole-ecosystem responses. Erroneous assumptions about ecosystem processes and lack of accounting for hysteresis during lake recovery have further confused management of eutrophication. I conclude that long-term, whole-ecosystem experiments and case histories of lake recovery provide the only reliable evidence for policies to reduce eutrophication. The only method that has had proven success in reducing the eutrophication of lakes is reducing input of phosphorus. There are no case histories or long-term ecosystem-scale experiments to support recent claims that to reduce eutrophication of lakes, nitrogen must be controlled instead of or in addition to phosphorus. Before expensive policies to reduce nitrogen input are implemented, they require ecosystem-scale verification. The recent claim that the ‘phosphorus paradigm’ for recovering lakes from eutrophication has been ‘eroded’ has no basis. Instead, the case for phosphorus control has been strengthened by numerous case histories and large-scale experiments spanning several decades. PMID:22915669

  7. Phosphorus Control in DRI-EAF Steelmaking: Thermodynamics, Effect of Alumina, and Process Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tayeb, Mohammed A.

    Flexibility in raw materials, the lower natural gas prices, and the increased use of nonconventional Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking using up to 100% Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) have prompted a renewed interest in better control of phosphorus. Iron ore and DRI have higher phosphorus and silica compared to scrap. Although significant work has been done on understanding the partitioning of phosphorus between slag and metal for slags with chemistries relevant to those used in the Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF), there is little reported work on slag chemistries corresponding to that in the EAF when DRI is used (EAF-DRI). In the current research, phosphorus equilibria between molten Fe-P alloys and CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-P 2O5-FeO-MgOsaturated slag system were investigated. An equilibrium correlation for phosphorus partition as a function of slag composition and temperature has been developed and resulted in better predictions compared with those proposed by earlier workers. As well, it is suitable for both BOF and EAF slags and includes coefficients for silica and alumina, unlike previous correlations. Low amounts of Al2O3 are present in EAF and BOF slags, but no appreciable work has been carried out to study the effect of alumina on the phosphorus partition. When DRI is used, the Al2O 3 contents can also be much higher. The data from this work indicates that there is significant reduction in Lp as the alumina fraction in the slag increases. The observed effect of alumina is attributed to its acidity, which contributes to the reduction of the phosphorus capacity of the slag by lowering the activities of iron oxide and calcium oxide. This in turn lowers the activity of oxygen and oxygen ions needed for phosphorus partition to the slag phase. Alumina in such situation is believed to elongate the silicate slag structure by forming [AlO45-]-tetrahedra. However, it is apparent that for higher alumina, lower silica slags the behavior of alumina changes and dephosphorization would improve. Alumina becomes less acidic acting as a diluting agent and probably forming [AlO6 9-]-octahedra according to which alumina is hypothesized to behave amphoterically. While understanding the equilibrium and kinetics of the phosphorus reaction is important in order to improve the ability to remove phosphorus from the melt, practical use of this understanding in industry is limited. Modeling the phosphorus reaction in steelmaking, however, would result in a better and easier use of conceptual understanding by operators and engineers in plants. This work describes dynamic process models for phosphorus and sulfur reactions when using DRI, scrap, and pig iron in EAF steelmaking. The present models are based on the assumption that thermodynamic equilibrium is locally established at the steel-slag interface, the bulk liquid steel and slag remain homogeneous throughout the reaction, and the rate is predominantly controlled by the mass transfer of phosphorus in the metal and slag boundary layers. The models, which consist of a series of rate and mass balance equations, were converted into a Python code and are capable of predicting trajectories of steel and slag phosphorus and sulfur levels as well as slag chemistry and slag liquid and solid phases. The effect of operating variables on the final phosphorus and sulfur contents, for instance the effect of DRI and pig iron P and S concentrations, oxygen use, temperature, melting rates, and flux addition were tested. The results imply that dephosphorization could be improved by maintaining lower bath temperatures for period of time. Additionally, dephosphorization and desulfurization were improved by higher flux addition.

  8. Phosphorus and E. coli in the Fanno and Bronson Creek subbasins of the Tualatin River basin, Oregon, during summer low-flow conditions, 1996

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCarthy, Kathleen A.

    2000-01-01

    As part of an ongoing cooperative study between the Unified Sewerage Agency of Washington County, Oregon, and the U.S. Geological Survey, phosphorus and Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations were measured in the Fanno and Bronson Creek subbasins of the Tualatin River Basin during September 1996. Data were collected at 19 main-stem and 22 tributary sites in the Fanno Creek subbasin, and at 14 main-stem and 4 tributary sites in the Bronson Creek subbasin. These data provided the following information on summer base-flow conditions in the subbasins. Concentrations of total phosphorus at 70% of the sites sampled in the Fanno Creek subbasin were between 0.1 and 0.2 mg/L (milligrams per liter), very near the estimated background level of 0.14 mg/L attributed to ground-water base flow. These data indicate that ground-water discharge could account for the phosphorus measured at most sites in this subbasin.Concentrations of phosphorus at all but one of the sites sampled in the Bronson Creek subbasin were also between 0.1 and 0.2 mg/L, indicating that ground-water discharge could account for the phosphorus measured at most sites in this subbasin.A few sites in the Fanno Creek subbasin had phosphorus concentrations above background levels, indicating a source other than ground water. Some of these sites- Pendleton Creek and the tributary near Gemini, for example-were probably affected by the decomposition of avian waste materials and the release of phosphorus from bottom sediments in nearby ponds.Concentrations of E. coli--an indicator of fecal contamination and the potential presence of bacterial pathogens-exceeded the current single-sample criterion for recreational contact in freshwater (406 organisms/100 mL [organisms per 100 milliliters]) at 70% of the sites sampled in the Fanno Creek subbasin.Concentrations of E. coli in the Bronson Creek subbasin exceeded the single-sample criterion at one-third of the sites sampled.Most occurrences of elevated E. coli levels were probably due to sources such as domestic pet and wildlife waste, failing septic systems, or improperly managed hobby farms. The data did not indicate any large breaks in sewer lines or other large-scale sources of bacterial contamination to surface water in either subbasin during this low-flow period.

  9. Increasing dietary phosphorus intake from food additives: potential for negative impact on bone health.

    PubMed

    Takeda, Eiji; Yamamoto, Hironori; Yamanaka-Okumura, Hisami; Taketani, Yutaka

    2014-01-01

    It is important to consider whether habitual high phosphorus intake adversely affects bone health, because phosphorus intake has been increasing, whereas calcium intake has been decreasing in dietary patterns. A higher total habitual dietary phosphorus intake has been associated with higher serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and lower serum calcium concentrations in healthy individuals. Higher serum PTH concentrations have been shown in those who consume foods with phosphorus additives. These findings suggest that long-term dietary phosphorus loads and long-term hyperphosphatemia may have important negative effects on bone health. In contrast, PTH concentrations did not increase as a result of high dietary phosphorus intake when phosphorus was provided with adequate amounts of calcium. Intake of foods with a ratio of calcium to phosphorus close to that found in dairy products led to positive effects on bone health. Several randomized controlled trials have shown positive relations between dairy intake and bone mineral density. In our loading test with a low-calcium, high-phosphorus lunch provided to healthy young men, serum PTH concentrations showed peaks at 1 and 6 h, and serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) concentrations increased significantly at 8 h after the meal. In contrast, the high-calcium, high-phosphorus meal suppressed the second PTH and FGF23 elevations until 8 h after the meal. This implies that adequate dietary calcium intake is needed to overcome the interfering effects of high phosphorus intake on PTH and FGF23 secretion. FGF23 acts on the parathyroid gland to decrease PTH mRNA and PTH secretion in rats with normal kidney function. However, increased serum FGF23 is an early alteration of mineral metabolism in chronic kidney disease, causing secondary hyperthyroidism, and implying resistance of the parathyroid gland to the action of FGF23 in chronic kidney disease. These findings suggest that long-term high-phosphorus diets may impair bone health mediated by FGF23 resistance both in chronic kidney disease patients and in the healthy population.

  10. Effect of leather industry effluents on soil microbial and protease activity.

    PubMed

    Pradeep, M Reddi; Narasimha, G

    2012-01-01

    Release of leather industry effluents into the agricultural fields causes indicative changes in nutrient cycling and organic matter processing. In the present study, leather industry effluent discharged soil (test) and undischarged soil(control) were collected from the surrounding areas of industry. The physico-chemical, biological properties and soil protease activity were examined. The study reflected the average mean value of pH, electrical conductivity and water holding capacity of the test soil was found to be 7.94, 0.89 microMhos cm(-1) and 0.51 ml g(-1), respectively. In chemical parameters, organic matter, total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium has the mean of 6.73%, 0.23 g kg(-1), 4.28 mg g(-1) and 28 microg g(-1), respectively. In all the respects, the test soil showed higher values than the control. The soil protease enzyme activity was determined by using substrate casein and the activity was found to be higher (180 microg TE g(-1) 24 hr(-1)) in test soil than the control soil (63 microg TE g(-1) 24 hr(-1)).

  11. Effects of Carbon Addition on Iron and Phosphorus in a Highly Weathered Tropical Soil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liptzin, D.; Silver, W. L.

    2008-12-01

    In the highly weathered iron (Fe)-rich soils of wet tropical forests, Fe may play a key role in controlling ecosystem processes because of its interactions with carbon (C) and phosphorus (P). The high NPP typical of tropical forests contributes significantly to the global C cycle. In Fe-rich tropical soils, NPP is thought to be limited by P. The periodic reducing conditions that occur in upland tropical soils may be associated with pulses of increased P availability because of the release of Fe-bound P during iron reduction. While little is known about the factors controlling Fe reduction in soils, it is likely that C availability plays a role. Typically, only simple C sources like acetate or glucose have been used to examine this limitation. However, the source of much of the C in nature is the complex mixture of organic compounds leached from leaves and litter. To investigate the linkages between Fe, C, and P, we compared the effects adding either acetate (200 mg C/L) or leaf leachate in low (50-100 mg C/L) or high (150-200 mg C/L) concentrations to incubated soils from a tropical rain forest in Puerto Rico under ambient atmospheric conditions. We measured pools of iron and phosphorus as well as pH at four time points over a month. Both Fe(II) and pH exhibited significant treatment effects, but not until the last sampling date. At this time, the Fe(II) concentration could explain 49% of the variability in soil pH. The pH was significantly higher in the acetate treatments than both the leaf leachate treatments. While Fe(II) concentration was significantly higher in the acetate treatment than the control and low leaf leachate treatment, there was no difference compared to the high leaf leachate treatment After one month microbial biomass P had increased significantly while the NaOH extractable organic P had decreased significantly. These changes suggest the rapid microbial uptake of P liberated from Fe. In conclusion, microbes appear to utilize more complex C in leaf leachate at a similar rate as acetate to promote Fe reduction. The simultaneous immobilization of P by microbes during the incubation suggests that periodic reducing conditions in the field may be associated with enhanced microbial activity and carbon cycling in these highly productive ecosystems.

  12. FATE AND EFFECTS OF PHOSPHORUS ADDITIONS IN SOILS UNDER N2-FIXING RED ALDER

    EPA Science Inventory

    Soil phosphorus (P) dynamics are controlled by the interaction of geochemical, biochemical and biological processes, and changing species composition or management may alter the relative importance of these processes. We examined the role of these processes in two plantations of...

  13. Assessing the impact of manure application method on runoff phosphorus using controlled and natural rainfall

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Land application of manure is a cost-effective method for recycling nutrients from livestock operations. Increasingly, there has been interest in promoting alternative methods of manure application that minimize nonpoint source phosphorus pollution. Watershed and nutrient trading programs rely upon ...

  14. Controlling Eutrophication in A Mediterranean Shallow Reservoir by Phosphorus Loading Reduction: The Need for an Integrated Management Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zaragüeta, Mikel; Acebes, Pablo

    2017-04-01

    Increased nutrient enrichment in Mediterranean standing waters has enhanced the risk of being affected by cyanobacterial blooms. Because phosphorus abatement is shaped as a crucial strategy for controlling eutrophication, this study introduces a structural thinking, experiential learning laboratory with animation dynamic model elaborated for Cazalegas Reservoir (Spain) to assess the feasibility of implementing a set of internal and external control measures and hydromorphological adjustments to meet the goal of oligotrophication. This shallow reservoir is another case where recurrent eutrophication has led to reach annual mean total phosphorus concentrations (0.16 ± 0.08 mg total phosphorus/L) over the threshold of current water policies, triggering cyanobacterial growth up to undesirable levels in summer time (approximately 50,000 cells/mL). Modeling results showed that (i) after upgrading water treatment in the main tributary, (ii) applying a lanthanum-modified bentonite into the water column and sediment, and (iii) increasing reservoir water level, in-lake P concentrations and cyanobacterial abundance decreased in an 88% (below 0.01 mg total phosphorus/L) and 84% (below 6000 cells/mL), respectively in the most critical periods. However, the constraints of the proposed management strategies are associated with their costs of implementation and the time span for a stable trophic recovery of the reservoir. In that end, integrated management approaches are aimed to be adopted by water managers to reach adequate ecological status of freshwater bodies.

  15. [Effects of combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers on the available phosphorus content of upland red soil].

    PubMed

    Jing, Yan; Chen, Xiao-min; Liu, Zu-xiang; Huang, Qian-ru; LiI, Qiu-xia; Chen, Chen; Lu, Shao-shan

    2013-04-01

    Aiming at the low content of available phosphorus in upland red soil of Southern China, this paper studied the effects of combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers on the available phosphorus and organic carbon contents and the pH of this soil. With the combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers, the soil physical and chemical properties improved to different degrees. As compared with the control, the soil pH and the soil organic carbon and available phosphorus contents at different growth stages of oil rape after the combined application of biochar and inorganic fertilizers all had an improvement, with the increments at bolting stage, flowering stage, and ripening stage being 16%, 24% and 26%, 23%, 34% and 38%, and 100%, 191% and 317% , respectively. The soil pH and the soil organic carbon and available phosphorus contents were increased with the increasing amount of applied biochar. Under-the application of biochar, the soil available phosphorus had a significant correlation with the soil pH and soil organic carbon content. This study could provide scientific basis to improve the phosphorus deficiency and the physical and chemical properties of upland red soil.

  16. Two-Fold Anisotropy Governs Morphological Evolution and Stress Generation in Sodiated Black Phosphorus for Sodium Ion Batteries.

    PubMed

    Chen, Tianwu; Zhao, Peng; Guo, Xu; Zhang, Sulin

    2017-04-12

    Phosphorus represents a promising anode material for sodium ion batteries owing to its extremely high theoretical capacity. Recent in situ transmission electron microscopy studies evidenced anisotropic swelling in sodiated black phosphorus, which may find an origin from the two intrinsic anisotropic properties inherent to the layered structure of black phosphorus: sodium diffusional directionality and insertion strain anisotropy. To understand the morphological evolution and stress generation in sodiated black phosphorus, we develop a chemo-mechanical model by incorporating the intrinsic anisotropic properties into the large elasto-plastic deformation. Our modeling results reveal that the apparent morphological evolution in sodiated black phosphorus is critically controlled by the coupled effect of the two intrinsic anisotropic properties. In particular, sodium diffusional directionality generates sharp interphases along the [010] and [001] directions, which constrain anisotropic development of the insertion strain. The coupled effect renders distinctive stress-generation and fracture mechanisms when sodiation starts from different crystal facets. In addition to providing a powerful modeling framework for sodiation and lithiation of layered structures, our findings shed significant light on the sodiation-induced chemo-mechanical degradation of black phosphorus as a promising anode for the next-generation sodium ion batteries.

  17. Chesapeake Bay Sediment Flux Model

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-06-01

    1988; Van der Molen , -88- 1991; Yoshida, 1981.) The model developed below is based on both of these approaches. It incorporates the diagenetic...288: pp. 289-333. Van der Molen , D.T. (1991): A simple, dynamic model for the simulation of the release of phosphorus from sediments in shallow...1974; Berner, 1980; van Cappellen and Berner, 1988). These relate the diagenetic production of phosphate to the resulting pore water concentration

  18. Influence of temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen concentration on enhanced biological phosphorus removal under strictly aerobic conditions.

    PubMed

    Nittami, Tadashi; Oi, Hiroshi; Matsumoto, Kanji; Seviour, Robert J

    2011-12-15

    Previous research has suggested that enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) from wastewater can be achieved under continuous aerobic conditions over the short term. However, little is known how environmental conditions might affect aerobic EBPR performance. Consequently we have investigated the impact of temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations on EBPR performance under strictly aerobic conditions. A sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was operated for 108 days on a six-hour cycle (four cycles a day). The SBR ran under alternating anaerobic-aerobic conditions as standard and then operated under strictly aerobic conditions for one cycle every three or four days. SBR operational temperature (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C), pH (6, 7, 8 and 9) and DO concentration (0.5, 2.0 and 3.5mg/L) were changed consecutively during the aerobic cycle. Recorded increases in mixed liquor phosphorus (P) concentrations during aerobic carbon source uptake (P release) were affected by the biomass P content rather than the imposed changes in the operational conditions. Thus, P release levels increased with biomass P content. By contrast, subsequent aerobic P assimilation (P uptake) levels were both affected by changes in operational temperature and pH, and peaked at 20-25°C and pH 7-8. Highest P uptake detected under these SBR operating conditions was 15.4 mg Pg-MLSS(-1) (at 25°C, pH 7 and DO 2.0mg/L). The ability of the community for linked aerobic P release and P uptake required the presence of acetate in the medium, a finding which differs from previous data, where these are reported to occur in the absence of any exogenous carbon source. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed on samples collected from the SBR, and Candidatus 'Accumulibacter phosphatis' cells were detected with PAOmix probes through the operational periods. Thus, Candidatus 'Accumulibacter phosphatis' seemed to perform P removal in the SBR as shown in previous studies on P removal under strictly aerobic conditions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Prospects for P-bearing molecules in cometary atmospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boice, Daniel; de Almeida, Amaury

    Phosphorus is a key element in all known forms of life and phosphorus-bearing compounds have been observed in space. Phosphorus is ubiquitous in meteorites, albeit in small quantities, with phosphates being found in stoney meteorites and phosphides have been identified in iron meteorites. It has been detected as part of the dust component in comet Halley but searches for P-bearing species in the gas phase in comets have been unsuccessful. Based of its moderate cosmic abundance (eighteenth most abundant element, [P]/[N] = 4 x 10-3 ) and the positive identification of P-bearing species in the interstellar medium (such as, PN, PC, HCP and PO), we would expect simple molecules, diatomics (like PH, PO, PC, PS), triatomics (like HCP and PH2 ), and possibly other polyatomics (like phosphine PH3 and diphosphine P2 H4 ), to exist in cometary ices, hence released into the gas phase upon ice sublimation. Our fluid dynamics model with chemistry of cometary comae (SUISEI) has been adapted to study this problem. SUISEI produces cometocentric abundances of the coma gas species; velocities of the bulk gas, light atomic and molecular hydrogen with escape, and electrons; gas and electron temperatures; column densities to facilitate comparison with observations; coma energy budget quantities; attenuation of the solar irradiance; and other quantities that can be related readily to observations. We present results from the first quantitative study of phosphorus-bearing molecules in comets to identify likely species containing phosphorus to aid in future searches for this important element in comets, possibly shedding light on issues of comet formation (time and place) and matters of the prebiotic to biotic evolution of life. Acknowledgements. This work was supported by the NSF Planetary Astronomy Program.

  20. Seasonal nutrient dynamics in a chalk stream: the River Frome, Dorset, UK.

    PubMed

    Bowes, M J; Leach, D V; House, W A

    2005-01-05

    Chalk streams provide unique, environmentally important habitats, but are particularly susceptible to human activities, such as water abstraction, fish farming and intensive agricultural activity on their fertile flood-meadows, resulting in increased nutrient concentrations. Weekly phosphorus, nitrate, dissolved silicon, chloride and flow measurements were made at nine sites along a 32 km stretch of the River Frome and its tributaries, over a 15 month period. The stretch was divided into two sections (termed the middle and lower reach) and mass balances were calculated for each determinand by totalling the inputs from upstream, tributaries, sewage treatment works and an estimate of groundwater input, and subtracting this from the load exported from each reach. Phosphorus and nitrate were retained within the river channel during the summer months, due to bioaccumulation into river biota and adsorption of phosphorus to bed sediments. During the autumn to spring periods, there was a net export, attributed to increased diffuse inputs from the catchment during storms, decomposition of channel biomass and remobilisation of phosphorus from the bed sediment. This seasonality of retention and remobilisation was higher in the lower reach than the middle reach, which was attributed to downstream changes in land use and fine sediment availability. Silicon showed much less seasonality, but did have periods of rapid retention in spring, due to diatom uptake within the river channel, and a subsequent release from the bed sediments during storm events. Chloride did not produce a seasonal pattern, indicating that the observed phosphorus and nitrate seasonality was a product of annual variation in diffuse inputs and internal riverine processes, rather than an artefact of sampling, flow gauging and analytical errors.

  1. Hydrology and water quality of Shell Lake, Washburn County, Wisconsin, with special emphasis on the effects of diversion and changes in water level on the water quality of a shallow terminal lake

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Juckem, Paul F.; Robertson, Dale M.

    2013-01-01

    Shell Lake is a relatively shallow terminal lake (tributaries but no outlets) in northwestern Wisconsin that has experienced approximately 10 feet (ft) of water-level fluctuation over more than 70 years of record and extensive flooding of nearshore areas starting in the early 2000s. The City of Shell Lake (City) received a permit from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in 2002 to divert water from the lake to a nearby river in order to lower water levels and reduce flooding. Previous studies suggested that water-level fluctuations were driven by long-term cycles in precipitation, evaporation, and runoff, although questions about the lake’s connection with the groundwater system remained. The permit required that the City evaluate assumptions about lake/groundwater interactions made in previous studies and evaluate the effects of the water diversion on water levels in Shell Lake and other nearby lakes. Therefore, a cooperative study between the City and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was initiated to improve the understanding of the hydrogeology of the area and evaluate potential effects of the diversion on water levels in Shell Lake, the surrounding groundwater system, and nearby lakes. Concerns over deteriorating water quality in the lake, possibly associated with changes in water level, prompted an additional cooperative project between the City and the USGS to evaluate efeffects of changes in nutrient loading associated with changes in water levels on the water quality of Shell Lake. Numerical models were used to evaluate how the hydrology and water quality responded to diversion of water from the lake and historical changes in the watershed. The groundwater-flow model MODFLOW was used to simulate groundwater movement in the area around Shell Lake, including groundwater/surface-water interactions. Simulated results from the MODFLOW model indicate that groundwater flows generally northward in the area around Shell Lake, with flow locally converging toward the lake. Total groundwater inflow to Shell Lake is small (approximately 5 percent of the water budget) compared with water entering the lake from precipitation (83 percent) and surface-water runoff (13 percent). The MODFLOW model also was used to simulate average annual hydrologic conditions from 1949 to 2009, including effects of the removal of 3 billion gallons of water during 2003–5. The maximum decline in simulated average annual water levels for Shell Lake due to the diversion alone was 3.3 ft at the end of the diversion process in 2005. Model simulations also indicate that although water level continued to decline through 2009 in response to local weather patterns (local drought), the effects of the diversion decreased after the diversion ceased; that is, after 4 years of recovery (2006–9), drawdown attributable to the diversion alone decreased by about 0.6 ft because of increased groundwater inflow and decreased lake-water outflow to groundwater caused by the artificially lower lake level. A delayed response in drawdown of less than 0.5 ft was transmitted through the groundwater-flow system to upgradient lakes. This relatively small effect on upgradient lakes is attributed in part to extensive layers of shallow clay that limit lake/groundwater interaction in the area. Data collected in the lake indicated that Shell Lake is polymictic (characterized by frequent deep mixing) and that its productivity is limited by the amount of phosphorus in the lake. The lake was typically classified as oligotrophic-mesotrophic in June, mesotrophic in July, and mesotrophic-eutrophic in August. In polymictic lakes like Shell Lake, phosphorus released from the sediments is not trapped near the bottom of the lake but is intermittently released to the shallow water, resulting in deteriorating water quality as summer progresses. Because the productivity of Shell Lake is limited by phosphorus, the sources of phosphorus to the lake were quantified, and the response in water quality to changes in phosphorus inputs were evaluated by means of eutrophication models. During 2009, the total input of phosphorus to Shell Lake was 1,730 pounds (lb), of which 1,320 lb came from external sources (76 percent) and 414 lb came from internal loading from sediments in the lake (24 percent). The largest external source was from surface-water runoff, which delivered about 52 percent of the total phosphorus load compared with about 13 percent of the water input. The second largest source was from precipitation (wetfall and dryfall), which delivered 19 percent of the load compared to about 83 percent of the water input. Contributions from septic systems and groundwater accounted for about 3 and 2 percent, respectively. Increased runoff raises water levels in the lake but does not necessarily increase phosphorus loading because phosphorus concentrations in the tributaries decline during increased flow, possibly because of shorter retention times in upstream wetlands. Phosphorus loading to the lake in 2009 represented what occurred after a series of dry years; therefore, this information was combined with data from 2011, a wet year, to estimate phosphorus loading during a range of hydrologic conditions by estimating loading from each component of the phosphorus budget for each year from 1949 to 2011. Comparisons of historical water-quality records with historical water levels and applications of a hydrodynamic model (Dynamic Lake Model, DLM) and empirical eutrophication models were used to understand how changes in water level and the coinciding changes in phosphorus loading affect the water quality of Shell Lake. DLM simulations indicate that large changes in water level (approximately 10 ft) affect the persistence of stratification in the lake. During periods with low water levels, the lake is a well-mixed, polymictic system, with water quality degrading slightly as summer progresses. During periods with high water levels, the lake is more stratified, and phosphorus from internal loading is trapped in the hypolimnion and released later in summer, which results in more extreme seasonality in water quality and better clarity in early summer. Results of eutrophication model simulations using a range in external phosphorus inputs illustrate how water quality in Shell Lake (phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations and Secchi depths) responds to changes in external phosphorus loading. Results indicate that a 50-percent reduction in external loading from that measured in 2009 would be required to change phosphorus concentrations from 0.018 milligram per liter (mg/L) (measured in 2009) to 0.012 mg/L (estimated for the mid-1800s from analysis of diatoms in sediment cores). Such reductions in phosphorus loading cannot be accomplished by targeting septic systems or internal loading alone because septic systems contribute only about 3 percent of the phosphorus input to the lake, and internal loading from the sediments of Shell Lake contributes only about 25 percent of phosphorus input. Complete elimination of phosphorus from septic systems and internal loading would decrease the phosphorus concentrations in the lake by 0.003–0.004 mg/L. Therefore, reducing phosphorus concentration in the lake more than by 0.004 mg/L requires decreasing phosphorus loading from surface-water contributions, primarily runoff to the lake. Reconstructed changes in water quality from 1860 to 2010, based on changes in the diatom communities archived in the sediments and eutrophication model simulations, suggest that anthropogenic changes in the watershed (sawmill construction in 1881; the establishment of the village of Shell Lake; and land-use changes in the 1920s, including increased agriculture) had a much larger effect on water quality than the natural changes associated with fluctuations in water level. Although the effects of natural changes in water level on water quality appear to be small, changes in water level do have a modest effect on water quality, primarily manifested as small improvements during higher water levels. Fluctuations in water level, however, have a larger effect on the seasonality of water-quality patterns, with better water quality, especially increased Secchi depths, in early summer during years with high water levels.

  2. Relationship of associated secondary hyperparathyroidism to serum fibroblast growth factor-23 in end stage renal disease: A case-control study

    PubMed Central

    Sliem, Hamdy; Tawfik, Gamal; Moustafa, Fadia; Zaki, Heba

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is an insidious disease that develops early in the course of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and increases in severity as the glomerular filtration rate deteriorates. Recent studies have identified fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) as a new protein with phosphaturic activity. It is mainly secreted by osteoblasts and is now considered the most important factor for regulation of phosphorus homeostasis. It is not yet proven if there is any direct relation between parathyroid hormone (PTH) and FGF23. The present study aims to evaluate the relation between serum FGF23, phosphorus, and PTH in end-stage renal disease in patients with SHPT on regular hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: Forty-six consecutive CKD adult patients (case group) and 20 healthy adults (control group) were included in the study. All patients had SHPT and were on regular hemodialysis. Both groups were subjected to full medical history, clinical examination and biochemical studies. Serum phosphorus, calcium, ferritin, hemoglobin level, blood urea, creatinine, PTH, and FGF23 were analyzed. Results: Levels of FGF23 were significantly higher in the case group in comparison with those in the control group, viz., 4-fold, and positively correlated with PTH. Phosphorus levels in the case group were significantly high in spite of the increasing levels of FGF23. Both PTH and FGF23 were positively correlated with phosphorus and negatively with hemoglobin levels. Conclusion: SHPT and FGF23 may have a partial role in the development of anemia in patients with CKD. FGF23 could be a central factor in the pathogenesis of SHPT. Its role in controlling hyperphosphatemia in CKD is vague. PMID:21731867

  3. A review of phosphorus removal structures: How to assess and compare their performance

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Controlling dissolved phosphorus (P) losses to surface waters is challenging as most conservation practices are only effective at preventing particulate P losses. As a result, P removal structures were developed to filter dissolved P from drainage water before reaching a water body. While many P rem...

  4. Mixing rare earth elements with manures to control phosphorus loss in runoff and track manure fate

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Concern over the enrichment of agricultural runoff with phosphorus (P) from land applied livestock manures has prompted the development of manure amendments that minimize P solubility. We evaluated the effect of mixing two rare earth chlorides, lanthanum chloride and ytterbium chloride, with poultr...

  5. Improving models for describing phosphorus cycling in agricultural soils

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The mobility of phosphorus in the environment is controlled to a large extent by its sorption to soil. Therefore, an important component of all P loss models is how the model describes the biogeochemical processes governing P sorption and desorption to soils. The most common approach to modeling P c...

  6. Phosphorus retention by fly-ash amended filter media in aged bioretention cells

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bioretention cells (BRCs) have shown potential for stormwater quantity and quality control. However, the phosphorus (P) removal in BRC has been variable due to differences of soil properties in filter media. The objectives of this research were to identify and evaluate P accumulation in filter media...

  7. Plant Growth and Phosphorus Uptake of Three Riparian Grass Species

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Riparian buffers can significantly reduce sediment-bound phosphorus (P) entering surface water, but control of dissolved P inputs is more challenging. Because plant roots remove P from soil solution, it follows that plant uptake will reduce dissolved P losses. We evaluated P uptake of smooth bromegr...

  8. Maternally derived anti-fibroblast growth factor 23 antibody as new tool to reduce phosphorus requirement of chicks.

    PubMed

    Ren, Zhouzheng; Bütz, Daniel E; Sand, Jordan M; Cook, Mark E

    2017-04-01

    Novel means to reduce phosphate input into poultry feeds and increase its retention would preserve world phosphate reserves and reduce environmental impact of poultry production. Here we show that a maternally derived antibody to a fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) peptide (GMNPPPYS) alleviated phosphorus deficiency in chicks fed low non-phytate phosphorus (nPP) diets. White Leghorn laying hens were vaccinated with either an adjuvant control or the synthetic FGF-23 peptide, and chicks with control or anti-FGF-23 maternal antibodies were fed a diet containing either 0.13 or 0.45% nPP (experiment 1), and 0.20 or 0.45% nPP (experiment 2) for 14 d. In both experiments, decreasing nPP from 0.45 to 0.13 or 0.20% decreased BW gain, G:F, excreta phosphorus, plasma phosphate, and plasma FGF-23 at all time periods examined (nPP main effect, P < 0.05). In experiment 1, chicks with maternal anti-FGF-23 antibody had increased tibiotarsi ash (d 14), and decreased excreta phosphate (d 7, 14) and plasma intact parathyroid hormone (d 7) when compared to chicks with control antibody (antibody main effect, P < 0.05). Mortality (d 7 to 14, 1 to 14), posture scores (d 7, 14) and bone lesion scores (d 14) decreased and plasma phosphate (d 14) increased in anti-FGF-23 chicks fed 0.13% nPP, compared to those with control antibody on the same diet (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, chicks with maternal anti-FGF-23 antibody had increased tibiotarsi ash (d 14), and plasma phosphate (d 14) and 1,25(OH)2D3 (d 14) levels, compared to chicks with control antibody (antibody main effect, P < 0.05). BW gain and G:F were increased in chicks with anti-FGF-23 antibody fed 0.20% nPP, compared to control antibody chicks on the same diet, at all time periods examined (P < 0.05). In conclusion, maternally-derived anti-FGF-23 antibody increased phosphorus retention in chicks fed diets containing either 0.13 or 0.20% nPP and thereby, reduced signs of phosphorus deficiency. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

  9. Adsorption of ammonium and phosphate by feather protein based semi-interpenetrating polymer networks hydrogel as a controlled-release fertilizer.

    PubMed

    Su, Yuan; Liu, Jia; Yue, Qinyan; Li, Qian; Gao, Baoyu

    2014-01-01

    A new feather protein-grafted poly(potassium acrylate)/polyvinyl alcohol (FP-g-PKA/PVA) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs) hydrogel was produced through graft copolymerization with FP as a basic macromolecular skeletal material, acrylic acid as a monomer and PVA as a semi-IPNs polymer. The adsorption of ammonium and phosphate ions from aqueous solution using the new hydrogel as N and P controlled-release fertilizer with water-retention capacity was studied. The effects of pH value, concentration, contact time and ion strength on NH4+ and PO3-4 removal by FP-g-PKA/PVA semi-IPNs hydrogel were investigated using batch adsorption experiments. The results indicated that the hydrogel had high adsorption capacities and fast adsorption rates for NH4+ and PO3-4 in wide pH levels ranging from 4.0 to 9.0. Kinetic analysis presented that both NH4+ and PO3-4 removal were closely fitted with the pseudo-second-order model. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherms of hydrogel were best represented by the Freundlich model. The adsorption-desorption experimental results showed the sustainable stability of FP-g-PKA/PVA semi-IPNs hydrogel for NH4+ and PO3-4 removal. Overall, FP-g-PKA/PVA could be considered as an efficient material for the removal and recovery of nitrogen and phosphorus with the agronomic reuse as a fertilizer.

  10. Effects of Increased Summer Precipitation and Nitrogen Addition on Root Decomposition in a Temperate Desert

    PubMed Central

    Zhao, Hongmei; Huang, Gang; Li, Yan; Ma, Jian; Sheng, Jiandong; Jia, Hongtao; Li, Congjuan

    2015-01-01

    Background Climate change scenarios that include precipitation shifts and nitrogen (N) deposition are impacting carbon (C) budgets in arid ecosystems. Roots constitute an important part of the C cycle, but it is still unclear which factors control root mass loss and nutrient release in arid lands. Methodology/Principal Findings Litterbags were used to investigate the decomposition rate and nutrient dynamics in root litter with water and N-addition treatments in the Gurbantunggut Desert in China. Water and N addition had no significant effect on root mass loss and the N and phosphorus content of litter residue. The loss of root litter and nutrient releases were strongly controlled by the initial lignin content and the lignin:N ratio, as evidenced by the negative correlations between decomposition rate and litter lignin content and the lignin:N ratio. Fine roots of Seriphidium santolinum (with higher initial lignin content) had a slower decomposition rate in comparison to coarse roots. Conclusion/Significance Results from this study indicate that small and temporary changes in rainfall and N deposition do not affect root decomposition patterns in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Root decomposition rates were significantly different between species, and also between fine and coarse roots, and were determined by carbon components, especially lignin content, suggesting that root litter quality may be the primary driver of belowground carbon turnover. PMID:26544050

  11. Understanding the associations between modifying factors, individual health beliefs, and hemodialysis patients' adherence to a low-phosphorus diet.

    PubMed

    Elliott, John O; Ortman, Carl; Almaani, Salem; Lee, Yun Hui; Jordan, Kim

    2015-03-01

    Hyperphosphatemia in end-stage renal disease is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Because phosphorus is not effectively dialyzed, dietary adherence remains a significant problem. Previous studies have examined the health belief model, but none have looked at stages of change and dietary adherence in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). Cross-sectional survey. Three dialysis centers in Columbus, Ohio, between August 2012 and March 2013. English-speaking patients age 18 or older on HD without dementia or developmental delay. None. Associations between dietary adherence based on the Precaution Adoption Process Model (stages of change) and serum phosphorus levels via a conceptual model incorporating modifying factors and individual health beliefs. Ninety-five patients completed the survey; 59 (62%) endorsed adherence to a low-phosphorus diet and 32 (34%) had phosphorus values ≤5.5 mg/dL. Modifying factors associated with diet adherence included nonminority status odds ratio (OR), 95%CI 8.99 (1.08-74.60), greater level of education OR 18.23 (1.62-205.00), better quality of life OR 9.28 (1.35-63.71), and time on dialysis OR 1.04 (1.01-1.07). Individual health beliefs associated with diet adherence included perceived benefits OR 3.18 (1.47-6.88) and self-efficacy OR 1.22 (1.09-1.38). Modifying factors associated with phosphorus control included: age OR 0.94 (0.90-0.99), minority status OR 0.11 (0.02-0.68), greater level of education OR 6.60 (1.41-31.04), knowledge about chronic kidney disease OR 1.48 (1.03-2.13), and time on dialysis OR 0.98 (0.96-0.99). Individual health beliefs associated with phosphorus control included self-efficacy OR 1.08 (1.01-1.16). HD clinicians and educators may obtain better results with dietary adherence and phosphorus control if they focus not only toward disease and dietary education but also on understanding modifying factors and individual health beliefs. Assessing where the patient is with regard to stages of change may assist health care providers in better matching interventions that build patients' self-efficacy. Copyright © 2015 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Effect of cross-linked chitosan iron (III) on vascular calcification in uremic rats.

    PubMed

    de Castro, Barbara Bruna Abreu; do Carmo, Wander Barros; de Albuquerque Suassuna, Paulo Giovani; Carminatti, Moises; Brito, Julia Bianchi; Dominguez, Wagner Vasques; de Oliveira, Ivone Braga; Jorgetti, Vanda; Custodio, Melani Ribeiro; Sanders-Pinheiro, Helady

    2018-05-01

    Cross-linked chitosan iron (III) is a chitin-derived polymer with a chelating effect on phosphorus, but it is untested in vascular calcification. We evaluated this compound's ability to reduce hyperphosphatemia and its effect on vascular calcification in uremic rats using an adenine-based, phosphorus-rich diet for seven weeks. We used a control group to characterize the uremia. Uremic rats were divided according the treatment into chronic kidney disease, CKD-Ch-Fe(III)CL (CKD-Ch), CKD-calcium carbonate, or CKD-sevelamer groups. We measured creatinine, phosphorus, calcium, alkaline phosphatase, phosphorus excretion fraction, parathyroid hormone, and fibroblast growth factor 23. Vascular calcification was assessed using the aortic calcium content, and a semi-quantitative analysis was performed using Von Kossa and hematoxylin-eosin staining. At week seven, rats in the chronic kidney disease group had higher creatinine, phosphorus, phosphorus excretion fraction, calcium, alkaline phosphatase, fibroblast growth factor 23, and aortic calcium content than those in the Control group. Treatments with cross-linked chitosan iron (III) and calcium carbonate prevented phosphorus increase (20%-30% reduction). The aortic calcium content was lowered by 88% and 85% in the CKD-Ch and CKD-sevelamer groups, respectively. The prevalence of vascular changes was higher in the chronic kidney disease and CKD-calcium carbonate (62.5%) groups than in the CKD-Ch group (37.5%). In conclusion, cross-linked chitosan iron (III) had a phosphorus chelating effect similar to calcium carbonate already available for clinical use, and prevented calcium accumulation in the aorta. Impact statement Vascular calcification (VC) is a common complication due to CKD-related bone and mineral disorder (BMD) and is characterized by deposition of calcium in vessels. Effective therapies are not yet available but new phosphorus chelators can prevent complications from CV. We tested the effect of chitosan, a new phosphorus chelator, on the VC of uremic animals. It has recently been proposed that chitosan treatment may be effective in the treatment of hyperphosphataemia. However, its action on vascular calcification has not been investigated yet. In this study, we demonstrated that chitosan reduced the calcium content in the aorta, suggesting that this may be a therapeutic approach in the treatment of hyperphosphatemia by preventing CV.

  13. Effectiveness of organo-phosphorus insecticides against houseflies and mosquitos

    PubMed Central

    Lindquist, A. W.

    1957-01-01

    The paper describes the research being undertaken on organo-phosphorus insecticides for the control of houseflies and mosquitos. The information obtained from laboratory and field tests indicates that these insecticides are at present effective substitutes for DDT and other chlorinated-hydrocarbon insecticides for use against resistant houseflies and culicine mosquitos, but the residual applications are not as long lasting as those of DDT and therefore will probably not be as efficient in anopheline control. PMID:13413645

  14. Black phosphorus saturable absorber for ultrashort pulse generation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sotor, J., E-mail: jaroslaw.sotor@pwr.edu.pl; Sobon, G.; Abramski, K. M.

    Low-dimensional materials, due to their unique and versatile properties, are very interesting for numerous applications in electronics and optoelectronics. Recently rediscovered black phosphorus, with a graphite-like layered structure, can be effectively exfoliated up to the single atomic layer called phosphorene. Contrary to graphene, it possesses a direct band gap controllable by the number of stacked atomic layers. For those reasons, black phosphorus is now intensively investigated and can complement or replace graphene in various photonics and electronics applications. Here, we demonstrate that black phosphorus can serve as a broadband saturable absorber and can be used for ultrashort optical pulse generation.more » The mechanically exfoliated ∼300 nm thick layers of black phosphorus were transferred onto the fiber core, and under pulsed excitation at 1560 nm wavelength, its transmission increases by 4.6%. We have demonstrated that the saturable absorption of black phosphorus is polarization sensitive. The fabricated device was used to mode-lock an Er-doped fiber laser. The generated optical solitons with the 10.2 nm bandwidth and 272 fs duration were centered at 1550 nm. The obtained results unambiguously show that black phosphorus can be effectively used for ultrashort pulse generation with performances similar or even better than currently used graphene or carbon nanotubes. This application of black phosphorus proves its great potential to future practical use in photonics.« less

  15. Sources and transport of phosphorus to rivers in California and adjacent states, U.S., as determined by SPARROW modeling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Domagalski, Joseph L.; Saleh, Dina

    2015-01-01

    The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes) model was used to simulate annual phosphorus loads and concentrations in unmonitored stream reaches in California, U.S., and portions of Nevada and Oregon. The model was calibrated using de-trended streamflow and phosphorus concentration data at 80 locations. The model explained 91% of the variability in loads and 51% of the variability in yields for a base year of 2002. Point sources, geological background, and cultivated land were significant sources. Variables used to explain delivery of phosphorus from land to water were precipitation and soil clay content. Aquatic loss of phosphorus was significant in streams of all sizes, with the greatest decay predicted in small- and intermediate-sized streams. Geological sources, including volcanic rocks and shales, were the principal control on concentrations and loads in many regions. Some localized formations such as the Monterey shale of southern California are important sources of phosphorus and may contribute to elevated stream concentrations. Many of the larger point source facilities were located in downstream areas, near the ocean, and do not affect inland streams except for a few locations. Large areas of cultivated land result in phosphorus load increases, but do not necessarily increase the loads above those of geological background in some cases because of local hydrology, which limits the potential of phosphorus transport from land to streams.

  16. Extra-phosphate load from food additives in commonly eaten foods: a real and insidious danger for renal patients.

    PubMed

    Benini, Omar; D'Alessandro, Claudia; Gianfaldoni, Daniela; Cupisti, Adamasco

    2011-07-01

    Restriction of dietary phosphorus is a major aspect of patient care in those with renal disease. Restriction of dietary phosphorus is necessary to control for phosphate balance during both conservative therapy and dialysis treatment. The extra amount of phosphorus which is consumed as a result of phosphate-containing food additives is a real challenge for patients with renal disease and for dieticians because it represents a "hidden" phosphate load. The objective of this study was to measure phosphorus content in foods, common protein sources in particular, and comprised both those which included a listing of phosphate additives and those which did not. Determinations of dry matter, nitrogen, total and soluble phosphate ions were carried out in 60 samples of foods, namely cooked ham, roast breast turkey, and roast breast chicken, of which, 30 were with declared phosphate additives and the other 30 similar items were without additives. Total phosphorus (290 ± 40 mg/100 g vs. 185 ± 23 mg/100 g, P < .001) and soluble phosphorus (164 ± 25 mg/100 g vs. 100 ± 19 mg/100 g, P < .001) content were higher in products containing additives than in foods without additives. No difference was detected between the 2 groups regarding dry matter (27.2 ± 2.0 g/100 g vs. 26.7 ± 1.9 g/100 g) or total nitrogen (3.15 ± 0.40 g/100 g vs. 3.19 ± 0.40 g/100 g). Consequently, phosphorus intake per gram of protein was much greater in the foods containing phosphorus additives (15.0 ± 3.1 mg/g vs. 9.3 ± 0.7 mg/g, P < .001). Our results show that those foods which contain phosphate additives have a phosphorus content nearly 70% higher than the samples which did not contain additives. This creates a special concern because this extra amount of phosphorus is almost completely absorbed by the intestinal tract. These hidden phosphates worsen phosphate balance control and increase the need for phosphate binders and related costs. Information and educational programs are essential to make patients with renal disease aware of the existence of foods with phosphate additives. Moreover, these facts highlight the need for national and international authorities to devote more attention to food labels which should clearly report the amount of natural or added phosphorus. Copyright © 2011 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Phosphorus limits Eucalyptus grandis seedling growth in an unburnt rain forest soil

    PubMed Central

    Tng, David Y. P.; Janos, David P.; Jordan, Gregory J.; Weber, Ellen; Bowman, David M. J. S.

    2014-01-01

    Although rain forest is characterized as pyrophobic, pyrophilic giant eucalypts grow as rain forest emergents in both temperate and tropical Australia. In temperate Australia, such eucalypts depend on extensive, infrequent fires to produce conditions suitable for seedling growth. Little is known, however, about constraints on seedlings of tropical giant eucalypts. We tested whether seedlings of Eucalyptus grandis experience edaphic constraints similar to their temperate counterparts. We hypothesized that phosphorous addition would alleviate edaphic constraints. We grew seedlings in a factorial experiment combining fumigation (to simulate nutrient release and soil pasteurization by fire), soil type (E. grandis forest versus rain forest soil) and phosphorus addition as factors. We found that phosphorus was the principal factor limiting E. grandis seedling survival and growth in rain forest soil, and that fumigation enhanced survival of seedlings in both E. grandis forest and rain forest soil. We conclude that similar to edaphic constraints on temperate giant eucalypts, mineral nutrient and biotic attributes of a tropical rain forest soil may hamper E. grandis seedling establishment. In rain forest soil, E. grandis seedlings benefited from conditions akin to a fire-generated ashbed (i.e., an “ashbed effect”). PMID:25339968

  18. Performance of the full-scale biological nutrient removal plant at Noosa in Queensland, Australia: nutrient removal and disinfection.

    PubMed

    Urbain, V; Wright, P; Thomas, M

    2001-01-01

    Stringent effluent quality guidelines are progressively implemented in coastal and sensitive areas in Australia. Biological Nutrient Removal (BNR) plants are becoming a standard often including a tertiary treatment for disinfection. The BNR plant in Noosa - Queensland is designed to produce a treated effluent with less than 5 mg/l of BOD5, 5 mg/l of total nitrogen, 1 mg/l of total phosphorus, 5 mg/l of suspended solids and total coliforms of less than 10/100 ml. A flexible multi-stage biological process with a prefermentation stage, followed by sand filtration and UV disinfection was implemented to achieve this level of treatment. Acetic acid is added for phosphorus removal because: i) the volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration in raw wastewater varies a lot, and ii) the prefermenter had to be turned off due to odor problems on the primary sedimentation tanks. An endogenous anoxic zone was added to the process to further reduce the nitrate concentration. This resulted in some secondary P-release events, a situation that happens when low nitrate and low phosphorus objectives are targeted. Long-term performance data and specific results on nitrogen removal and disinfection are presented in this paper.

  19. Water-quality and algal conditions in the North Umpqua River basin, Oregon, 1992-95, and indications for resource management

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anderson, Chauncey W.; Carpenter, Kurt D.

    1998-01-01

    Water quality in the Wild and Scenic reach is dominated by water released from the hydroelectric project area during summer. Effects of the hydroelectric project include seasonal control of streamflow, water temperature, and phosphorus concentrations, and the possible release of low but ecologically important concentrations of organic nitrogen. A review of available data and literature suggests that the reservoirs can increase the interception of sediments and large organic debris, and promote their conversion into fine-grained particulate and dissolved organic matter for downstream transport. These effects could be compounded by the effects of forestry in the basin, including alteration of hydrologic cycles, changes in sediment and nutrient runoff, reductions of the transport of large woody debris, and degradation of habitat quality. It is hypothesized that, in the North Umpqua River, these processes have induced a fundamental shift in the river’s food web, from a detritus-based system to a system with a 2 higher emphasis on algal production. Confirmation of these changes and their effects on higher trophic levels are needed to properly manage the aquatic resources for all designated beneficial uses in the basin.

  20. [Litter decomposition and nutrient release in Acacia mangium plantations established on degraded soils of Colombia].

    PubMed

    Castellanos-Barliza, Jeiner; León Peláez, Juan Diego

    2011-03-01

    Several factors control the decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems such as humidity, temperature, quality of litter and microbial activity. We investigated the effects of rainfall and soil plowing prior to the establishment of Acacia mangium plantations, using the litterbag technique, during a six month period, in forests plantations in Bajo Cauca region, Colombia. The annual decomposition constants (k) of simple exponential model, oscillated between 1.24 and 1.80, meanwhile k1 y k2 decomposition constants of double exponential model were 0.88-1.81 and 0.58-7.01. At the end of the study, the mean residual dry matter (RDM) was 47% of the initial value for the three sites. We found a slow N, Ca and Mg release pattern from the A. mangium leaf litter, meanwhile, phosphorus (P) showed a dominant immobilization phase, suggesting its low availability in soils. Chemical leaf litter quality parameters (e.g. N and P concentrations, C/N, N/P ratios and phenols content) showed an important influence on decomposition rates. The results of this study indicated that rainfall plays an important role on the decomposition process, but not soil plowing.

  1. Recovery of phosphate and dissolved organic matter from aqueous solution using a novel CaO-MgO hybrid carbon composite and its feasibility in phosphorus recycling.

    PubMed

    Li, Ronghua; Wang, Jim J; Zhang, Zengqiang; Awasthi, Mukesh Kumar; Du, Dan; Dang, Pengfei; Huang, Qian; Zhang, Yichen; Wang, Lu

    2018-06-13

    Metal oxide-Carbon composites have been developed tailoring towards specific functionalities for removing pollutants from contaminated environmental systems. In this study, we synthesized a novel CaO-MgO hybrid carbon composite for removal of phosphate and humate by co-pyrolysis of dolomite and sawdust at various temperatures. Increasing of pyrolysis temperature to 900 °C generated a composite rich in carbon, CaO and MgO particles. Phosphate and humate can be removed efficiently by the synthesized composite with the initial solution in the range of pH 3.0-11.0. The phosphate adsorption was best fitted by pseudo-second-order kinetic model, while the humate adsorption followed the pseudo-second-order and the intra-particle diffusion kinetic models. The maximum adsorption capabilities quantified by the Langmuir isotherm model were up to 207 mg phosphorus (or 621 mg phosphate) and 469 mg humate per one-gram composite used, respectively. Characterization of composites after adsorption revealed the contributions of phosphate crystal deposition and electrostatic attraction on the phosphate uptake and involvement of π - π interaction in the humate adsorption. The prepared composite has great potential for recovering phosphorus from wastewater, and the phosphate sorbed composite can be employed as a promising phosphorus slow-releasing fertilizer for improving plant growth. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. The characteristics of phosphorus adsorption and desorption in gray desert soil of Xinjiang, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, B.; Sun, J. S.; Liu, H.; Ma, Y. B.

    2017-07-01

    The characteristics of phosphorus (P) adsorption and desorption in Xinjiang gray desert soil (0 - 200 mm) of China in the long-term fertilization condition is affected by the level of soil P content which studied through an isothermal adsorption and desorption experiments of P. The results stated that within the experimental concentration range, with the increase of the amount of outer-source phosphorus, P adsorption, desorption and desorption rate increased and adsorption rate decreased gradually in different Olsen-P levels of gray desert soil in Xinjiang, China. Olsen-P content is significantly correlated with the P adsorption saturation (DPS) of gray desert soil. The maximum adsorption capacity (Xm ) of the treatments followed an extremely significant decreasing order of CK>NPK≈NPKM>PK≈NPKS. The maximum buffer capacity (MBC) and adsorption constant (K) of the NPK treatment was much higher than NPKM, NPKS, PK and CK treatments. And, MBC value of CK treatment was extremely higher than NPKS and PK, however, the differences between NPKM and CK, NPKS and PK were not significant. The comparison between NPKM, NPKS, PK and CK treatments showed no significant difference in K value, but these four showed significantly lower than NPK treatments. The value of soil easy desorption P (RDP) of NPKS and NPKM was significantly higher than NPK and PK, and the chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer was a best way to release the phosphorus for Xinjiang agricultural production, China.

  3. Using solid 13C NMR coupled with solution 31P NMR spectroscopy to investigate molecular species and lability of organic carbon and phosphorus from aquatic plants in Tai Lake, China

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Aquatic plants are involved in the storage and release capacity for organic matter and nutrients. In this study, solid 13C and solution 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the biomass samples of six aquatic plants. Solid 13C NMR spectroscopy revealed the domin...

  4. Smokes and Obscurants: A Guidebook of Environmental Assessment. Volume 1. Method of Assessment and Appended Data

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-09-04

    phytoplankton (microscopic, free-floating algae ), periphyton (microscopic algae that grow attached to rocks or other material), or pigmented bacteria that can...spontaneously with air when released from munitions. Consequently, white phosphorus is often combined with other materials that slow down smoke propagation . A...consumers, typically benthic crganisms (bottom-dwellers, such as mud worms and clams), which consume the primary consumers; and tertiary consumers

  5. Bacterial community of iron tubercles from a drinking water distribution system and its occurrence in stagnant tap water.

    PubMed

    Chen, Lu; Jia, Rui-Bao; Li, Li

    2013-07-01

    Bacteria in drinking water distribution systems can cause deterioration of the water quality, and the microbial quality of tap water is closely related to consumer health. In the present study, the potential effects of bacteria attached to cast iron pipes on tap water in a distribution system were investigated. Comparison of the bacterial community composition of pipe tubercles with that of stagnant tap water samples based on a denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the communities were related. Specifically, the main bacterial members were identical to each other. The bacterial community was found to be dominated by Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria, which included Rhizobium, Pseudomonas, Lactococcus, Brevundimonas, Rheinheimera, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, and Herbaspirillum. Heterotrophic bacteria proliferation was observed during the period of stagnation, followed by a decrease of assimilable organic carbon and a slight increase of microbially available phosphorus. These findings indicated that the regrowth of bacteria might be boosted by the release of nutrients such as phosphorus from the pipe walls, as well as the decline of residual chlorine during stagnation. Inorganic contaminants at low levels, including Al, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cu, and Ni, were detected in tubercles and were concentrated in particulates from tap water following the release of iron during stagnation.

  6. Forest disturbances trigger erosion controlled fluxes of nitrogen, phosphorus and dissolved carbon

    Treesearch

    Marek Matyjasik; Gretchen Moisen; Todd A. Schroeder; Tracy Frescino; Michael Hernandez

    2015-01-01

    The initial phase of the research that addressed correlation between annual forest disturbance maps produced from LANDSAT images and water quality and flow data indicate that forest disturbances in conjunction with intense atmospheric precipitation commonly trigger fluxes of several chemical constituents, such as nitrogen, phosphorus carbon. These fluxes appear to be...

  7. The persistent environmental relevance of soil phosphorus sorption saturation

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Controlling phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural soils remains a priority pollution concern in much of the world. Dissolved forms of P loss are amongst the most difficult to manage. The concept of soil P sorption saturation emerged from the Netherlands in the 1990s and has broad appeal as an enviro...

  8. Evidence for polyphosphate accumulating organism (PAO)-mediated phosphorus cycling in stream biofilms under alternating aerobic/anaerobic conditions

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Phosphorus (P) is often a limiting nutrient in freshwater ecosystems and excessive inputs can lead to eutrophication. In-stream cycling of P involves complex biological, chemical, and physical processes that are not fully understood. Microbial metabolisms are suspected to control oxygen-dependent up...

  9. The estimation of the load of non-point source nitrogen and phosphorus based on observation experiments and export coefficient method in Three Gorges Reservoir Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tong, X. X.; Hu, B.; Xu, W. S.; Liu, J. G.; Zhang, P. C.

    2017-12-01

    In this paper, Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) was chosen to be the study area, the export coefficients of different land-use type were calculated through the observation experiments and literature consultation, and then the load of non-point source (NPS) nitrogen and phosphorus of different pollution sources such as farmland pollution sources, decentralized livestock and poultry breeding pollution sources and domestic pollution sources were estimated. The results show as follows: the pollution load of dry land is the main source of farmland pollution. The order of total nitrogen load of different pollution sources from high to low is livestock breeding pollution, domestic pollution, land use pollution, while the order of phosphorus load of different pollution sources from high to low is land use pollution, livestock breeding pollution, domestic pollution, Therefore, reasonable farmland management, effective control methods of dry land fertilization and sewage discharge of livestock breeding are the keys to the prevention and control of NPS nitrogen and phosphorus in TGRA.

  10. The Phosphate Binder Ferric Citrate and Mineral Metabolism and Inflammatory Markers in Maintenance Dialysis Patients: Results From Prespecified Analyses of a Randomized Clinical Trial

    PubMed Central

    Van Buren, Peter N.; Lewis, Julia B.; Dwyer, Jamie P.; Greene, Tom; Middleton, John; Sika, Mohammed; Umanath, Kausik; Abraham, Josephine D.; Arfeen, Shahabul S.; Bowline, Isai G.; Chernin, Gil; Fadem, Stephen Z.; Goral, Simin; Koury, Mark; Sinsakul, Marvin V.; Weiner, Daniel E.

    2016-01-01

    Background Phosphate binders are the cornerstone of hyperphosphatemia management in dialysis patients. Ferric citrate is an iron-based oral phosphate binder that effectively lowers serum phosphorus levels. Study Design 52-week, open-label, phase 3, randomized, controlled trial for safety-profile assessment. Setting & Participants Maintenance dialysis patients with serum phosphorus levels ≥6.0 mg/dL after washout of prior phosphate binders. Intervention 2:1 randomization to ferric citrate or active control (sevelamer carbonate and/or calcium acetate). Outcomes Changes in mineral bone disease, protein-energy wasting/inflammation, and occurrence of adverse events after 1 year. Measurements Serum calcium, intact parathyroid hormone, phosphorus, aluminum, white blood cell count, percentage of lymphocytes, serum urea nitrogen, and bicarbonate. Results There were 292 participants randomly assigned to ferric citrate, and 149, to active control. Groups were well matched. For mean changes from baseline, phosphorus levels decreased similarly in the ferric citrate and active control groups (−2.04 ± 1.99 [SD] vs −2.18 ± 2.25 mg/dL, respectively; P = 0.9); serum calcium levels increased similarly in the ferric citrate and active control groups (0.22 ± 0.90 vs 0.31 ± 0.95 mg/dL; P = 0.2). Hypercalcemia occurred in 4 participants receiving calcium acetate. Parathyroid hormone levels decreased similarly in the ferric citrate and active control groups (−167.1 ± 399.8 vs −152.7 ± 392.1 pg/mL; P = 0.8). Serum albumin, bicarbonate, serum urea nitrogen, white blood cell count and percentage of lymphocytes, and aluminum values were similar between ferric citrate and active control. Total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower in participants receiving sevelamer than those receiving ferric citrate and calcium acetate. Fewer participants randomly assigned to ferric citrate had serious adverse events compared with active control. Limitations Open-label study, few peritoneal dialysis patients. Conclusions Ferric citrate was associated with similar phosphorus control compared to active control, with similar effects on markers of bone and mineral metabolism in dialysis patients. There was no evidence of protein-energy wasting/inflammation or aluminum toxicity, and fewer participants randomly assigned to ferric citrate had serious adverse events. Ferric citrate is an effective phosphate binder with a safety profile comparable to sevelamer and calcium acetate. PMID:25958079

  11. Controlling tailwater sediment and phosphorus concentrations with polyacrylamide in the Imperial Valley, California.

    PubMed

    Goodson, Christopher C; Schwartz, Gregory; Amrhein, Christopher

    2006-01-01

    External loading of phosphorus (P) from agricultural surface discharge (tailwater) is the main cause of excessive algae growth and the eutrophication of the Salton Sea, California. Continuous polyacrylamide (PAM) applications to agricultural irrigation water inflows were evaluated as a means of reducing sediment and P in tailwater. Zero (control) and 1 mg L(-1) PAM (PAM1) treatments were compared at 17 Imperial Valley field sites. Five and 10 mg L(-1) PAM treatments (PAM5, PAM10) were conducted at one site. The particulate phosphorus (Pp) fraction was determined as the difference between total phosphorus (Pt) and the soluble phosphorus (Ps) fraction. We observed 73, 82, and 98% turbidity reduction with PAM1, PAM5, and PAM10 treatments. Although eight field sites had control tailwater sediment concentrations above the New River total maximum daily loads (TMDL), all but one were made compliant during their paired PAM1 treatments. While PAM1 and PAM10 reduced tail water Pp by 31 and 78%, none of the treatments tested reduced Ps. This may have been caused by high irrigation water Na concentrations which would reduce Ca adsorption and Ca-phosphate bridging on the PAM. The PAM1 treatments resulted in <0.5 mg L(-1) drain water polyacrylamide concentrations 1.6 km downstream of PAM addition, while PAM5 and PAM10 treatments produced > 2 mg L(-1) drain water polyacrylamide concentrations. We concluded that, although PAM practically eliminates Imperial Valley tailwater sediment loads, it does not effectively reduce tailwater Ps, the P fraction most responsible for the eutrophication of the Salton Sea.

  12. Significance of serum levels of vitamin D and some related minerals in breast cancer patients

    PubMed Central

    Abdelgawad, Iman A; El-Mously, Rawya H; Saber, Magdy M; Mansour, Ossama A; Shouman, Samia A

    2015-01-01

    Vitamin D and calcium are involved in a wide range of proliferation, apoptosis and cell signaling activities in the body. Suboptimal concentrations may lead to cancer development. The role of phosphate in cancer metabolism is particularly relevant in breast cancer while, magnesium deficiency favors DNA mutations leading to carcinogenesis. Objectives: To determine serum levels of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and parathormone in female breast cancer patients and to assess their association with some prognostic factors in breast cancer. Design and methods: This study is done on 98 newly diagnosed female breast cancer patients and 49 age matched apparently healthy female volunteers as controls. Serum samples from all patients and controls were subjected to 25-OH Vit D, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and parathormone measurements. Results: In the breast cancer group, the median serum levels of 25-OH Vit D were 15 ng/ml, while it was 21 ng/ml in the control group. Levels of 25-OH Vit D and other tested minerals were significantly lower while calcium:magnesium (Ca:Mg) ratio, and calcium:phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio were significantly higher in the breast cancer group. Significant negative correlation was detected between phosphorus and calcium, ionized calcium , calcium magnesium ratio, and calcium phosphorus ratio. Conclusion: It is not only the deficient levels of Vit D and other related minerals, but the combination of the abnormal levels of all the studied parameters that might contribute to the development of cancer. Further studies with larger number of patient are needed. PMID:26097595

  13. Phosphorus runoff from incorporated and surface-applied liquid swine manure and phosphorus fertilizer.

    PubMed

    Daverede, I C; Kravchenko, A N; Hoeft, R G; Nafziger, E D; Bullock, D G; Warren, J J; Gonzini, L C

    2004-01-01

    Excessive fertilization with organic and/or inorganic P amendments to cropland increases the potential risk of P loss to surface waters. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil test P level, source, and application method of P amendments on P in runoff following soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. The treatments consisted of two rates of swine (Sus scrofa domestica) liquid manure surface-applied and injected, 54 kg P ha(-1) triple superphosphate (TSP) surface-applied and incorporated, and a control with and without chisel-plowing. Rainfall simulations were conducted one month (1MO) and six months (6MO) after P amendment application for 2 yr. Soil injection of swine manure compared with surface application resulted in runoff P concentration decreases of 93, 82, and 94%, and P load decreases of 99, 94, and 99% for dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), total phosphorus (TP), and algal-available phosphorus (AAP), respectively. Incorporation of TSP also reduced P concentration in runoff significantly. Runoff P concentration and load from incorporated amendments did not differ from the control. Factors most strongly related to P in runoff from the incorporated treatments included Bray P1 soil extraction value for DRP concentration, and Bray P1 and sediment content in runoff for AAP and TP concentration and load. Injecting manure and chisel-plowing inorganic fertilizer reduced runoff P losses, decreased runoff volumes, and increased the time to runoff, thus minimizing the potential risk of surface water contamination. After incorporating the P amendments, controlling erosion is the main target to minimize TP losses from agricultural soils.

  14. Does Adding Intravenous Phosphorus to Parenteral Nutrition Has Any Effects on Calcium and Phosphorus Metabolism and Bone Mineral Content in Preterm Neonates?

    PubMed

    Mazouri, Ali; Khosravi, Nastaran; Bordbar, Arash; Khalesi, Nasrin; Saboute, Maryam; Taherifard, Pegah; Mirzababaee, Marjan; Ebrahimi, Mehran

    2017-06-01

    The use of parenteral nutritional supplementation of phosphorus may lead to exhibit higher plasma phosphate concentrations and less radiological features in premature neonates susceptible to osteopenia. The present study aimed to assess the beneficial effects of adding intravenous phosphorus to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) on calcium and phosphorus metabolism in preterm neonates by measuring bone mineral content. This open-labeled randomized clinical trial was conducted on premature neonates who were hospitalized at NICU. The neonates were randomly assigned to two groups received TPN with intravenous sodium glycerophosphate or Glycophos (1.5 mmol/kg/day) or TPN without sodium glycerophosphate. At the end of the four weeks of treatment, the presence of osteopenia was examined using DEXA Scan. After completing treatment protocols, the group received TPN with intravenous Glycophos had significantly lower serum alkaline phosphatase (360±60 versus 762±71, P<0.001), as well as higher serum calcium to creatinine ratio (1.6±0.3 versus 0.44±0.13, P<0.001) compared to the control group received TPN without Glycophos. Those who received TPN with intravenous Glycophos experienced more increase in bone mineral density than those in control group (0.13±0.01 versus 0.10±0.02, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in serum calcium and serum vitamin D between the case and control groups. Adding intravenous sodium glycerophosphate to TPN in premature neonates can compensate the lack of bone mineral content and help to prevent osteopenia.

  15. Increasing Dietary Phosphorus Intake from Food Additives: Potential for Negative Impact on Bone Health123

    PubMed Central

    Takeda, Eiji; Yamamoto, Hironori; Yamanaka-Okumura, Hisami; Taketani, Yutaka

    2014-01-01

    It is important to consider whether habitual high phosphorus intake adversely affects bone health, because phosphorus intake has been increasing, whereas calcium intake has been decreasing in dietary patterns. A higher total habitual dietary phosphorus intake has been associated with higher serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and lower serum calcium concentrations in healthy individuals. Higher serum PTH concentrations have been shown in those who consume foods with phosphorus additives. These findings suggest that long-term dietary phosphorus loads and long-term hyperphosphatemia may have important negative effects on bone health. In contrast, PTH concentrations did not increase as a result of high dietary phosphorus intake when phosphorus was provided with adequate amounts of calcium. Intake of foods with a ratio of calcium to phosphorus close to that found in dairy products led to positive effects on bone health. Several randomized controlled trials have shown positive relations between dairy intake and bone mineral density. In our loading test with a low-calcium, high-phosphorus lunch provided to healthy young men, serum PTH concentrations showed peaks at 1 and 6 h, and serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) concentrations increased significantly at 8 h after the meal. In contrast, the high-calcium, high-phosphorus meal suppressed the second PTH and FGF23 elevations until 8 h after the meal. This implies that adequate dietary calcium intake is needed to overcome the interfering effects of high phosphorus intake on PTH and FGF23 secretion. FGF23 acts on the parathyroid gland to decrease PTH mRNA and PTH secretion in rats with normal kidney function. However, increased serum FGF23 is an early alteration of mineral metabolism in chronic kidney disease, causing secondary hyperthyroidism, and implying resistance of the parathyroid gland to the action of FGF23 in chronic kidney disease. These findings suggest that long-term high-phosphorus diets may impair bone health mediated by FGF23 resistance both in chronic kidney disease patients and in the healthy population. PMID:24425727

  16. Evaluation of calcium acetate/magnesium carbonate as a phosphate binder compared with sevelamer hydrochloride in haemodialysis patients: a controlled randomized study (CALMAG study) assessing efficacy and tolerability.

    PubMed

    de Francisco, Angel L M; Leidig, Michael; Covic, Adrian C; Ketteler, Markus; Benedyk-Lorens, Ewa; Mircescu, Gabriel M; Scholz, Caecilia; Ponce, Pedro; Passlick-Deetjen, Jutta

    2010-11-01

    Phosphate binders are required to control serum phosphorus in dialysis patients. A phosphate binder combining calcium and magnesium offers an interesting therapeutic option. This controlled randomized, investigator-masked, multicentre trial investigated the effect of calcium acetate/magnesium carbonate (CaMg) on serum phosphorus levels compared with sevelamer hydrochloride (HCl). The study aim was to show non-inferiority of CaMg in lowering serum phosphorus levels into Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) target level range after 24 weeks. Three hundred and twenty-six patients from five European countries were included. After a phosphate binder washout period, 255 patients were randomized in a 1:1 fashion. Two hundred and four patients completed the study per protocol (CaMg, N = 105; dropouts N = 18; sevelamer-HCl, N = 99; dropouts N = 34). Patient baseline characteristics were similar in both groups. Serum phosphorus levels had decreased significantly with both drugs at week 25, and the study hypothesis of CaMg not being inferior to sevelamer-HCl was confirmed. The area under the curve for serum phosphorus (P = 0.0042) and the number of visits above K/DOQI (≤1.78 mmol/L, P = 0.0198) and Kidney disease: Improving global outcomes (KDIGO) targets (≤1.45 mmol/L, P = 0.0067) were significantly lower with CaMg. Ionized serum calcium did not differ between groups; total serum calcium increased in the CaMg group (treatment difference 0.0477 mmol/L; P = 0.0032) but was not associated with a higher risk of hypercalcaemia. An asymptomatic increase in serum magnesium occurred in CaMg-treated patients (treatment difference 0.2597 mmol/L, P < 0.0001). There was no difference in the number of patients with adverse events. CaMg was non-inferior to the comparator at controlling serum phosphorus levels at Week 25. There was no change in ionized calcium; there was minimal increase in total serum calcium and a small increase in serum magnesium. It had a good tolerability profile and thus may represent an effective treatment of hyperphosphataemia.

  17. Phosphorus cycling in natural and low input soil/plant systems: the role of soil microorganisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tamburini, F.; Bünemann, E. K.; Oberson, A.; Bernasconi, S. M.; Frossard, E.

    2011-12-01

    Availability of phosphorus (as orthophosphate, Pi) limits biological production in many terrestrial ecosystems. During the first phase of soil development, weathering of minerals and leaching of Pi are the processes controlling Pi concentrations in the soil solution, while in mature soils, Pi is made available by desorption of mineral Pi and mineralization of organic compounds. In agricultural soils additional Pi is supplied by fertilization, either with mineral P and/or organic inputs (animal manure or plant residues). Soil microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) mediate several processes, which are central to the availability of Pi to plants. They play a role in the initial release of Pi from the mineral phase, and through extracellular phosphatase enzymes, they decompose and mineralize organic compounds, releasing Pi. On the other hand, microbial immobilization and internal turnover of Pi can decrease the soil available Pi pool, competing in this way with plants. Using radio- and stable isotopic approaches, we show evidence from different soil/plant systems which points to the central role of the microbial activity. In the presented case studies, P contained in the soil microbial biomass is a larger pool than available Pi. In a soil chronosequence after deglaciation, stable isotopes of oxygen associated to phosphate showed that even in the youngest soils microbial activity highly impacted the isotopic signature of available Pi. These results suggested that microorganisms were rapidly taking up and cycling Pi, using it to sustain their community. Microbial P turnover time was faster in the young (about 20 days) than in older soils (about 120 days), reflecting a different functioning of the microbial community. Microbial community crashes, caused by drying/rewetting and freezing/thawing cycles, were most likely responsible for microbial P release to the available P pool. In grassland fertilization experiments with mineral NK and NPK amendments, microbial P turnover was faster in the P-free treatment. Laboratory incubation also showed a more rapid P uptake by microbial biomass in the NK than in the NPK treatment (37% and 6% of added 33P recovered in microbial P after 100 minutes in NK and NPK, respectively). The seasonal microbial P flux in both treatments was 1.5-4 times larger than the annual plant P uptake. In field studies carried out on highly weathered low P soils in Colombia, the comparison between grass-legume and grass-only pastures showed that the presence of legumes had an impact on the overall biological activity. In fact, microbial biomass and phosphatase activity were significantly larger in grass-legume pastures than in the legume-free experiments. Larger release of Pi from the organic P pool improved P availability to plants and pointed at a modified C:N:P stoichiometry along pathways of the nutrient cycle in the soil/plant system. All these data are evidence of a highly dynamic microbial P pool, which controls Pi concentration and, hence, availability for plants in natural and low input agricultural ecosystems.

  18. Nocturnal eating disturbs phosphorus excretion in young subjects: a randomized crossover trial.

    PubMed

    Sakuma, Masae; Noda, Saaya; Morimoto, Yuuka; Suzuki, Akitsu; Nishino, Kanaho; Ando, Sakiko; Umeda, Minako; Ishikawa, Makoto; Arai, Hidekazu

    2015-10-08

    Nocturnal eating have recently increased. Serum phosphorus levels and regulators of phosphorus have circadian variations, so it is suggested that the timing of eating may be important in controlling serum phosphorus levels. However, there have been no reports on the effects of nocturnal eating on phosphorus metabolism. The objective was to evaluate the effects of nocturnal eating on phosphorus metabolism. Fourteen healthy men participated in two experimental protocols with differing dinner times. The design of this study was a crossover study. The subjects were served test meals three times (breakfast; 07:30 h, lunch; 12:30 h, dinner; 17:30 or 22:30 h) a day. Blood and urine samples were collected to assess diurnal variation until the following morning. The following morning, fasting serum phosphorus levels in the late dinner group were markedly higher than those in the early dinner group (p < 0.001), although serum calcium levels were maintained at approximately constant levels throughout the day in both groups. Fluctuations in urinary calcium excretion were synchronized with the timing of dinner eating, however, fluctuations in urinary phosphorus excretion were not synchronized. Urinary phosphorus excretions at night were inhibited in the late dinner group. In the late dinner group, intact parathyroid hormone levels didn't decrease, and they were significantly higher in this group compared with the early dinner group at 20:00 h (p = 0.004). The following morning, fasting serum fibroblast growth factor 23 levels in the late dinner group had not changed, but those in the early dinner group were significantly increased (p = 0.003). Serum free fatty acid levels before dinner were significantly higher in the late dinner group compared with the early dinner group. Our results indicate that nocturnal eating inhibits phosphorus excretion. It is suggested that nocturnal eating should be abstained from to manage serum phosphorus levels to within an adequate range.

  19. Assessing and addressing the re-eutrophication of Lake Erie: central basin hypoxia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Scavia, Donald; Allan, J. David; Arend, Kristin K.; Bartell, Steven; Beletsky, Dmitry; Bosch, Nate S.; Brandt, Stephen B.; Briland, Ruth D.; Daloğlu, Irem; DePinto, Joseph V.; Dolan, David M.; Evans, Mary Anne; Farmer, Troy M.; Goto, Daisuke; Han, Haejin; Höök, Tomas O.; Knight, Roger; Ludsin, Stuart A.; Mason, Doran; Michalak, Anna M.; Richards, R. Peter; Roberts, James J.; Rucinski, Daniel K.; Rutherford, Edward; Schwab, David J.; Sesterhenn, Timothy M.; Zhang, Hongyan; Zhou, Yuntao

    2014-01-01

    Relieving phosphorus loading is a key management tool for controlling Lake Erie eutrophication. During the 1960s and 1970s, increased phosphorus inputs degraded water quality and reduced central basin hypolimnetic oxygen levels which, in turn, eliminated thermal habitat vital to cold-water organisms and contributed to the extirpation of important benthic macroinvertebrate prey species for fishes. In response to load reductions initiated in 1972, Lake Erie responded quickly with reduced water-column phosphorus concentrations, phytoplankton biomass, and bottom-water hypoxia (dissolved oxygen 2) requires cutting total phosphorus loads by 46% from the 2003–2011 average or reducing dissolved reactive phosphorus loads by 78% from the 2005–2011 average. Reductions to these levels are also protective of fish habitat. We provide potential approaches for achieving those new loading targets, and suggest that recent load reduction recommendations focused on western basin cyanobacteria blooms may not be sufficient to reduce central basin hypoxia to 2000 km2.

  20. Layer-dependent band alignment of few layers of blue phosphorus and their van der Waals heterostructures with graphene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pontes, Renato B.; Miwa, Roberto H.; da Silva, Antônio J. R.; Fazzio, Adalberto; Padilha, José E.

    2018-06-01

    The structural and electronic properties of few layers of blue phosphorus and their van der Waals heterostructures with graphene were investigated by means of first-principles electronic structure calculations. We study the four energetically most stable stacking configurations for multilayers of blue phosphorus. For all of them, the indirect band-gap semiconductor character, are preserved. We show that the properties of monolayer graphene and single-layer (bilayer) blue phosphorus are preserved in the van der Waals heterostructures. Further, our results reveal that under a perpendicular applied electric field, the position of the band structure of blue phosphorus with respect to that of graphene is tunable, enabling the effective control of the Schottky barrier height. Indeed, for the bilayer blue phosphorene on top of graphene, it is possible to even move the system into an Ohmic contact and induce a doping level of the blue phosphorene. All of these features are fundamental for the design of new nanodevices based on van der Waals heterostructures.

  1. DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD FOR DETERMINING PHOSPHORUS NUTRIENT CRITERIA IN STREAMS AND RIVERS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

    EPA Science Inventory

    Nutrient enrichment of phosphorus and nitrogen is the second most cited cause for impairment of streams and rivers in the U.S. There is a need to develop stream nutrient criteria to control nutrient loadings. Since biotic metrics can assess the overall impact of nutrient enrichm...

  2. Whole-system phosphorus balances as a practical tool for lake management

    Treesearch

    Johanna Schussler; Lawrence A. Baker; Hugh Chester-Jones

    2007-01-01

    Controlling phosphorus (P) inputs to lakes remains a priority of lake management. This study develops watershed P balances for 11 recreational lakes in Minnesota. Areal P input rates to the watersheds ranged from 0.32 to 6.0 kg Pha-1 year-1 and was linearly related to the percentage of watershed in agriculture. Watershed P...

  3. Wastewater Phosphorus Removal by Two Different Types of Andesitic Volcanic Tephra

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liesch, Amanda M.

    2010-01-01

    Phosphorus (P) is the limiting nutrient controlling productivity in most inland freshwater systems. Several materials have been proposed for use to remove excess P from wastewater treatment, including volcanic lapilli and ash (tephra). There is limited data in using tephra as a P filter. There were two objectives of this study: (1) to determine…

  4. Role of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase in the regulation of organic acid exudation under aluminum toxicity and phosphorus deficiency

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Wenqian; Kan, Qi; Zhang, Jiarong; Zeng, Bingjie; Chen, Qi

    2016-01-01

    Aluminum (Al) toxicity and phosphorus (P) deficiency are 2 major limiting factors for plant growth and crop production in acidic soils. Organic acids exuded from roots have been generally regarded as a major resistance mechanism to Al toxicity and P deficiency. The exudation of organic acids is mediated by membrane-localized OA transporters, such as ALMT (Al-activated malate transporter) and MATE (multidrug and toxic compound extrusion). Beside on up-regulation expression of organic acids transporter gene, transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulation of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase are also involved in organic acid release process under Al toxicity and P deficiency. This mini-review summarizes the current knowledge about this field of study on the role of the plasma membrane H+-ATPase in organic acid exudation under Al toxicity and P deficiency conditions. PMID:26713714

  5. Role of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase in the regulation of organic acid exudation under aluminum toxicity and phosphorus deficiency.

    PubMed

    Yu, Wenqian; Kan, Qi; Zhang, Jiarong; Zeng, Bingjie; Chen, Qi

    2016-01-01

    Aluminum (Al) toxicity and phosphorus (P) deficiency are 2 major limiting factors for plant growth and crop production in acidic soils. Organic acids exuded from roots have been generally regarded as a major resistance mechanism to Al toxicity and P deficiency. The exudation of organic acids is mediated by membrane-localized OA transporters, such as ALMT (Al-activated malate transporter) and MATE (multidrug and toxic compound extrusion). Beside on up-regulation expression of organic acids transporter gene, transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulation of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase are also involved in organic acid release process under Al toxicity and P deficiency. This mini-review summarizes the current knowledge about this field of study on the role of the plasma membrane H(+)-ATPase in organic acid exudation under Al toxicity and P deficiency conditions.

  6. Hot moments in spawning aggregations: implications for ecosystem-scale nutrient cycling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Archer, Stephanie K.; Allgeier, Jacob E.; Semmens, Brice X.; Heppell, Scott A.; Pattengill-Semmens, Christy V.; Rosemond, Amy D.; Bush, Phillippe G.; McCoy, Croy M.; Johnson, Bradley C.; Layman, Craig A.

    2015-03-01

    Biogeochemical hot moments occur when a temporary increase in availability of one or more limiting reactants results in elevated rates of biogeochemical reactions. Many marine fish form transient spawning aggregations, temporarily increasing their local abundance and thus nutrients supplied via excretion at the aggregation site. In this way, nutrients released by aggregating fish could create a biogeochemical hot moment. Using a combination of empirical and modeling approaches, we estimate nitrogen and phosphorus supplied by aggregating Nassau grouper ( Epinephelus striatus). Data suggest aggregating grouper supply up to an order-of-magnitude more nitrogen and phosphorus than daily consumer-derived nutrient supply on coral reefs without aggregating fish. Comparing current and historic aggregation-level excretion estimates shows that overfishing reduced nutrients supplied by aggregating fish by up to 87 %. Our study illustrates a previously unrecognized ecosystem viewpoint regarding fish spawning aggregations and provides an additional perspective on the repercussions of their overexploitation.

  7. Waste activated sludge hydrolysis and acidification: A comparison between sodium hydroxide and steel slag addition.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ying; Zhang, Chaojie; Zhang, Xuan; Feng, Leiyu; Li, Yongmei; Zhou, Qi

    2016-10-01

    Alkaline treatment with steel slag and NaOH addition were investigated under different pH conditions for the fermentation of waste activated sludge. Better performance was achieved in steel slag addition scenarios for both sludge hydrolysis and acidification. More solubilization of organic matters and much production of higher VFA (volatile fatty acid) in a shorter time can be achieved at pH10 when adjusted by steel slag. Higher enzyme activities were also observed in steel slag addition scenarios under the same pH conditions. Phosphorus concentration in the supernatant increased with fermentation time and pH in NaOH addition scenarios, while in contrast most phosphorus was released and captured by steel slag simultaneously in steel slag addition scenarios. These results suggest that steel slag can be used as a substitute for NaOH in sludge alkaline treatment. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. p-type doping by platinum diffusion in low phosphorus doped silicon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ventura, L.; Pichaud, B.; Vervisch, W.; Lanois, F.

    2003-07-01

    In this work we show that the cooling rate following a platinum diffusion strongly influences the electrical conductivity in weakly phosphorus doped silicon. Diffusions were performed at the temperature of 910 °C in the range of 8 32 hours in 0.6, 30, and 60 Ωrm cm phosphorus doped silicon samples. Spreading resistance profile analyses clearly show an n-type to p-type conversion under the surface when samples are cooled slowly. On the other hand, a compensation of the phosphorus donors can only be observed when samples are quenched. One Pt related acceptor deep level at 0.43 eV from the valence band is assumed to be at the origin of the type conversion mechanism. Its concentration increases by lowering the applied cooling rate. A complex formation with fast species such as interstitial Pt atoms or intrinsic point defects is expected. In 0.6 Ωrm cm phosphorus doped silicon, no acceptor deep level in the lower band gap is detected by DLTS measurement. This removes the opportunity of a pairing between phosphorus and platinum and suggests the possibility of a Fermi level controlled complex formation.

  9. Nutrient and Trace Metal Controls on Alkaline Phosphatase in the Subtropical Ocean: Insights from Bioassays and Gene Expression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahaffey, C.; Reynolds, S.; Davis, C. E.; Lohan, M. C.

    2016-02-01

    Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all life on earth. In the ocean, the most bioavailable form of phosphorus is inorganic phosphate, but in the extensive subtropical gyres, phosphate concentrations can be chronically low in the surface ocean and limit biological activity. In response to phosphate limitation, organisms produce phosphohydrolytic enzymes, such as alkaline phosphatases (AP), that enable them to utilize the more replete dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) pool to meet their cellular phosphorus demands. Synthesis of data from the surface ocean from 14 open ocean studies reveals an inverse hyperbolic relationship between phosphate and AP, where AP is significantly induced at phosphate concentrations below 50 nM and DOP concentrations decrease as AP increases. AP activity was significantly higher in the subtropical Atlantic compared to the subtropical Pacific Ocean, even over the same low phosphate concentration range (0 to 50 nM). While the phosphate concentration may have a first order control on the rates of AP, we demonstrate that other factors influence AP activity. AP are metalloenzymes and zinc and iron are co-factors of the AP proteins PhoA and PhoX, respectively. Using bioassay experiments, we show that the addition of Saharan dust and zinc significantly increases the rate of AP. To our knowledge, our results are the first direct field-based evidence that AP activity is limited by zinc in the subtropical ocean. In colonies of nitrogen fixer, Trichodesmium, we found enhanced expression of the phoA gene in a region of elevated zinc concentrations and enhanced expression of the phoX gene in a region of elevated iron concentrations around the intertropical convergence zone. Our study highlights the potential link between the phosphorus cycle and trace metals, specifically zinc and iron, and implies that there is potential for zinc-phosphorus and iron-phosphorus co-limitation in the ocean via AP.

  10. Chromosomal location of traits associated with wheat seedling water and phosphorus use efficiency under different water and phosphorus stresses.

    PubMed

    Cao, Hong-Xing; Zhang, Zheng-Bin; Sun, Cheng-Xu; Shao, Hong-Bo; Song, Wei-Yi; Xu, Ping

    2009-09-18

    The objective of this study was to locate chromosomes for improving water and phosphorus-deficiency tolerance of wheat at the seedling stage. A set of Chinese Spring-Egyptian Red wheat substitution lines and their parent Chinese Spring (recipient) and Egyptian Red (donor) cultivars were measured to determine the chromosomal locations of genes controlling water use efficiency (WUE) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) under different water and phosphorus conditions. The results underlined that chromosomes 1A, 7A, 7B, and 3A showed higher leaf water use efficiency (WUE(l) = Pn/Tr; Pn = photosynthetic rate; Tr = transpiration rate) under W-P (Hoagland solution with 1/2P), -W-P (Hoagland solution with 1/2P and 10% PEG). Chromosomes 7A, 3D, 2B, 3B, and 4B may carry genes for positive effects on individual plant water use efficiency (WUE(p) = biomass/TWC; TWC = total water consumption) under WP (Hoagland solution), W-P and -W-P treatment. Chromosomes 7A and 7D carry genes for PUE enhancement under WP, -WP (Hoagland solution with 10% PEG) and W-P treatment. Chromosome 7A possibly has genes for controlling WUE and PUE simultaneously, which indicates that WUE and PUE may share the same genetic background. Phenotypic and genetic analysis of the investigated traits showed that photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr), Tr and WUE(l) showed significant positive and negative correlations under WP, W-P, -WP and -W-P, W-P, -WP treatments, respectively. Dry mass (DM), WUE(P), PUT (phosphorus uptake) all showed significant positive correlation under WP, W-P and -WP treatment. PUE and phosphorus uptake (PUT = P uptake per plant) showed significant negative correlation under the four treatments. The results might provide useful information for improving WUE and PUE in wheat genetics.

  11. Reversible changes of the muscle cell in experimental phosphorus deficiency.

    PubMed Central

    Fuller, T J; Carter, N W; Barcenas, C; Knochel, J P

    1976-01-01

    Both animal and human studies suggest that either phosphorus depletion or hypophosphatemia might have an adverse effect on muscle function and composition. Recently a possible deleterious effect was noted in patients with chronic alcoholism. In this unexplained disease, a variety of toxic and nutritional disturbances could affect the muscle cell, thus obscuring the precise role of phosphorus. Accordingly, we examined eight conditioned dogs for the possibility that phosphorus deficiency per se might induce an abnormally low resting transmembrane electrical potential difference (Em) and alter the composition of the muscle cell. Eight conditioned dogs were fed a synthetic phosphorus-deficient but otherwise nutritionally adequate diet plus aluminum carbonate gel for a 28-day period followed by the same diet with phosphorus supplementation for an additional 28 days. Sequential measurements of Em and muscle composition were made at 0 and 28 days during depletion and again after phosphorus repletion. Serum inorganic phosphorus concentration (mg/100 ml) fell from 4.2 +/- 0.6 on day 0 t0 1.7 +/- 0.1 on day 28. Total muscle phosphorus content (mmol/100 g fat-free dry wt [FFDW]) fell from 28.5 +/- 1.8 on day 0 to 22.4 +/- 2.1 on day 28. During phosphorus depletion, average Em (-mV) fell from 92.6 +/- 4.2 to 77.9 +/- 4.1 mV (P less than 0.001). Muscle Na+ and Cl- content (meq/100 g FFDW) rose respectively from 11.8 +/- 3.2 to 17.2 +/- 2.8 (P less than 0.01) and from 8.4 +/- 1.4 to 12.7 +/- 2.0 (P less than 0.001). Total muscle water content rose from 331 +/- 12 to 353 +/- 20 g/100 FFDW (P less than 0.05). A slight, but nevertheless, significant drop in muscle potassium content, 43.7 +/- 2.0-39.7 +/- 2.2 meq/100 g FFDW (P less than 0.05) was also noted. After 4 wk of phosphorus repletion, all of these measurements returned toward control values. We conclude that moderate phosphorus depletion can induce reversible changes in skeletal muscle composition and transmembrane potential in the dog, and it apparently occurs independently of profound hypophosphatemia. PMID:947947

  12. Comparative Proteomic Analyses Provide New Insights into Low Phosphorus Stress Responses in Maize Leaves

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Kewei; Liu, Hanhan; Tao, Peilin; Chen, Huan

    2014-01-01

    Phosphorus deficiency limits plant growth and development. To better understand the mechanisms behind how maize responds to phosphate stress, we compared the proteome analysis results of two groups of maize leaves that were treated separately with 1,000 µM (control, +P) and 5 µM of KH2PO4 (intervention group, −P) for 25 days. In total, 1,342 protein spots were detected on 2-DE maps and 15.43% had changed (P<0.05; ≥1.5-fold) significantly in quantity between the +P and −P groups. These proteins are involved in several major metabolic pathways, including photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, energy metabolism, secondary metabolism, signal transduction, protein synthesis, cell rescue and cell defense and virulence. The results showed that the reduction in photosynthesis under low phosphorus treatment was due to the down-regulation of the proteins involved in CO2 enrichment, the Calvin cycle and the electron transport system. Electron transport and photosynthesis restrictions resulted in a large accumulation of peroxides. Maize has developed many different reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging mechanisms to cope with low phosphorus stress, including up-regulating its antioxidant content and antioxidase activity. After being subjected to phosphorus stress over a long period, maize may increase its internal phosphorus utilization efficiency by altering photorespiration, starch synthesis and lipid composition. These results provide important information about how maize responds to low phosphorus stress. PMID:24858307

  13. Extracellular Secretion of Phytase from Transgenic Wheat Roots Allows Utilization of Phytate for Enhanced Phosphorus Uptake.

    PubMed

    Mohsin, Samreen; Maqbool, Asma; Ashraf, Mehwish; Malik, Kauser Abdulla

    2017-08-01

    A significant portion of organic phosphorus comprises of phytates which are not available to wheat for uptake. Hence for enabling wheat to utilize organic phosphorus in form of phytate, transgenic wheat expressing phytase from Aspergillus japonicus under barley root-specific promoter was developed. Transgenic events were initially screened via selection media containing BASTA, followed by PCR and BASTA leaf paint assay after hardening. Out of 138 successfully regenerated T o events, only 12 had complete constructs and thus further analyzed. Positive T1 transgenic plants, grown in sand, exhibited 0.08-1.77, 0.02-0.67 and 0.44-2.14 fold increase in phytase activity in root extracts, intact roots and external root solution, respectively, after 4 weeks of phosphorus stress. Based on these results, T2 generation of four best transgenic events was further analyzed which showed up to 1.32, 56.89, and 15.40 fold increase in phytase activity in root extracts, intact roots and external root solution, respectively, while in case of real-time PCR, maximum fold increase of 19.8 in gene expression was observed. Transgenic lines showed 0.01-1.18 fold increase in phosphorus efficiency along with higher phosphorus content when supplied phytate or inorganic phosphorus than control plants. Thus, this transgenic wheat may aid in reducing fertilizer utilization and enhancing wheat yield.

  14. Successful control of internal phosphorus loading after sediment dredging for 6years: A field assessment using high-resolution sampling techniques.

    PubMed

    Chen, Musong; Cui, Jingzhen; Lin, Juan; Ding, Shiming; Gong, Mengdan; Ren, Mingyi; Tsang, Daniel C W

    2018-03-01

    The effectiveness of sediment dredging for the control of internal phosphorus (P) loading, was investigated seasonally in the eutrophic Lake Taihu. The high-resolution dialysis (HR-Peeper) and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) techniques were used to measure the concentrations of soluble Fe(II) and soluble reactive P (SRP) as well as DGT-labile Fe/P in the non-dredging and post-dredging sediments. The P resupply kinetics from sediment solids were interpreted using DGT Induced Fluxes in Sediments (DIFS) modeling. The results showed no obvious improvement in water and sediment quality after dredging for 6years, due to their geographical proximity (a line distance of approximately 9km). However, dredging significantly decreased the concentrations of soluble Fe(II)/SRP and DGT-labile Fe/P in sediments, with effects varying at different depths below the sediment-water interface; More pronounced effects appeared in January and April. The diffusive flux of pore water SRP from sediments decreased from 0.746, 4.08 and 0.353mg/m 2 /d to 0.174, 1.58 and 0.048mg/m 2 /d in April, July and January, respectively. DIFS modeling indicated that the P retention capability of sediment solids was improved in April in post-dredging site. Positive correlations between pore water soluble Fe(II) and SRP as well as between DGT-labile Fe and P, reflect the key role of Fe redox cycling in regulating dredging effectiveness. This effect is especially important in winter and spring, while in summer and autumn, the decomposition of algae promoted the release of P from sediments and suppressed dredging effectiveness. Overall, the high-resolution HR-Peeper and DGT measurements indicated a successful control of internal P loading by dredging, and the post-dredging effectiveness was suppressed by algal bloom. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Detritus Quality Controls Macrophyte Decomposition under Different Nutrient Concentrations in a Eutrophic Shallow Lake, North China

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xia; Cui, Baoshan; Yang, Qichun; Tian, Hanqin; Lan, Yan; Wang, Tingting; Han, Zhen

    2012-01-01

    Macrophyte decomposition is important for carbon and nutrient cycling in lake ecosystems. Currently, little is known about how this process responds to detritus quality and water nutrient conditions in eutrophic shallow lakes in which incomplete decomposition of detritus accelerates the lake terrestrialization process. In this study, we investigated the effects of detritus quality and water nutrient concentrations on macrophyte decomposition in Lake Baiyangdian, China, by analyzing the decomposition of three major aquatic plants at three sites with different pollution intensities (low, medium, and high pollution sites). Detritus quality refers to detritus nutrient contents as well as C∶N, C∶P, and N∶P mass ratios in this study. Effects of detritus mixtures were tested by combining pairs of representative macrophytes at ratios of 75∶25, 50∶50 and 25∶75 (mass basis). The results indicate that the influence of species types on decomposition was stronger than that of site conditions. Correlation analysis showed that mass losses at the end of the experimental period were significantly controlled by initial detritus chemistry, especially by the initial phosphorus (P) content, carbon to nitrogen (C∶N), and carbon to phosphorus (C∶P) mass ratios in the detritus. The decomposition processes were also influenced by water chemistry. The NO3-N and NH4-N concentrations in the lake water retarded detritus mass loss at the low and high pollution sites, respectively. Net P mineralization in detritus was observed at all sites and detritus P release at the high pollution site was slower than at the other two sites. Nonadditive effects of mixtures tended to be species specific due to the different nutrient contents in each species. Results suggest that the nonadditive effects varied significantly among different sites, indicating that interactions between the detritus quality in species mixtures and site water chemistry may be another driver controlling decomposition in eutrophic shallow lakes. PMID:22848699

  16. Display of phytase on the cell surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to degrade phytate phosphorus and improve bioethanol production.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xianzhong; Xiao, Yan; Shen, Wei; Govender, Algasan; Zhang, Liang; Fan, You; Wang, Zhengxiang

    2016-03-01

    Currently, development of biofuels as an alternative fuel has gained much attention due to resource and environmental challenges. Bioethanol is one of most important and dominant biofuels, and production using corn or cassava as raw materials has become a prominent technology. However, phytate contained in the raw material not only decreases the efficiency of ethanol production, but also leads to an increase in the discharge of phosphorus, thus impacting on the environment. In this study, to decrease phytate and its phosphorus content in an ethanol fermentation process, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered through a surface-displaying system utilizing the C-terminal half of the yeast α-agglutinin protein. The recombinant yeast strain, PHY, was constructed by successfully displaying phytase on the surface of cells, and enzyme activity reached 6.4 U/g wet biomass weight. Ethanol productions using various strains were compared, and the results demonstrated that the specific growth rate and average fermentation rate of the PHY strain were higher 20 and 18 %, respectively, compared to the control strain S. cerevisiae CICIMY0086, in a 5-L bioreactor process by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. More importantly, the phytate phosphorus concentration decreased by 89.8 % and free phosphorus concentration increased by 142.9 % in dry vinasse compared to the control in a 5-L bioreactor. In summary, we constructed a recombinant S. cerevisiae strain displaying phytase on the cell surface, which could improve ethanol production performance and effectively reduce the discharge of phosphorus. The strain reported here represents a useful novel engineering platform for developing an environment-friendly system for bioethanol production from a corn substrate.

  17. Phosphorus mobilization in rewetted fens: the effect of altered peat properties and implications for their restoration.

    PubMed

    Zak, Dominik; Wagner, Carola; Payer, Brian; Augustin, Jürgen; Gelbrecht, Jörg

    2010-07-01

    Rewetting of drained fens is necessary to stop further soil degradation and to reestablish important ecological functions. However, substantial changes of peat characteristics in the upper soil layers, due to drainage and land use, could counteract their recovery as nutrient-poor systems for an unknown period. We assessed the importance of altered peat properties, such as the degree of peat decomposition and the amount of redox-sensitive phosphorus (P) compounds, for P mobilization in different degraded fens. An experimental design involving 63 intact peat cores from fens with varying drainage and land-use histories was developed to quantify the mobilization of P, as well as that of iron (Fe), ammonium, carbon dioxide, and methane, all indicators of organic-matter decomposition and/or P-releasing processes. We found that net P release rates in peat cores with highly decomposed peat (range: 0.1-52.3 mg P x m(-2) x d(-1)) were significantly correlated to the amount of P bound to redox-sensitive compounds and the molar Fe:P as well as Al:P ratios of peat. We conclude that the following general rules apply for P mobilization in rewetted fens: (1) elevated levels of P release rates and P concentrations in pore water up to three orders of magnitude larger than under natural reference conditions can only be expected for rewetted fens whose surface soil layers consist of highly decomposed peat; (2) peat characteristics, such as the amount of P bound to redox-sensitive Fe(III) compounds (positive correlation) and molar ratios of Fe:P or Al:P (negative correlations), explain the high range of P release rates; and (3) a critical P export to adjacent lakes or rivers can only be expected if molar Fe:P ratios of highly decomposed peat are less than 10.

  18. Benthic iron and phosphorus release from river dominated shelf sediments under varying bottom water O2 concentrations.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghaisas, N. A.; Maiti, K.; White, J. R.

    2017-12-01

    Phosphorus (P) cycling in coastal ocean is predominantly controlled by river discharge and biogeochemistry of the sediments. In coastal Louisiana, sediment biogeochemistry is strongly influenced by seasonally fluctuating bottom water O2, which, in turn transitions the shelf sediments from being a sink to source of P. Sediment P-fluxes were 9.73 ± 0.76 mg / m2 /d and 0.67±0.16 mg/m2/d under anaerobic and aerobic conditions respectively, indicating a 14 times higher P-efflux from oxygen deprived sediments. A high sedimentary oxygen consumption rate of 889 ± 33.6 mg/m2/d was due to organic matter re-mineralization and resulted in progressively decreasing the water column dissolved O2 , coincident with a P-flux of 7.2 ± 5.5 mg/m2/d from the sediment. Corresponding water column flux of Fe total was 19.7 ± 7.80 mg/m2/d and the sediment-TP decreased from 545 mg/Kg to 513 mg/Kg. A simultaneous increase in pore water Fe and P concentrations in tandem with a 34.6% loss in sedimentary Fe-bound P underscores the importance of O2 on coupled Fe- P biogeochemistry. This study suggests that from a 14,025 sq. km hypoxia area, Louisiana shelf sediments can supply 1.33x105 kg P/day into the water column compared to 0.094 x 105 kg P/day during the fully aerobic water column conditions.

  19. Internal phosphorus loading across a cascade of three eutrophic basins: A synthesis of short- and long-term studies.

    PubMed

    Tammeorg, Olga; Horppila, Jukka; Tammeorg, Priit; Haldna, Marina; Niemistö, Juha

    2016-12-01

    Ascertaining the phosphorus (P) release processes in polymictic lakes is one of the methodologically most complex questions in limnology. In the current study, we combined short- and long-term investigations to elucidate the role of sediments in the P budget in a chain of eutrophic lake basins. We quantified the internal loading of P in three basins of Lake Peipsi (Estonia/Russia) for two periods characterized by different external P loadings using radiometrically dated sediment cores (long-term studies). The relationships between different water quality variables and the internal P loading, and the external P loading were studied. Our short-term studies aimed at elucidating the possible mechanisms behind variations in internal P loading included examination of the surficial sediments, i.e., seasonal measurements of redox potential, sediment pore water P concentrations and diffusive fluxes. Our results provided evidence for a potentially high importance of internal P loading in regulating water quality. The sediment core analyses revealed an increase in the internal P loading during the period of lower external P loading coinciding with the general deterioration in the lake water quality (i.e, higher concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus, total phosphorus and biomass of cyanobacteria). Increase in wave action between the two studied periods appeared to cause more frequent sediment resuspension, and thus be the most likely reason for the variations in internal P loading. Our short-term measurements indicated that resuspension events can be followed by a considerable increase in the diffusive fluxes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Phosphorus recovery and reuse by pyrolysis: Applications for agriculture and environment.

    PubMed

    Sun, Daquan; Hale, Lauren; Kar, Gourango; Soolanayakanahally, Raju; Adl, Sina

    2018-03-01

    Phosphorus ore extraction for soil fertilization supports the demand of modern agriculture, but extractable resource limitations, due to scarcity, impose a P reuse and recycling research agenda. Here we propose to integrate biochar production (pyrogenic carbon) with municipal and agricultural waste management systems, to recover and reuse phosphorous that would otherwise be lost from the ecological food web. A meta-analysis and available data on total P in biochar indicated that P-enriched feedstocks include animal manure, human excreta, and plant-biomass collected from P-polluted sites. Phosphorus in biochar could participate in P equilibriums in soils and is expected to supply P. The release, sorption and desorption of P by biochar will codetermine the potential of P replenishment by biochar and P loss from biochar-amended soils. Abiotic and biotic factors are expected to affect sorption/desorption of P between biochar and soil aggregates, and P acquisition by plants. Chemical extraction, using acid or alkaline solutions, is considered as a means for P retrieval from high P biochar, especially for biochar with high heavy metal contents. To bridge the gap between academia and practice, this paper proposes future development for phosphorus acclamation by pyrolysis: 1) identification of high-P bio-waste for pyrolysis; 2) retrieval of P by using biochar as soil amendment or by chemical leaching; 3) biochar modification by inorganic nutrients, P solubilizing microorganisms and other organic matter; and 4) compatible pyrolysis equipment fit to the current waste management context, such as households, and waste water treatment plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Simultaneous biological nutrient removal: evaluation of autotrophic denitrification, heterotrophic nitrification, and biological phosphorus removal in full-scale systems.

    PubMed

    Littleton, Helen X; Daigger, Glen T; Strom, Peter F; Cowan, Robert A

    2003-01-01

    Simultaneous biological nutrient removal (SBNR) is the biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in excess of that required for biomass synthesis in a biological wastewater treatment system without defined anaerobic or anoxic zones. Evidence is growing that significant SBNR can occur in many systems, including the aerobic zone of systems already configured for biological nutrient removal. Although SBNR systems offer several potential advantages, they cannot be fully realized until the mechanisms responsible for SBNR are better understood. Consequently, a research program was initiated with the basic hypothesis that three mechanisms might be responsible for SBNR: the reactor macroenvironment, the floc microenvironment, and novel microorganisms. Previously, the nutrient removal capabilities of seven full-scale, staged, closed-loop bioreactors known as Orbal oxidation ditches were evaluated. Chemical analysis and microbiological observations suggested that SBNR occurred in these systems. Three of these plants were further examined in this research to evaluate the importance of novel microorganisms, especially for nitrogen removal. A screening tool was developed to determine the relative significance of the activities of microorganisms capable of autotrophic denitrification and heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification in biological nutrient removal systems. The results indicated that novel microorganisms were not substantial contributors to SBNR in the plants studied. Phosphorus metabolism (anaerobic release, aerobic uptake) was also tested in one of the plants. Activity within the mixed liquor that was consistent with current theories for phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) was observed. Along with other observations, this suggests the presence of PAOs in the facilities studied.

  2. Isolation and characterization of phosphofungi, and screening of their plant growth-promoting activities.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiaohui; Wang, Changdong; Sui, Junkang; Liu, Zhaoyang; Li, Qian; Ji, Chao; Song, Xin; Hu, Yurong; Wang, Changqian; Sa, Rongbo; Zhang, Jiamiao; Du, Jianfeng; Liu, Xunli

    2018-04-20

    Rhizospheric microorganisms can increase phosphorus availability in the soil. In this regard, the ability of phosphofungi to dissolve insoluble phosphorus compounds is greater than that of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria. The aim of the current study was to identify efficient phosphofungi that could be developed as commercial microbial agents. Among several phosphate-solubilizing fungal isolates screened, strain CS-1 showed the highest phosphorus-solubilization ability. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region sequence, it was identified as Aspergillus niger. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that the mechanism of phosphorus solubilization by CS-1 involved the synthesis and secretion of organic acids, mainly oxalic, tartaric, and citric acids. Furthermore, strain CS-1 exhibited other growth-promoting abilities, including efficient potassium release and degradation of crop straw cellulose. These properties help to returning crop residues to the soil, thereby increasing nutrient availability and sustaining organic matter concentration therein. A pot experiment revealed that CS-1 apparently increased the assessed biometric parameters of wheat seedlings, implying the potential of this strain to be developed as a commercial microbial agent. We used Illumina MiSeq sequencing to investigate the microbial community composition in the rhizosphere of uninoculated wheat plants and wheat plants inoculated with the CS-1 strain to obtain insight into the effect of the CS-1 strain inoculation. The data clearly demonstrated that CS-1 significantly reduced the content of pathogenic fungi, including Gibberella, Fusarium, Monographella, Bipolaris, and Volutella, which cause soil-borne diseases in various crops. Strain CS-1 may hence be developed into a microbial agent for plant growth improvement.

  3. Global environmental impacts of agricultural expansion: The need for sustainable and efficient practices

    PubMed Central

    Tilman, David

    1999-01-01

    The recent intensification of agriculture, and the prospects of future intensification, will have major detrimental impacts on the nonagricultural terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the world. The doubling of agricultural food production during the past 35 years was associated with a 6.87-fold increase in nitrogen fertilization, a 3.48-fold increase in phosphorus fertilization, a 1.68-fold increase in the amount of irrigated cropland, and a 1.1-fold increase in land in cultivation. Based on a simple linear extension of past trends, the anticipated next doubling of global food production would be associated with approximately 3-fold increases in nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization rates, a doubling of the irrigated land area, and an 18% increase in cropland. These projected changes would have dramatic impacts on the diversity, composition, and functioning of the remaining natural ecosystems of the world, and on their ability to provide society with a variety of essential ecosystem services. The largest impacts would be on freshwater and marine ecosystems, which would be greatly eutrophied by high rates of nitrogen and phosphorus release from agricultural fields. Aquatic nutrient eutrophication can lead to loss of biodiversity, outbreaks of nuisance species, shifts in the structure of food chains, and impairment of fisheries. Because of aerial redistribution of various forms of nitrogen, agricultural intensification also would eutrophy many natural terrestrial ecosystems and contribute to atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases. These detrimental environmental impacts of agriculture can be minimized only if there is much more efficient use and recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus in agroecosystems. PMID:10339530

  4. Global environmental impacts of agricultural expansion: the need for sustainable and efficient practices.

    PubMed

    Tilman, D

    1999-05-25

    The recent intensification of agriculture, and the prospects of future intensification, will have major detrimental impacts on the nonagricultural terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the world. The doubling of agricultural food production during the past 35 years was associated with a 6.87-fold increase in nitrogen fertilization, a 3.48-fold increase in phosphorus fertilization, a 1.68-fold increase in the amount of irrigated cropland, and a 1.1-fold increase in land in cultivation. Based on a simple linear extension of past trends, the anticipated next doubling of global food production would be associated with approximately 3-fold increases in nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization rates, a doubling of the irrigated land area, and an 18% increase in cropland. These projected changes would have dramatic impacts on the diversity, composition, and functioning of the remaining natural ecosystems of the world, and on their ability to provide society with a variety of essential ecosystem services. The largest impacts would be on freshwater and marine ecosystems, which would be greatly eutrophied by high rates of nitrogen and phosphorus release from agricultural fields. Aquatic nutrient eutrophication can lead to loss of biodiversity, outbreaks of nuisance species, shifts in the structure of food chains, and impairment of fisheries. Because of aerial redistribution of various forms of nitrogen, agricultural intensification also would eutrophy many natural terrestrial ecosystems and contribute to atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases. These detrimental environmental impacts of agriculture can be minimized only if there is much more efficient use and recycling of nitrogen and phosphorus in agroecosystems.

  5. Heated blends of phosphate waste: Microstructure characterization, effects of processing factors and use as a phosphorus source for alfalfa growth.

    PubMed

    Loutou, M; Hajjaji, M; Mansori, M; Favotto, C; Hakkou, R

    2016-07-15

    Microstructure of expandable lightweight aggregates (LWAs), which was composed of phosphate waste (PW), cement kiln dust (CKD) and raw clay (RC) was investigated, and the effects of processing factors (temperature, waste content, soaking time) on their physical properties were quantified by using response surface methodology (RSM). The potential use of LWAs as a phosphorus source was assessed through the use of seeds of alfalfa. It was found that the main minerals of the waste, namely carbonates and fluorapatite, were involved in the formation of labradorite/anorthite and melt respectively. Stability of mullite- the main constituent of CKD- was sensitive to the melt content. The assemblage of the identified phases was discussed based on the CaO-SiO2-Al2O3 phase diagram. The results of RSM showed that the change of compressive strength, firing shrinkage and water absorption of LWAs versus processing factors was well described with a polynomial model and the weights of the effects of the factors increased in the following order: sintering temperature > waste content (in the case of PW-RC) > soaking time. On the other hand, it was found that due to the release of phosphorus by soil-embedded pellets, the growth of alfalfa plants improved, and the rate enhanced in this order: PW-RC > PW-CKD > PW-CKD-RC. The absorbed quantity of phosphorus (0.12%) was still lower than the common uptake amount. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Carbon dioxide diffusion across stomata and mesophyll and photo-biochemical processes as affected by growth CO2 and phosphorus nutrition in cotton

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Nutrients such as phosphorus availability may exert a major control over plant response to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (CO2), which is projected to double by the end of 21st century. Elevated CO2 may overcome the diffusional limitation to photosynthesis posed by stomata and mesop...

  7. Achieving Long-Term Protection of Water Quality of Grand Lake St. Marys Through Implementation of Conservation Practices and Control of Phosphorus Input from Agricultural Drainage

    EPA Science Inventory

    Grand Lake St. Marys (GLSM), a 13,000 acre lake in northwestern Ohio, is experiencing toxic levels of algal blooms resulting primarily from phosphorus input from agricultural runoff. The algal blooms are so severe that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources advised against any...

  8. EXTERNAL PEER REVIEW OF THE DRAFT REGION 4 REPORT, EVALUATION OF THE ROLE OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS IN CAUSING OR CONTRIBUTING TO HYPOXIA IN THE NORTHERN GULF, AUGUST, 2004

    EPA Science Inventory

    EPA scientists in Region 4 (Atlanta) conducted a review of data and information regarding hypoxia in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This Region 4 staff assessment concluded that phosphorus, rather than nitrogen, may be the limiting nutrient controlling Gulf hypoxia. An unauthorize...

  9. Phosphate toxicity: new insights into an old problem

    PubMed Central

    RAZZAQUE, M. Shawkat

    2011-01-01

    Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required for critical biological reactions that maintain the normal homoeostatic control of the cell. This element is an important component of different cellular structures, including nucleic acids and cell membranes. Adequate phosphorus balance is vital for maintaining basic cellular functions, ranging from energy metabolism to cell signalling. In addition, many intracellular pathways utilize phosphate ions for important cellular reactions; therefore, homoeostatic control of phosphate is one of the most delicate biological regulations. Impaired phosphorus balance can affect the functionality of almost every human system, including musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, ultimately leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality of the affected patients. Human and experimental studies have found that delicate balance among circulating factors, like vitamin D, PTH (parathyroid hormone) and FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23), are essential for regulation of physiological phosphate balance. Dysregulation of these factors, either alone or in combination, can induce phosphorus imbalance. Recent studies have shown that suppression of the FGF23–klotho system can lead to hyperphosphataemia with extensive tissue damage caused by phosphate toxicity. The cause and consequences of phosphate toxicity will be briefly summarized in the present review. PMID:20958267

  10. Phosphate toxicity: new insights into an old problem.

    PubMed

    Razzaque, M Shawkat

    2011-02-01

    Phosphorus is an essential nutrient required for critical biological reactions that maintain the normal homoeostatic control of the cell. This element is an important component of different cellular structures, including nucleic acids and cell membranes. Adequate phosphorus balance is vital for maintaining basic cellular functions, ranging from energy metabolism to cell signalling. In addition, many intracellular pathways utilize phosphate ions for important cellular reactions; therefore, homoeostatic control of phosphate is one of the most delicate biological regulations. Impaired phosphorus balance can affect the functionality of almost every human system, including musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, ultimately leading to an increase in morbidity and mortality of the affected patients. Human and experimental studies have found that delicate balance among circulating factors, like vitamin D, PTH (parathyroid hormone) and FGF23 (fibroblast growth factor 23), are essential for regulation of physiological phosphate balance. Dysregulation of these factors, either alone or in combination, can induce phosphorus imbalance. Recent studies have shown that suppression of the FGF23-klotho system can lead to hyperphosphataemia with extensive tissue damage caused by phosphate toxicity. The cause and consequences of phosphate toxicity will be briefly summarized in the present review.

  11. Contracting with outpatient hemodialysis patients to improve adherence to treatment.

    PubMed

    Laidlaw, J K; Beeken, J E; Whitney, F W; Reyes, A A

    1999-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between contingency contracting and adherence to prescribed therapy in outpatient chronic hemodialysis patients. A quasi-experimental, pretest/posttest design was used. The sample included 15 hemodialysis patients, 6 in the phosphorus group and 9 in the weight-gain group. The study was conducted at an outpatient hemodialysis center in a Midwestern rural state. Specific variables investigated were interdialytic weight gains and serum phosphorus levels that reflect adherence to fluid restrictions and to taking phosphate-binding medications. Weekly interviews were conducted with each patient and content analysis of interview data was completed to identify categories related to adherence and nonadherence. Pre- and postcontract weight gains and phosphorus levels were analyzed with a paired two sample t-test. The categories related to adherence and nonadherence included physiological, psychological, environmental, locus of control/self-control/self-praise, economical, medical, knowledge deficit, health benefits, family support, and social support. Adherence to taking phosphate-binding medication responded more favorably to contingency contracting than did adherence to fluid restrictions. Chronic outpatient hemodialysis patients in the sample responded to the use of contingency contracting and developed techniques to remember to take phosphate-binding medications in order to lower serum phosphorus medications.

  12. Rainfall-Induced Release of Fecal Coliforms and Other Manure Constituents: Comparison and Modeling▿

    PubMed Central

    Guber, A. K.; Shelton, D. R.; Pachepsky, Y. A.; Sadeghi, A. M.; Sikora, L. J.

    2006-01-01

    Modeling release of fecal coliforms is an important component of fate and transport simulations related to environmental water quality. Manure constituents other than fecal coliforms may serve as natural tracers of fecal contamination provided that their release from manure to runoff is similar to the fecal coliform release. The objectives of this work were to compare release of fecal coliforms (FC), chloride (Cl−), organic carbon (OC), and water-soluble phosphorus (P) from dissolving manure and to assess the performance of three models in describing the observed release. Bovine manure was applied on 0.5- by 0.3-m bare and vegetated subplots with 20% slope on sandy loam and clay loam soils. Concentrations of Cl−, FC, OC, and P were measured in runoff collected from troughs at the edges of the subplots at 5-min intervals during 1-h rainfall simulations. The one-parametric exponential model and two-parametric Vadas-Kleinman-Sharpley model and Bradford-Schijven model were fitted to the data. The Bradford-Schijven model had uncorrelated parameters, one of which was linearly related to the irrigation rate, and another parameter reflected the presence or the absence of vegetation. Kinetics of the FC release from manure was similar to the release kinetics of P and OC. The Bradford-Schijven model is recommended to simulate the release of manure constituents. PMID:17028232

  13. Advanced nutrient root-feeding system for conveyor-type cylindrical plant growth facilities for microgravity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berkovich, Yu. A.; Krivobok, N. M.; Krivobok, A. S.; Smolyanina, S. O.

    2016-02-01

    A compact and reliable automatic method for plant nutrition supply is needed to monitor and control space-based plant production systems. The authors of this study have designed a nutrient root-feeding system that minimizes and regulates nutrient and water supply without loss of crop yields in a space greenhouse. The system involves an ion-exchange fibrous artificial soil (AS) BIONA-V3TM as the root-inhabited medium; a pack with slow-release fertilizer as the main source of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium; and a cartridge with granular mineral-rich ionite (GMRI) as a source of calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and iron. A controller equipped with an electrical conductivity meter controls the solution flow and concentration of the solution in the mixing tank at specified values. Experiments showed that the fibrous AS-stabilized pH of the substrate solution within the range of 6.0-6.6 is favorable to the majority of crops. The experimental data confirmed that this technique allowed solution preparation for crops in space greenhouses by means of pumping water through the cartridge and minimization of the AS stock onboard the space vehicle.

  14. Phosphorus diffusion gettering process of multicrystalline silicon using a sacrificial porous silicon layer

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    The aims of this work are to getter undesirable impurities from low-cost multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) wafers and then enhance their electronic properties. We used an efficient process which consists of applying phosphorus diffusion into a sacrificial porous silicon (PS) layer in which the gettered impurities have been trapped after the heat treatment. As we have expected, after removing the phosphorus-rich PS layer, the electrical properties of the mc-Si wafers were significantly improved. The PS layers, realized on both sides of the mc-Si substrates, were formed by the stain-etching technique. The phosphorus treatment was achieved using a liquid POCl3-based source on both sides of the mc-Si wafers. The realized phosphorus/PS/Si/PS/phosphorus structures were annealed at a temperature ranging between 700°C and 950°C under a controlled O2 atmosphere, which allows phosphorus to diffuse throughout the PS layers and to getter eventual metal impurities towards the phosphorus-doped PS layer. The effect of this gettering procedure was investigated by means of internal quantum efficiency and the dark current–voltage (I-V) characteristics. The minority carrier lifetime measurements were made using a WTC-120 photoconductance lifetime tester. The serial resistance and the shunt resistance carried out from the dark I-V curves confirm this gettering-related solar cell improvement. It has been shown that the photovoltaic parameters of the gettered silicon solar cells were improved with regard to the ungettered one, which proves the beneficial effect of this gettering process on the conversion efficiency of the multicrystalline silicon solar cells. PMID:22846070

  15. Calcium and phosphorus supplementation of human milk for preterm infants.

    PubMed

    Harding, Jane E; Wilson, Jess; Brown, Julie

    2017-02-26

    Preterm infants are born with low skeletal stores of calcium and phosphorus. Preterm human milk provides insufficient calcium and phosphorus to meet the estimated needs of preterm infants for adequate growth. Supplementation of human milk with calcium and phosphorus may improve growth and development of preterm infants. To determine whether addition of calcium and phosphorus supplements to human milk leads to improved growth and bone metabolism of preterm infants without significant adverse effects. We used the standard search strategy of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group to search the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2016, Issue 3), MEDLINE via PubMed (1966 to 14 April 2016), Embase (1980 to 14 April 2016) and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL; 1982 to 14 April 2016). We also searched clinical trials databases (11 May 2016) and the reference lists of retrieved articles for randomised controlled trials and quasi-randomised trials. Randomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing supplementation of human milk with calcium and/or phosphorus versus no supplementation in hospitalised preterm infants were eligible for inclusion in this review. Two review authors (JB, JW) independently extracted data and assessed trial quality using standard methods of the Cochrane Neonatal Review Group. We reported dichotomous data as risk ratios (RRs) and continuous data as mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to assess the quality of evidence. This is an update of a 2001 review that identified no eligible trials. One trial including 40 infants met the inclusion criteria for this review. Using GRADE criteria, we judged the quality of the evidence as low owing to risk of bias (inadequate reporting of methods of randomisation, allocation concealment and/or blinding) and imprecision (wide confidence intervals and data from a single small trial). We found no evidence of a difference between calcium and phosphorus supplementation versus no supplementation for neonatal growth outcomes (weight, length, head circumference) at any time point reported (two, four or six weeks postnatal age). At six weeks postnatal age, supplementation with calcium/phosphorus was associated with a decrease in serum alkaline phosphatase concentration (MD -56.85 IU/L, 95% CI -101.27 to -12.43; one randomised controlled trial (RCT); n = 40 infants). Investigators provided no data on growth at 12 to 18 months, neonatal fractures, feed intolerance, breastfeeding or any of the prespecified childhood outcomes for this review (fractures, growth, neurodevelopmental outcomes). We identified one small trial including only 40 infants that compared supplementation of human milk with calcium and phosphorus versus no supplementation in hospitalised preterm infants. We judged the evidence to be of low quality and found no evidence of differences between groups for clinically important outcomes including growth and fractures. Although serum alkaline phosphatase concentration was reduced in the group receiving supplementation at six weeks postnatal age, this difference is unlikely to be of clinical significance. We conclude that evidence is insufficient to determine whether benefit or harm ensues when human milk is supplemented with calcium and/or phosphorus for the hospitalised preterm infant. We see no advantage of conducting further trials of this intervention because with the advent of multi-component human milk fortifier, supplementation of human milk with calcium and/or phosphorus alone is no longer common practice. Future trials should consider assessing effects of multi-component fortifiers with different mineral compositions on clinically important outcomes during the neonatal period and in later childhood.

  16. First report of the successful operation of a side stream supersaturation hypolimnetic oxygenation system in a eutrophic, shallow reservoir.

    PubMed

    Gerling, Alexandra B; Browne, Richard G; Gantzer, Paul A; Mobley, Mark H; Little, John C; Carey, Cayelan C

    2014-12-15

    Controlling hypolimnetic hypoxia is a key goal of water quality management. Hypoxic conditions can trigger the release of reduced metals and nutrients from lake sediments, resulting in taste and odor problems as well as nuisance algal blooms. In deep lakes and reservoirs, hypolimnetic oxygenation has emerged as a viable solution for combating hypoxia. In shallow lakes, however, it is difficult to add oxygen into the hypolimnion efficiently, and a poorly designed hypolimnetic oxygenation system could potentially result in higher turbidity, weakened thermal stratification, and warming of the sediments. As a result, little is known about the viability of hypolimnetic oxygenation in shallow bodies of water. Here, we present the results from recent successful tests of side stream supersaturation (SSS), a type of hypolimnetic oxygenation system, in a shallow reservoir and compare it to previous side stream deployments. We investigated the sensitivity of Falling Creek Reservoir, a shallow (Zmax = 9.3 m) drinking water reservoir located in Vinton, Virginia, USA, to SSS operation. We found that the SSS system increased hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen concentrations at a rate of ∼1 mg/L/week without weakening stratification or warming the sediments. Moreover, the SSS system suppressed the release of reduced iron and manganese, and likely phosphorus, from the sediments. In summary, SSS systems hold great promise for controlling hypolimnetic oxygen conditions in shallow lakes and reservoirs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Investigations on phosphorus recovery and reuse as soil amendment from electric arc furnace slag filters.

    PubMed

    Bird, Simon C; Drizo, Aleksandra

    2009-11-01

    Electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag has been identified as an effective filter material for the removal of phosphorus (P) from both point and non-point sources. To determine the feasibility of land-applying P saturated EAF steel slag this study was undertaken to investigate (i) saturated EAF steel slag material's potential as a P fertilizer or soil amendment and (ii) P desorption and metals leachate from saturated EAF steel slag material to surface runoff. Medicago sativa (alfalfa) was planted in a nutrient depleted washed sand media. Phosphorus was added either as saturated EAF steel slag or as a standard commercial phosphate fertilizer in order to assess the plant availability of the P from saturated EAF steel slag. Four different P application levels were tested: a low (20 lbs acre furrow slice(-1) (5.5 g P m(-3))) two medium (40 and 60 lbs. acre f.s.(-1) (11 and 16.5 g P m(-3))) and a high (120 lbs. acre f.s.(-1) (33 g P m(-3))). The above-ground biomass of half of the plants was harvested after 5 weeks and the second half at 10 weeks. All treatments regardless of the P source used showed high rates of germination. At the first harvest period (5 weeks) significantly higher above-ground biomass (p < 0.01) was seen at the 3 highest P amendment rates in treatments with triple super phosphate fertilizer (TSP) than with EAF steel slag. However, by the second harvest (10 weeks) only the highest amendment rate of TSP showed a significantly higher amount of biomass (p < 0.01), suggesting that EAF steel slag might be an effective slow release P source. In a second experiment, a rain simulator was used to assess desorption of DRP, TP and metals from a saturated and semi-saturated EAF steel slag. The results revealed that the total amounts of DRP and TP released to surface runoff from EAF steel slag were negligible when compared to the total quantities of P retained by this material. Overall the results from this study demonstrated that once the EAF steel slag filter reaches its saturation point, the material could be re-used as soil amendment for the slow release of bioavailable P with minimal risk for loss of P to surface runoff, bringing further benefits to the environment.

  18. Multidecadal oscillations in past Baltic Sea hypoxia: the role of sedimentary iron-phosphorus feedbacks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jilbert, Tom; Gustafsson, Bo G.; Veldhuijzen, Simon; Reed, Daniel C.; van Helmond, Niels A. G. M.; Slomp, Caroline P.

    2017-04-01

    The Baltic Sea currently experiences widespread deep-water hypoxia, a consequence of both anthropogenic nutrient loading and the natural susceptibility of its stratified water column to oxygen depletion. Sediment core records show that hypoxia was also prevalent in the Baltic during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) and Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA). Sedimentary iron (Fe) and phosphorus (P) dynamics are known to play a key role in determining the intensity of Baltic Sea hypoxia through time. Rapid intensification of hypoxia at the onset of past centennial-scale hypoxic events during the HTM and MCA has been explained by release of P from sedimentary Fe oxides, leading to enhanced primary productivity and deep water oxygen consumption (Jilbert and Slomp, 2013). Similarly, rapid relief from hypoxia at the termination of these events reflects efficient trapping of P by Fe oxides as oxic conditions expand. Here we show that within past hypoxic events in the Baltic Sea, hypoxia intensity also varied continuously on multidecadal timescales. We observe persistent oscillations in new high-resolution records of sediment redox proxies derived from Laser Ablation (LA) ICP-MS analysis. In-phase multidecadal oscillations in molybdenum/aluminium (Mo/Al), bromine/phosphorus (Br/P) and Fe/Al indicate coupling between redox conditions, the flux of carbon to the seafloor, and mobilization of Fe in shelf areas, respectively. Using a simple box model, we show that instabilities in the response of sedimentary P release to changing oxygen concentrations and carbon flux were the likely cause of the observed oscillations. When prescribing a non-linear relationship between P release, oxygen concentration and carbon flux, and forcing the model with external P loadings typical of the HTM and MCA, the simulated time-series of deep-water oxygen show pronounced oscillations similar to those observed in the sediment records. However, when external P loads typical of the modern anthropogenic interval are used in the simulations, these instabilities are overcome and deep water conditions remain permanently hypoxic. The results suggest that complete recovery from hypoxia in the modern Baltic Sea will require a substantial further decline in external nutrient loading. Reference: Jilbert, T. and Slomp, C.P., Rapid high-amplitude variability in Baltic Sea hypoxia during the Holocene. Geology 41 (11), 1183-1186, 2013.

  19. [The replacement therapy of rPTH(1-84) in established rat model of hypothyroidism].

    PubMed

    Ding, Zhiwei; Li, Tiancheng; Liu, Yuhe; Xiao, Shuifang

    2015-12-01

    To investigate the replacement therapy of rPTH(1-84) (recombinant human parathyroid hormone (1-84)) to hypothyroidism in established rat model. Rat model of hypothyroidism was established by resecting parathyroids. A total of 30 rats with removal of parathyroids were divided into 6 groups randomly, 5 in each group, and applied respectively with saline injection (negative control group), calcitriol treatment (positive control group) and quadripartite PTH administration with dose of 20, 40, 80 and 160 µg/kg (experimental groups). Saline and rPTH(1-84) were injected subcutaneously daily. Calcitriol was gavaged once a day. Sham-operation was conducted in 5 rats of negative control group. To verify the authenticity of the rat model with hypothyroidism, the serum was insolated centrifugally from rat blood that was obtained from angular vein at specific time to measure calcium and phosphorus concentration. Urine in 12 hours was collected by metabolic cages and the calcium concentration was measured. After 10-week drug treatment, the experiment was terminated and bilateral femoral bone and L2-5 lumbar vertebra were removed from rats. Bone mineral density (BMD)of bilateral femoral bone and lumbar vertebra was analyzed by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The concentration of bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) in serum was determined by radioimmunoassay. The rat model with hypothyroidism was obtained by excising parathyroid gland and was verified by monitoring calcium and phosphorus concentration subsequently. Administration of rPTH(1-84) in the dose of 80 or 160 µg/kg made serum calcium and phosphorus back to normal levels, with no significant difference between the doses (P>0.05). The BMD in each group of rats with rPTH(1-84) administration was increased significantly (P<0.05). The levels of urinary calcium and serum BALP in rats of maximum rPTH(1-84) injection group (160 µg/kg) were higher than those of normal control group (P<0.05). The rats treated with calcitriol had normal calcium levels and showed the increase of BMD and phosphorus concentration compared with normal control group (P<0.05). The amount of urinary calcium also exceeded the other groups (P<0.05), but no with significant difference in BMD of bilateral femoral bone and lumbar vertebra between negative control group and normal control group (P>0.05). Calcium and phosphorus return to normal level by administration of rPTH(1-84) in the dose of 80 µg/kg or 160 µg/kg, with increase in BMD. Calcitriol can return the level of calcium to normal and increase BMD, but can not correspondingly decrease the phosphorus concentration and increase the excretion of calcium in urine.

  20. [Decomposition dynamics of leaf litter in logging residue of a secondary Castanopsis carlesii plantation and its chemical composition changes].

    PubMed

    Ren, Wei-ling; Guo, Jian-fen; Wu, Bo-bo; Wan, Jing-juan; Ji, Shu-rong; Liu, Xiao-fei

    2015-04-01

    A field experiment was conducted to understand the decomposition rates and chemical composition changes of leaf litter in logging residues of a 35-year-old secondary Castanopsis carlesii plantation over a period of one year. Mass loss rate of leaf litter showed an exponential decrease with time from May 2012 to April 2013, with a total 80% loss of initial dry mass. Net potassium (K) release was observed during this period, with only 5% of initial K remained. Nitrogen ( N) featured a pattern of accumulation at the early stage and release later, while phosphorus (P) exhibited a sequence of release, accumulation, and release. The remaining of N and P were 19% and 16% of their initial mass, respectively. The release rate was highest for K and the lowest for N. Decomposition of lignin indicated a trend of release-accumulation-release from May 2012 to October 2012, with no further significant change from November 2012 to the end of the experiment. The concentration of cellulose nearly unchanged during the experiment. The N/P rate increased with decomposition, ranging from 18.6 to 21.1. The lignin/N rate fluctuated greatly at the early stage and then almost stabilized thereafter.

  1. Long-term trends in nutrient budgets of the western Dutch Wadden Sea (1976-2012)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, A. S.; Brinkman, A. G.; Folmer, E. O.; Herman, P. M. J.; van der Veer, H. W.; Philippart, C. J. M.

    2017-09-01

    Long-term field observations of nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] concentrations were used to construct nutrient budgets for the western Dutch Wadden Sea between 1976 and 2012. Nutrients come into the western Dutch Wadden Sea via river runoff, through exchange with the coastal zone of the North Sea, neighbouring tidal basins and through atmospheric deposition (for N). The highest concentrations in phosphorus and nitrogen were observed in the mid-1980s. Improved phosphorus removal at waste water treatment plants, management of fertilization in agriculture and removal of phosphates from detergents led to reduced riverine nutrient inputs and, consequently, reduced nutrient concentrations in the Wadden Sea. The budgets suggest that the period of the initial net import of phosphorus and nitrogen switched to a net export in 1981 for nitrogen and in 1992 for phosphorus. Such different behaviour in nutrient budgets during the rise and fall of external nutrient concentrations may be the result of different sediment-water exchange dynamics for P and N. It is hypothesized that during the period of increasing eutrophication (1976-1981) P, and to a lesser degree N, were stored in sediments as organic and inorganic nutrients. In the following period (1981-1992) external nutrient concentrations (especially in the North Sea) decreased, but P concentrations in the Wadden Sea remained high due to prolonged sediment release, whilst denitrification removed substantial amounts of N. From 1992 onwards, P and N budgets were closed by net loss, most probably because P stores were then depleted and denitrification continued. Under the present conditions (lower rates of sediment import and depleted P stores), nutrient concentrations in this area are expected to be more strongly influenced by wind-driven exchange with the North Sea and precipitation-driven discharge from Lake IJssel. This implies that the consequences of climate change will be more important, than during the 1970s and 1980s.

  2. Sediment-phosphorus dynamics can shift aquatic ecology and cause downstream legacy effects after wildfire in large river systems.

    PubMed

    Emelko, Monica B; Stone, Micheal; Silins, Uldis; Allin, Don; Collins, Adrian L; Williams, Chris H S; Martens, Amanda M; Bladon, Kevin D

    2016-03-01

    Global increases in the occurrence of large, severe wildfires in forested watersheds threaten drinking water supplies and aquatic ecology. Wildfire effects on water quality, particularly nutrient levels and forms, can be significant. The longevity and downstream propagation of these effects as well as the geochemical mechanisms regulating them remain largely undocumented at larger river basin scales. Here, phosphorus (P) speciation and sorption behavior of suspended sediment were examined in two river basins impacted by a severe wildfire in southern Alberta, Canada. Fine-grained suspended sediments (<125 μm) were sampled continuously during ice-free conditions over a two-year period (2009-2010), 6 and 7 years after the wildfire. Suspended sediment samples were collected from upstream reference (unburned) river reaches, multiple tributaries within the burned areas, and from reaches downstream of the burned areas, in the Crowsnest and Castle River basins. Total particulate phosphorus (TPP) and particulate phosphorus forms (nonapatite inorganic P, apatite P, organic P), and the equilibrium phosphorus concentration (EPC0 ) of suspended sediment were assessed. Concentrations of TPP and the EPC0 were significantly higher downstream of wildfire-impacted areas compared to reference (unburned) upstream river reaches. Sediments from the burned tributary inputs contained higher levels of bioavailable particulate P (NAIP) - these effects were also observed downstream at larger river basin scales. The release of bioavailable P from postfire, P-enriched fine sediment is a key mechanism causing these effects in gravel-bed rivers at larger basin scales. Wildfire-associated increases in NAIP and the EPC0 persisted 6 and 7 years after wildfire. Accordingly, this work demonstrated that fine sediment in gravel-bed rivers is a significant, long-term source of in-stream bioavailable P that contributes to a legacy of wildfire impacts on downstream water quality, aquatic ecology, and drinking water treatability. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Phosphorus Availability, Phytoplankton Community Dynamics, and Taxon-Specific Phosphorus Status in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mackey, K. R.; Labiosa, R. G.; Calhoun, M.; Street, J. H.; Post, A. F.; Paytan, A.

    2006-12-01

    The relationships among phytoplankton taxon-specific phosphorus-status, phytoplankton community composition, and nutrient levels were assessed over three seasons in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. During summer and fall, stratified surface waters were depleted of nutrients and picophytoplankton populations comprised the majority of cells (80% and 88% respectively). In winter, surface nutrient concentrations were higher and larger phytoplankton were more abundant (63%). Cell specific alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) derived from enzyme labeled fluorescence was consistently low (less than 5%) in the picophytoplankton throughout the year, whereas larger cells expressed elevated APA during the summer and fall but less in the winter. A nutrient addition bioassay during the fall showed that, relative to control, APA was reduced by half in larger cells following addition of orthophosphate, whereas the APA of picophytoplankton remained low (less than 1%) across all treatments and the control. These results indicate that the most abundant phytoplankton are not limited by orthophosphate and only some subpopulations (particularly of larger cells) exhibit orthophosphate-limitation throughout the year. Our results indicate that orthophosphate availability influences phytoplankton ecology, correlating with shifts in phytoplankton community structure and the nutrient status of individual cells. The role of dissolved organic phosphorus as an important phosphorus source for marine phytoplankton in oligotrophic settings and the need for evaluating nutrient limitation at the taxa and/or single cell level (rather than inferring it from nutrient concentrations and ratios or bulk enzyme activity measurements) are highlighted.

  4. Improvement of carbon usage for phosphorus recovery in EBPR-r and the shift in microbial community.

    PubMed

    Wong, Pan Yu; Cheng, Ka Yu; Krishna, K C Bal; Kaksonen, Anna H; Sutton, David C; Ginige, Maneesha P

    2018-07-15

    Enhanced biological phosphorus removal and recovery (EBPR-r) is a biofilm process that makes use of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) to remove and recover phosphorus (P) from wastewater. The original process was inefficient, as indicated by the low P-release to carbon (C)-uptake (P rel /C upt ) molar ratio of the biofilm. This study successfully validated a strategy to improve the P rel /C upt ratio by at least 3-fold. With an unchanged supply of carbon in the recovery stream, an increase in the hydraulic loading in stages I, II and III (7.2, 14.4 and 21.6 L, respectively) resulted in a 43% increase in the P rel /C upt ratio (0.069, 0.076 and 0.103, respectively). The ratio further increased by 150% (from 0.103 to 0.255) when the duration of the P uptake period was increased from 4 h (stage III) to 10 h (stage IV). Canonical correspondence analysis showed that, correlated to the 3-fold increase in the P rel /C upt ratio, there was an increase in the abundance of PAOs ("Candidatus Accumulibacter" Clade IIA) and a decrease in the occurrence of glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs) (family Sinobacteraceae). However, the four stage operation impaired denitrification, resulting in a 5-fold reduction in the N den /P upt ratio. The decline in denitrification was consistent with a decrease in the abundance of denitrifiers including denitrifying PAOs (family Comamonadaceae and "Candidatus Accumulibacter" Clade IA). Overall, a strategy to facilitate more efficient use of carbon was validated, enabling a 3-fold carbon saving for P recovery. The new process enabled up to 80% of the wastewater P to be captured in a P-enriched stream (>90 mg/L) with a single uptake/release cycle of recovery. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Advanced phosphorus recovery using a novel SBR system with granular sludge in simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal process.

    PubMed

    Lu, Yong-Ze; Wang, Hou-Feng; Kotsopoulos, Thomas A; Zeng, Raymond J

    2016-05-01

    In this study, a novel process for phosphorus (P) recovery without excess sludge production from granular sludge in simultaneous nitrification-denitrification and P removal (SNDPR) system is presented. Aerobic microbial granules were successfully cultivated in an alternating aerobic-anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for removing P and nitrogen (N). Dense and stable granular sludge was created, and the SBR system showed good performance in terms of P and N removal. The removal efficiency was approximately 65.22 % for N, and P was completely removed under stable operating conditions. Afterward, new operating conditions were applied in order to enhance P recovering without excess sludge production. The initial SBR system was equipped with a batch reactor and a non-woven cloth filter, and 1.37 g of CH3COONa·3H2O was added to the batch reactor after mixing it with 1 L of sludge derived from the SBR reactor to enhance P release in the liquid fraction, this comprises the new system configuration. Under the new operating conditions, 93.19 % of the P contained in wastewater was released in the liquid fraction as concentrated orthophosphate from part of granular sludge. This amount of P could be efficiently recovered in the form of struvite. Meanwhile, a deterioration of the denitrification efficiency was observed and the granules were disintegrated into smaller particles. The biomass concentration in the system increased firstly and then maintained at 4.0 ± 0.15 gVSS/L afterward. These results indicate that this P recovery operating (PRO) mode is a promising method to recover P in a SNDPR system with granular sludge. In addition, new insights into the granule transformation when confronted with high chemical oxygen demand (COD) load were provided.

  6. Enhanced biological phosphorus removal in a sequencing batch reactor using propionate as the sole carbon source.

    PubMed

    Pijuan, M; Saunders, A M; Guisasola, A; Baeza, J A; Casas, C; Blackall, L L

    2004-01-05

    An enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) system was developed in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) using propionate as the sole carbon source. The microbial community was followed using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) techniques and Candidatus 'Accumulibacter phosphatis' were quantified from the start up of the reactor until steady state. A series of SBR cycle studies was performed when 55% of the SBR biomass was Accumulibacter, a confirmed polyphosphate accumulating organism (PAO) and when Candidatus 'Competibacter phosphatis', a confirmed glycogen-accumulating organism (GAO), was essentially undetectable. These experiments evaluated two different carbon sources (propionate and acetate), and in every case, two different P-release rates were detected. The highest rate took place while there was volatile fatty acid (VFA) in the mixed liquor, and after the VFA was depleted a second P-release rate was observed. This second rate was very similar to the one detected in experiments performed without added VFA.A kinetic and stoichiometric model developed as a modification of Activated Sludge Model 2 (ASM2) including glycogen economy, was fitted to the experimental profiles. The validation and calibration of this model was carried out with the cycle study experiments performed using both VFAs. The effect of pH from 6.5 to 8.0 on anaerobic P-release and VFA-uptake and aerobic P-uptake was also studied using propionate. The optimal overall working pH was around 7.5. This is the first study of the microbial community involved in EBPR developed with propionate as a sole carbon source along with detailed process performance investigations of the propionate-utilizing PAOs. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Freezing and drying effects on potential plant contributions to phosphorus in runoff.

    PubMed

    Roberson, Tiffany; Bundy, Larry G; Andraski, Todd W

    2007-01-01

    Phosphorus (P) in runoff from landscapes can promote eutrophication of natural waters. Soluble P released from plant material can contribute significant amounts of P to runoff particularly after plant freezing or drying. This study was conducted to evaluate P losses from alfalfa or grass after freezing or drying as potential contributors to runoff P. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and grass (principally, Agropyron repens L.) plant samples were subjected to freezing and drying treatments to determine P release. Simulated rainfall runoff and natural runoff from established alfalfa fields and a grass waterway were collected to study P contributions from plant tissue to runoff. The effects of freezing and drying on P released from plant tissue were simulated by a herbicide treatment in selected experiments. Soluble reactive P (SP) extracted from alfalfa and grass samples was markedly increased by freezing or drying. In general, SP extracted from plant samples increased in the order fresh < frozen < frozen/thawed < dried, and averaged 1, 8, 14, and 26% of total P in alfalfa, respectively. Soluble reactive P extracted from alfalfa after freezing or drying increased with increasing soil test P (r(2) = 0.64 to 0.68), suggesting that excessive soil P levels increased the risk of plant P contributions to runoff losses. In simulated rainfall studies, paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4, 4''-bipyridinium ion) treatment of alfalfa increased P losses in runoff, and results suggested that this treatment simulated the effects of drying on plant P loss. In contrast to the simulated rainfall results, natural runoff studies over 2 yr did not show higher runoff P losses that could be attributed to P from alfalfa. Actual P losses likely depend on the timing and extent of plant freezing and drying and of precipitation events after freezing.

  8. Phosphorus-mobilization ecosystem engineering: the roles of cluster roots and carboxylate exudation in young P-limited ecosystems

    PubMed Central

    Lambers, Hans; Bishop, John G.; Hopper, Stephen D.; Laliberté, Etienne; Zúñiga-Feest, Alejandra

    2012-01-01

    Background Carboxylate-releasing cluster roots of Proteaceae play a key role in acquiring phosphorus (P) from ancient nutrient-impoverished soils in Australia. However, cluster roots are also found in Proteaceae on young, P-rich soils in Chile where they allow P acquisition from soils that strongly sorb P. Scope Unlike Proteaceae in Australia that tend to proficiently remobilize P from senescent leaves, Chilean Proteaceae produce leaf litter rich in P. Consequently, they may act as ecosystem engineers, providing P for plants without specialized roots to access sorbed P. We propose a similar ecosystem-engineering role for species that release large amounts of carboxylates in other relatively young, strongly P-sorbing substrates, e.g. young acidic volcanic deposits and calcareous dunes. Many of these species also fix atmospheric nitrogen and release nutrient-rich litter, but their role as ecosystem engineers is commonly ascribed only to their diazotrophic nature. Conclusions We propose that the P-mobilizing capacity of Proteaceae on young soils, which contain an abundance of P, but where P is poorly available, in combination with inefficient nutrient remobilization from senescing leaves allows these species to function as ecosystem engineers. We suggest that diazotrophic species that colonize young soils with strong P-sorption potential should be considered for their positive effect on P availability, as well as their widely accepted role in nitrogen fixation. Their P-mobilizing activity possibly also enhances their nitrogen-fixing capacity. These diazotrophic species may therefore facilitate the establishment and growth of species with less-efficient P-uptake strategies on more-developed soils with low P availability through similar mechanisms. We argue that the significance of cluster roots and high carboxylate exudation in the development of young ecosystems is probably far more important than has been envisaged thus far. PMID:22700940

  9. Phosphorus-mobilization ecosystem engineering: the roles of cluster roots and carboxylate exudation in young P-limited ecosystems.

    PubMed

    Lambers, Hans; Bishop, John G; Hopper, Stephen D; Laliberté, Etienne; Zúñiga-Feest, Alejandra

    2012-07-01

    Carboxylate-releasing cluster roots of Proteaceae play a key role in acquiring phosphorus (P) from ancient nutrient-impoverished soils in Australia. However, cluster roots are also found in Proteaceae on young, P-rich soils in Chile where they allow P acquisition from soils that strongly sorb P. Unlike Proteaceae in Australia that tend to proficiently remobilize P from senescent leaves, Chilean Proteaceae produce leaf litter rich in P. Consequently, they may act as ecosystem engineers, providing P for plants without specialized roots to access sorbed P. We propose a similar ecosystem-engineering role for species that release large amounts of carboxylates in other relatively young, strongly P-sorbing substrates, e.g. young acidic volcanic deposits and calcareous dunes. Many of these species also fix atmospheric nitrogen and release nutrient-rich litter, but their role as ecosystem engineers is commonly ascribed only to their diazotrophic nature. We propose that the P-mobilizing capacity of Proteaceae on young soils, which contain an abundance of P, but where P is poorly available, in combination with inefficient nutrient remobilization from senescing leaves allows these species to function as ecosystem engineers. We suggest that diazotrophic species that colonize young soils with strong P-sorption potential should be considered for their positive effect on P availability, as well as their widely accepted role in nitrogen fixation. Their P-mobilizing activity possibly also enhances their nitrogen-fixing capacity. These diazotrophic species may therefore facilitate the establishment and growth of species with less-efficient P-uptake strategies on more-developed soils with low P availability through similar mechanisms. We argue that the significance of cluster roots and high carboxylate exudation in the development of young ecosystems is probably far more important than has been envisaged thus far.

  10. Hair from different ethnic groups vary in elemental composition and nitrogen and phosphorus mineralisation in soil.

    PubMed

    Malepfane, N M; Muchaonyerwa, P

    2017-02-01

    Disposal of hair wastes at landfills causes nitrate leaching to ground water, and use of the waste as fertiliser could be a viable option. This study was to determine elemental composition of major hair types in South Africa and their nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) release in soil. Wastes of African, White and Indian hair were obtained from local salons and analysed for carbon (C), N and sulphur (S) with the Leco CNS analyzer, and P, bases, aluminium (Al) and micronutrients, with the ICP. We also conducted an incubation study to determine changes in mineral N and P in soil. Hair wastes were added to soil at increasing rates based on N, incubated at 25 °C with destructive sampling after 0, 28, 56 and 84 days and pH, ammonium-N, nitrate-N and extractable P measured. All data were subjected to analysis of variance. Indian and White hair had higher N than African. White hair had higher C and lower potassium (K) than those of other types. The Fe levels in hair were in the order White > African > Indian, whilst those of Al were African > Indian > White. African hair had higher calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and cobalt (Co) than the other types. Ammonium-N and nitrate-N releases were in the order: Indian > African > White, especially at higher rates. Ammonium-N increased in the first 28 days and declined thereafter, when nitrate-N increased and pH decreased. The findings implied that hair types differ in elemental composition and nitrogen release in soil, with implications on pollution and soil fertility.

  11. Microbial processes dominate P fluxes in a low-phosphorus temperate forest soil: insights provided by 33P and 18O in phosphate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pistocchi, Chiara; Tamburini, Federica; Bünemann, Else; Mészáros, Éva; Frossard, Emmanuel

    2016-04-01

    The classical view of the P cycle in forests is that trees and mycorrhizal fungi associated with them take up most of their phosphorus as phosphate (P) from the soil solution. The soil solution is then replenished by the release of P from sorbed phases, by the dissolution of P containing minerals or by biological mineralization and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of organic P compounds. Direct insight into the processes phosphate goes through at the ecosystem level is, however, missing. Assessing the relevance of inorganic and biological processes controlling P cycling requires the use of appropriate approaches and tracers. Within the German Priority Program "Ecosystem Nutrition: Forest Strategies for limited Phosphorus Resources" we studied P forms and dynamics in organic horizons (Of/Oh) of temperate beech forest soils in Germany with contrasting soil P availability (P-poor and P-rich). We followed the fate of P from the litter into the soil pools, using isotopes as tracers (stable oxygen isotopes in water and phosphate and 33P) and relied on measurements in experimental forest sites and a three-months incubation experiment with litter addition. Using an isotopic dilution approach we were able to estimate gross (7 mg P kg-1 d-1 over the first month) and net mineralization rates (about 5 mg P kg-1 d-1 over the first 10 days) in the P-poor soil. In this soil the immobilization of P in the microbial biomass ranged from 20 to 40% of gross mineralization during the incubation, meaning that a considerable part of mineralized P contributed to replenish the available P pool. In the P-rich soil, physicochemical processes dominated exchangeable P to the point that the contribution of biological/biochemical processes was non-detectable. Oxygen isotopes in phosphate elucidated that organic P mineralization by enzymatic hydrolysis gains more importance with decreasing P availability, both under controlled and under field conditions. In summary, microbial processes dominated P fluxes (70 to 80%) in the P-poor soil, while in the P-rich soil microbial processes could not be detected because of the higher baseline of physicochemical processes. Our results support the hypothesis that organic P has a faster turnover under conditions of low P availability and that net mineralization is the most relevant process providing available P for plants under these conditions.

  12. National Waterways Study. Analysis of Environmental Aspects of Waterways Navigation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-07-01

    CARRIERS. A PORITS - LITERATURE SEARCH AND RESEARICH - CONFEENmCES AND PIDLIC REVIEW SSSIONS ~~jL5 -7~0 Ile, SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS P AGE ...of phosphorus and nitrogen they contain break down and release the needed nutrients to renew the natural growth and decay cycle. The total amount of...to a particular river or river seg- ment. Such factors as the rate of sedimentation, river and areal physiography, river current patterns and age

  13. Use of sugarcane filter cake and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilization in the process of bioremediation of soil contaminated with diesel.

    PubMed

    Tellechea, Fernando Reynel Fundora; Martins, Marco Antônio; da Silva, Alexsandro Araujo; da Gama-Rodrigues, Emanuela Forestieri; Martins, Meire Lelis Leal

    2016-09-01

    This study evaluated the use of sugarcane filter cake and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) fertilization in the bioremediation of a soil contaminated with diesel fuel using a completely randomized design. Five treatments (uncontaminated soil, T1; soil contaminated with diesel, T2; soil contaminated with diesel and treated with 15 % (wt) filter cake, T3; soil contaminated with diesel and treated with NPK fertilizer, T4; and soil contaminated with diesel and treated with 15 % (wt) filter cake and NPK fertilizer, T5) and four evaluation periods (1, 60, 120, and 180 days after the beginning of the experiment) were used according to a 4 × 5 factorial design to analyze CO2 release. The variables total organic carbon (TOC) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) remaining in the soil were analyzed using a 5 × 2 factorial design, with the same treatments described above and two evaluation periods (1 and 180 days after the beginning of the experiment). In T3 and T5, CO2 release was significantly higher, compared with the other treatments. Significant TPH removal was observed on day 180, when percent removal values were 61.9, 70.1, 68.2, and 75.9 in treatments T2, T3, T4, and T5, respectively, compared with the initial value (T1).

  14. Release of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Poultry Litter Amended with Acidified Biochar

    PubMed Central

    Doydora, Sarah A.; Cabrera, Miguel L.; Das, Keshav C.; Gaskin, Julia W.; Sonon, Leticia S.; Miller, William P.

    2011-01-01

    Application of poultry litter (PL) to soil may lead to nitrogen (N) losses through ammonia (NH3) volatilization and to potential contamination of surface runoff with PL-derived phosphorus (P). Amending litter with acidified biochar may minimize these problems by decreasing litter pH and by retaining litter-derived P, respectively. This study evaluated the effect of acidified biochars from pine chips (PC) and peanut hulls (PH) on NH3 losses and inorganic N and P released from surface-applied or incorporated PL. Poultry litter with or without acidified biochars was surface-applied or incorporated into the soil and incubated for 21 d. Volatilized NH3 was determined by trapping it in acid. Inorganic N and P were determined by leaching the soil with 0.01 M of CaCl2 during the study and by extracting it with 1 M KCl after incubation. Acidified biochars reduced NH3 losses by 58 to 63% with surface-applied PL, and by 56 to 60% with incorporated PL. Except for PH biochar, which caused a small increase in leached NH4 +-N with incorporated PL, acidified biochars had no effect on leached or KCl-extractable inorganic N and P from surface-applied or incorporated PL. These results suggest that acidified biochars may decrease NH3 losses from PL but may not reduce the potential for P loss in surface runoff from soils receiving PL. PMID:21655132

  15. Ionic Intercalation in Two-Dimensional van der Waals Materials: In Situ Characterization and Electrochemical Control of the Anisotropic Thermal Conductivity of Black Phosphorus.

    PubMed

    Kang, Joon Sang; Ke, Ming; Hu, Yongjie

    2017-03-08

    Two-dimensional van der Waals materials have shown novel fundamental properties and promise for wide applications. Here, we report for the first time an experimental demonstration of the in situ characterization and highly reversible control of the anisotropic thermal conductivity of black phosphorus. We develop a novel platform based on lithium ion batteries that integrates ultrafast optical spectroscopy and electrochemical control to investigate the interactions between lithium ions and the lattices of the black phosphorus electrode. We discover a strong dependence of the thermal conductivity on battery charge states (lithium concentrations) during the discharge/charge process. The thermal conductivity of black phosphorus is reversibly tunable over a wide range of 2.45-3.86, 62.67-85.80, and 21.66-27.58 W·m -1 ·K -1 in the cross-plan, zigzag, and armchair directions, respectively. The modulation in thermal conductivity is attributed to phonon scattering introduced by the ionic intercalation in between the interspacing layers and shows anisotropic phonon scattering mechanism based on semiclassical model. At the fully discharged state (x ∼ 3 in Li x P), a dramatic reduction of thermal conductivity by up to 6 times from that of the pristine crystal has been observed. This study provides a unique approach to explore the fundamental energy transport involving lattices and ions in the layered structures and may open up new opportunities in controlling energy transport based on novel operation mechanisms and the rational design of nanostructures.

  16. Efficient Terahertz detection in black-phosphorus nano-transistors with selective and controllable plasma-wave, bolometric and thermoelectric response

    PubMed Central

    Viti, Leonardo; Hu, Jin; Coquillat, Dominique; Politano, Antonio; Knap, Wojciech; Vitiello, Miriam S.

    2016-01-01

    The ability to convert light into an electrical signal with high efficiencies and controllable dynamics, is a major need in photonics and optoelectronics. In the Terahertz (THz) frequency range, with its exceptional application possibilities in high data rate wireless communications, security, night-vision, biomedical or video-imaging and gas sensing, detection technologies providing efficiency and sensitivity performances that can be “engineered” from scratch, remain elusive. Here, by exploiting the inherent electrical and thermal in-plane anisotropy of a flexible thin flake of black-phosphorus (BP), we devise plasma-wave, thermoelectric and bolometric nano-detectors with a selective, switchable and controllable operating mechanism. All devices operates at room-temperature and are integrated on-chip with planar nanoantennas, which provide remarkable efficiencies through light-harvesting in the strongly sub-wavelength device channel. The achieved selective detection (∼5–8 V/W responsivity) and sensitivity performances (signal-to-noise ratio of 500), are here exploited to demonstrate the first concrete application of a phosphorus-based active THz device, for pharmaceutical and quality control imaging of macroscopic samples, in real-time and in a realistic setting. PMID:26847823

  17. An in-situ phosphorus source for the synthesis of Cu 3P and the subsequent conversion to Cu 3PS 4 nanoparticle clusters

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sheets, Erik J.; Stach, Eric A.; Yang, Wei -Chang

    2015-09-20

    The search for alternative earth abundant semiconducting nanocrystals for sustainable energy applications has brought forth the need for nanoscale syntheses beyond bulk synthesis routes. Of particular interest are metal phosphides and derivative I-V-VI chalcogenides including copper phosphide (Cu 3P) and copper thiophosphate (Cu 3PS 4). Herein, we report a one-pot, solution-based synthesis of Cu 3P nanocrystals utilizing an in-situ phosphorus source: phosphorus pentasulfide (P 2S 5) in trioctylphosphine (TOP). By injecting this phosphorus source into a copper solution in oleylamine (OLA), uniform and size controlled Cu 3P nanocrystals with a phosphorous-rich surface are synthesized. The subsequent reaction of the Cumore » 3P nanocrystals with decomposing thiourea forms nanoscale Cu 3PS 4 particles having p-type conductivity and an effective optical band gap of 2.36 eV.« less

  18. Temporal and spatial variability of dissolved organic and inorganic phosphorus, and metrics of phosphorus bioavailability in an upwelling-dominated coastal system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ruttenberg, Kathleen C.; Dyhrman, Sonya T.

    2005-10-01

    High-frequency temporal and spatial shifts in the various dissolved P pools (total, inorganic, and organic) are linked to upwelling/relaxation events and to phytoplankton bloom dynamics in the upwelling-dominated Oregon coastal system. The presence and regulation of alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) is apparent in the bulk phytoplankton population and in studies of cell-specific APA using Enzyme Labeled Fluorescence (ELF®). Spatial and temporal variability are also evident in phytoplankton community composition and in APA. The spatial pattern of dissolved phosphorus and APA variability can be explained by bottom-controlled patterns of upwelling, and flushing times of different regions within the study area. The presence of APA in eukaryotic taxa indicates that dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) may contribute to phytoplankton P nutrition in this system, highlighting the need for a more complete understanding of P cycling and bioavailability in the coastal ocean.

  19. Plants may alter competition by modifying nutrient bioavailability in rhizosphere: a modeling approach.

    PubMed

    Raynaud, Xavier; Jaillard, Benoît; Leadley, Paul W

    2008-01-01

    Plants modify nutrient availability by releasing chemicals in the rhizosphere. This change in availability induced by roots (bioavailability) is known to improve nutrient uptake by individual plants releasing such compounds. Can this bioavailability alter plant competition for nutrients and under what conditions? To address these questions, we have developed a model of nutrient competition between plant species based on mechanistic descriptions of nutrient diffusion, plant exudation, and plant uptake. The model was parameterized using data of the effects of root citrate exudation on phosphorus availability. We performed a sensitivity analysis for key parameters to test the generality of these effects. Our simulations suggest the following. (1) Nutrient uptake depends on the number of roots when nutrients and exudates diffuse little, because individual roots are nearly independent in terms of nutrient supply. In this case, bioavailability profits only species with exudates. (2) Competition for nutrients depends on the spatial arrangement of roots when nutrients diffuse little but exudates diffuse widely. (3) Competition for nutrients depends on the nutrient uptake capacity of roots when nutrients and exudates diffuse widely. In this case, bioavailability profits all species. Mechanisms controlling competition for bioavailable nutrients appear to be diverse and strongly depend on soil, nutrient, and plant properties.

  20. Conditions affecting the release of phosphorus from surface lake sediments.

    PubMed

    Christophoridis, Christophoros; Fytianos, Konstantinos

    2006-01-01

    Laboratory studies were conducted to determine the effect of pH and redox conditions, as well as the effect of Fe, Mn, Ca, Al, and organic matter, on the release of ortho-phosphates in lake sediments taken from Lakes Koronia and Volvi (Northern Greece). Results were evaluated in combination with experiments to determine P fractionation in the sediment. The study revealed the major effect of redox potential and pH on the release of P from lake sediments. Both lakes showed increased release rates under reductive conditions and high pH values. The fractionation experiments revealed increased mobility of the reductive P fraction as well as of the NaOH-P fraction, indicating participation of both fractions in the overall release of sediment-bound P, depending on the prevailing environmental conditions. The results were assessed in combination with the release patterns of Fe, Mn, Ca, Al, and organic matter, enabling the identification of more specific processes of P release for each lake. The basic release patterns included the redox induced reductive dissolution of P-bearing metal oxides and the competitive exchange of phosphate anions with OH- at high pH values. The formation of an oxidized surface microlayer under oxic conditions acted as a protective film, preventing further P release from the sediments of Lake Volvi, while sediments from Lake Koronia exhibited a continuous and increased tendency to release P under various physicochemical conditions, acting as a constant source of internal P loading.

  1. Organo-mineral fertilisers from glass-matrix and organic biomasses: a new way to release nutrients. A novel approach to fertilisation based on plant demand.

    PubMed

    Trinchera, Alessandra; Allegra, Maria; Rea, Elvira; Roccuzzo, Giancarlo; Rinaldi, Simona; Sequi, Paolo; Intrigliolo, Francesco

    2011-10-01

    A glass-matrix fertiliser (GMF), a by-product from ceramic industries, releases nutrients only in the presence of complexing solutions, similar to those exuded by plant roots. This ensures a slow release of nutrients over time, limiting the risk of their loss in the environment. With the aim to improve fertiliser performance, GMF was mixed with vine vinasse (DVV), pastazzo (a by-product of the citrus processing industry, PAS) or green compost (COMP) and nutrient release was evaluated by citric and chloridric acid extraction, at different concentrations. Theoretical and actual nutrients release were compared to evaluate possible synergistic effects due to the organic component added to the mineral fertiliser: phosphorus (+7.1%), K (+4.8%), Fe (+8.5%) and Zn (+5.5%) were released more efficiently by 2% citric acid from GMF + DVV, while Ca availability was increased (+5.3%) by 2% citric acid from GMF + PAS mixture. Both DVV and COMP increased by 12-18% the Fe release from GFM matrix. Organic biomasses added to GMF increased the release of some macro and micronutrients through an 'activation effect', which suggests the employment of these organo-mineral fertilisers also in short-cycle crops production. Moreover, the re-use of some agro-industrial organic residues gives another 'adding value' to this novel organo-mineral fertilfertilisers. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

  2. Large-Scale Operations Management Test of Use of the White Amur for Control of Problem Aquatic Plants. Report 2. First Year Poststocking Results. Volume IV. Nitrogen and Phosphorus Dynamics of the Lake Conway Ecosystem: Loading Budgets and a Dynamic Hydrologic Phosphorus Model.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-08-01

    AD-AIA 700 FLORIDA UN1V GAINESVILLE DEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGIN -ETC F/G 6/6 LARGE-SCALE OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT TEST OF USE OF THE WHITE AMOR--ENL...Conway ecosystem and is part of the Large- Scale Operations Management Test (LSOMT) of the Aquatic Plant Control Research Program (APCRP) at the WES...should be cited as follows: Blancher, E. C., II, and Fellows, C. R. 1982. "Large-Scale Operations Management Test of Use of the White Amur for Control

  3. Bioimpacts of dialyzer variety on phosphorus level in Iranian hemodialysis patients

    PubMed Central

    Pezeshgi, Aiyoub; Moharrami, Bahareh; Kolifarhood, Goodarz; Sadeghi, Alireza; Asadi-Khiavi, Masoud

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Cardiovascular events are the major cause of death in patients with chronic renal failure. About half of dialysis patients because of reduced phosphorus clearance have hyperphosphatemia. Hyperphosphatemia and following secondary hyperparathyroidism lead to some cardiovascular changes. Hemodialysis (HD) partly removes phosphorus during each dialysis session. Objectives: Presented study was designed to evaluate dialyzer variation effect on phosphorus level as a prognostic factor after dialysis using. Materials and Methods: Six kinds of dialyzer were used for dialysis; low flux (LF) dialyzer (F7 and F8), high flux (HF) dialyzer (F70 and F80) and finally hollow-fiber dialyzers including polyethersulfone (PES) 130 HF and polysulfone (PS) 13 LF. Fifty-seven patients were divided into 6 matched groups included three groups of 10 people and 3 groups of 9 persons in groups: A (F70), B (F80), C (F7), D (F8), E (PES 130 HF) and F (PS 13 LF). Patients were treated for one month with these dialyzers. At the end of the month, blood samples were taken again for phosphorus level before dialysis handling. Results: The mean pre-dialysis serum phosphorus was 5.03, 5.4, 5.2, 4.6, 4.95 and 5.1 mg/dl and the mean phosphorus was 5.43, 5.01, 4.9, 4.18, 4.17 and 5.3 mg/dl after one month of dialysis, respectively in groups A to F without any statistically differences between pre- and after one month dialysis values respectively. Discussion: The findings indicate dialyzer type in the control of serum phosphorus has not been effective in the short-term HD. We suggest a study with more duration time. PMID:27471742

  4. Bioimpacts of dialyzer variety on phosphorus level in Iranian hemodialysis patients.

    PubMed

    Pezeshgi, Aiyoub; Moharrami, Bahareh; Kolifarhood, Goodarz; Sadeghi, Alireza; Asadi-Khiavi, Masoud

    2016-01-01

    Cardiovascular events are the major cause of death in patients with chronic renal failure. About half of dialysis patients because of reduced phosphorus clearance have hyperphosphatemia. Hyperphosphatemia and following secondary hyperparathyroidism lead to some cardiovascular changes. Hemodialysis (HD) partly removes phosphorus during each dialysis session. Presented study was designed to evaluate dialyzer variation effect on phosphorus level as a prognostic factor after dialysis using. Six kinds of dialyzer were used for dialysis; low flux (LF) dialyzer (F7 and F8), high flux (HF) dialyzer (F70 and F80) and finally hollow-fiber dialyzers including polyethersulfone (PES) 130 HF and polysulfone (PS) 13 LF. Fifty-seven patients were divided into 6 matched groups included three groups of 10 people and 3 groups of 9 persons in groups: A (F70), B (F80), C (F7), D (F8), E (PES 130 HF) and F (PS 13 LF). Patients were treated for one month with these dialyzers. At the end of the month, blood samples were taken again for phosphorus level before dialysis handling. The mean pre-dialysis serum phosphorus was 5.03, 5.4, 5.2, 4.6, 4.95 and 5.1 mg/dl and the mean phosphorus was 5.43, 5.01, 4.9, 4.18, 4.17 and 5.3 mg/dl after one month of dialysis, respectively in groups A to F without any statistically differences between pre- and after one month dialysis values respectively. The findings indicate dialyzer type in the control of serum phosphorus has not been effective in the short-term HD. We suggest a study with more duration time.

  5. Status of sea lamprey control

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moffett, James W.

    1956-01-01

    Four experiments involving 873 bob-white quail (Colinus virginianus) chicks were conducted at the Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, Maryland. A comparison was made of calcium: phosphorus ratios of 1:1, 15:1, 1%: 1, 2:1, 2+:1,and 2%: 1in diets with phosphorus levels of 0.52, 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 percent. The results indicate that the optimum level of phosphorus for growth is in the neighborhood of 0.75 per cent, and that of calcium is about 1.00 per cent, making a ratio of 1 1/3: 1....Although the greatest efficiency of feed utilization occurred on the phosphorus level of 0.52 per cent, the liveweight and bone-ash of the birds at the end of ten weeks were significantly lower than they were on the levels of 0.75 and 1.00 per cent, phosphorus. Bone-ash of birds on a Ca: P ratio of 1:1was significantly lower than that on any of the other five ratios, regardless of phosphorus level....There was a significant reverse correlation between the Ca: P ratio of the diet and the storage of vitamin A in the liver. Storage was especially low on the ratio of 2 2/3: 1....The low and high levels of calcium and phosphorus considered in these studies are abnormal, the low level especially being hard to obtain with common feedstuffs, if the protein requirements of the birds are met. Nevertheless, even on such levels, results were not disastrous. The growth of quail in the wild happens during a season when the birds have access to the minerals of the soil and in the abundant animal matter (mostly insects), as well as to minerals in plant material. Therefore, seemingly, calcium and phosphorus need not be critical nutrients for growing quail in the wild.

  6. Geochemical and hydrologic controls on phosphorus transport in a sewage-contaminated sand and gravel aquifer near Ashumet Pond, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walter, D.A.; Rea, B.A.; Stollenwerk, K.G.; Savoie, Jennifer G.

    1995-01-01

    The disposal of secondarily treated sewage onto rapid infiltration sand beds at the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has created a sewage plume in the underlying sand and gravel aquifer; the part of the\\x11sewage plume that contains dissolved phosphorus extends about 2,500 feet downgradient of the sewage-disposal beds. A part of the plume that\\x11contains nearly 2 milligrams per liter of phosphorus currently (1993) discharges into Ashumet Pond along about 700 feet of shoreline. The sewage plume discharges from about 59 to about 76 kilograms of phosphorus per year into the pond. Hydraulic-head measurements indicate that the north end of Ashumet Pond is a ground-water sink and an increased component of ground-water discharge and phosphorus flux into\\x11the pond occurs at higher water levels. Phosphorus was mobile in ground water in two distinct geochemical environments-an anoxic zone that contains no dissolved oxygen and as much as 25\\x11milligrams per liter of dissolved iron, and a more areally extensive suboxic zone that contains little or no iron, low but detectable dissolved oxygen, and as much as 12 milligrams per liter of dissolved manganese. Dissolved phosphorus is mobile in the suboxic geochemical environment because continued phosphorus loading has filled available sorption sites in the aquifer. Continued disposal of sewage since 1936 has created a large reservoir of sorbed phosphorus that is much greater than the mass of dissolved phosphorus in the ground water; the average ratio of sorbed to dissolved phosphorus in the anoxic and suboxic parts of the sewage plume were 31:1 and 155:1, respectively. Column experiments indicate that phosphorus in the anoxic core of the plume containing dissolved iron may be immobilized within 17 years by sorption and coprecipitation with new iron oxyhydroxides following the cessation of sewage disposal and the introduction of uncontaminated oxygenated ground water into the aquifer in December 1995. Residual oxygen demand associated with sorbed organic compounds and ammonia could retard the movement of oxygenated water into the aquifer. Sorbed phosphorus in the suboxic zone of the aquifer will continue to desorb into the ground water and will remain mobile in the ground water for perhaps hundreds of years. Also, the introduction of uncontaminated water into the aquifer may cause dissolved-phosphorus concentrations in the suboxic zone of the aquifer to increase sharply and remain higher than precessation levels for many years due to the desorption of loosely bound phosphorus. Data from three sampling sites, located along the eastern and western boundaries of the sewage plume and downgradient of abandoned sewage-disposal beds, indicate that ground-water mixing and phosphorus desorption may already be occurring in the aquifer in response to the introduction of uncontaminated recharge water into previously contaminated parts of the aquifer.

  7. Determination of phosphorus in small amounts of protein samples by ICP-MS.

    PubMed

    Becker, J Sabine; Boulyga, Sergei F; Pickhardt, Carola; Becker, J; Buddrus, Stefan; Przybylski, Michael

    2003-02-01

    Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is used for phosphorus determination in protein samples. A small amount of solid protein sample (down to 1 micro g) or digest (1-10 micro L) protein solution was denatured in nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide by closed-microvessel microwave digestion. Phosphorus determination was performed with an optimized analytical method using a double-focusing sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-SFMS) and quadrupole-based ICP-MS (ICP-QMS). For quality control of phosphorus determination a certified reference material (CRM), single cell proteins (BCR 273) with a high phosphorus content of 26.8+/-0.4 mg g(-1), was analyzed. For studies on phosphorus determination in proteins while reducing the sample amount as low as possible the homogeneity of CRM BCR 273 was investigated. Relative standard deviation and measurement accuracy in ICP-QMS was within 2%, 3.5%, 11% and 12% when using CRM BCR 273 sample weights of 40 mg, 5 mg, 1 mg and 0.3 mg, respectively. The lowest possible sample weight for an accurate phosphorus analysis in protein samples by ICP-MS is discussed. The analytical method developed was applied for the analysis of homogeneous protein samples in very low amounts [1-100 micro g of solid protein sample, e.g. beta-casein or down to 1 micro L of protein or digest in solution (e.g., tau protein)]. A further reduction of the diluted protein solution volume was achieved by the application of flow injection in ICP-SFMS, which is discussed with reference to real protein digests after protein separation using 2D gel electrophoresis.The detection limits for phosphorus in biological samples were determined by ICP-SFMS down to the ng g(-1) level. The present work discusses the figure of merit for the determination of phosphorus in a small amount of protein sample with ICP-SFMS in comparison to ICP-QMS.

  8. Varying response of the concentration and content of soybean seed mineral elements, carbohydrates, organic acids, amino acids, protein, and oil to phosphorus starvation and CO2 enrichment

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A detailed investigation of the concentration (g-1 seed weight) and content (g plant-1) of seed mineral elements and metabolic profile under phosphorus (P) starvation at ambient (aCO2) and elevated carbon dioxide (eCO2) in soybean is limited. Soybean plants were grown in a controlled environment at ...

  9. Silicone intraocular lens surface calcification in a patient with asteroid hyalosis.

    PubMed

    Matsumura, Kazuhiro; Takano, Masahiko; Shimizu, Kimiya; Nemoto, Noriko

    2012-07-01

    To confirm a substance presence on the posterior intraocular lens (IOL) surface in a patient with asteroid hyalosis. An 80-year-old man had IOLs for approximately 12 years. Opacities and neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet pits were observed on the posterior surface of the right IOL. Asteroid hyalosis and an epiretinal membrane were observed OD. An IOL exchange was performed on 24 March 2008, and the explanted IOL was analyzed using a light microscope and a transmission electron microscope with a scanning electron micrograph and an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer for elemental analysis. To confirm asteroid hyalosis, asteroid bodies were examined with the ionic liquid (EtMeIm+ BF4-) method using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) with digital beam control RGB mapping. X-ray spectrometry of the deposits revealed high calcium and phosphorus peaks. Spectrometry revealed that the posterior IOL surface opacity was due to a calcium-phosphorus compound. Examination of the asteroid bodies using FE-SEM with digital beam control RGB mapping confirmed calcium and phosphorus as the main components. Calcium hydrogen phosphate dihydrate deposits were probably responsible for the posterior IOL surface opacity. Furthermore, analysis of the asteroid bodies demonstrated that calcium and phosphorus were its main components.

  10. Preparation and properties of a double-coated slow-release NPK compound fertilizer with superabsorbent and water-retention.

    PubMed

    Wu, Lan; Liu, Mingzhu; Rui Liang

    2008-02-01

    A double-coated slow-release NPK compound fertilizer with superabsorbent and water-retention was prepared by crosslinked poly(acrylic acid)/diatomite - containing urea (the outer coating), chitosan (the inner coating), and water-soluble granular fertilizer NPK (the core). The effects of the amount of crosslinker, initiator, degree of neutralization of acrylic acid, initial monomer and diatomite concentration on water absorbency were investigated and optimized. The water absorbency of the product was 75 times its own weight if it was allowed to swell in tap water at room temperature for 2 h. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer and element analysis results showed that the product contained 8.47% potassium (shown by K(2)O), 8.51% phosphorus (shown by P(2)O(5)), and 15.77% nitrogen. We also investigated the water-retention property of the product and the slow release behavior of N, P and K in the product. This product with excellent slow release and water-retention capacity, being nontoxic in soil and environment-friendly, could be especially useful in agricultural and horticultural applications.

  11. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium release from two compressed fertilizers: column experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernández-Sanjurjo, M. J.; Alvarez-Rodríguez, E.; Núñez-Delgado, A.; Fernández-Marcos, M. L.; Romar-Gasalla, A.

    2014-12-01

    The objective of this work was to study nutrients release from two compressed nitrogen-potassium-phosphorous (NPK) fertilizers. In the Lourizán Forest Center, tablet-type controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) were prepared by compressing various mixtures of fertilizers without covers or binders. We used soil columns (50 cm long and 7.3 cm inner diameter) that were filled with soil from the surface layer (0-20 cm) of an A horizon corresponding to a Cambic Umbrisol. Tablets of two slow-release NPK fertilizers (11-18-11 or 8-8-16) were placed into the soil (within the first 3 cm), and then water was percolated through the columns in a saturated regime for 80 days. Percolates were analyzed for N, P, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. These elements were also determined in soil and fertilizer tablets at the end of the trials. Nutrient concentrations were high in the first leachates and reached a steady state when 1426 mm of water had been percolated, which is equivalent to approximately 1.5 years of rainfall in this geographic area. In the whole trial, both tablets lost more than 80% of their initial N, P and K contents. However, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ were the most leached, whereas N and P were lost in leachates to a lesser extent. Nutrient release was slower from the tablet with a composition of 8-8-16 than from the 11-18-11 fertilizer. In view of that, the 8-8-16 tablet can be considered more adequate for crops with a nutrient demand sustained over time. At the end of the trial, the effects of these fertilizers on soil chemical parameters were still evident, with a significant increase of pH, available Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, P and effective cation exchange capacity (eCEC) in the fertilized columns, as well as a significant decrease in exchangeable Al3+, reaching values < 0.08 cmol (+) kg-1.

  12. Relation of nutrient concentrations, nutrient loading, and algal production to changes in water levels in Kabetogama Lake, Voyageurs National Park, northern Minnesota, 2008-09

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Christensen, Victoria G.; Maki, Ryan P.; Kiesling, Richard L.

    2011-01-01

    Nutrient enrichment has led to excessive algal growth in Kabetogama Lake, Voyageurs National Park, northern Minnesota. Water- and sediment-quality data were collected during 2008-09 to assess internal and external nutrient loading. Data collection was focused in Kabetogama Lake and its inflows, the area of greatest concern for eutrophication among the lakes of Voyageurs National Park. Nutrient and algal data were used to determine trophic status and were evaluated in relation to changes in Kabetogama Lake water levels following changes to dam operation starting in 2000. Analyses were used to estimate external nutrient loading at inflows and assess the potential contribution of internal phosphorus loading. Kabetogama Lake often was mixed vertically, except for a few occasionally stratified areas, including Lost Bay in the northeastern part of Kabetogama Lake. Stratification, combined with larger bottom-water nutrient concentrations, larger sediment phosphorus concentrations, and estimated phosphorus release rates from sediment cores indicate that Lost Bay may be one of several areas that may be contributing substantially to internal loading. Internal loading is a concern because nutrients may cause excessive algal growth including potentially toxic cyanobacteria. The cyanobacterial hepatotoxin, microcystin, was detected in 7 of 14 cyanobacterial bloom samples, with total concentrations exceeding 1.0 microgram per liter, the World Health Organization's guideline for finished drinking water for the congener, microcystin-LR. Comparisons of the results of this study to previous studies indicate that chlorophyll-a concentrations and trophic state indices have improved since 2000, when the rules governing dam operation changed. However, total-phosphorus concentrations have not changed significantly since 2000.

  13. Modeling phosphorus removal and recovery from anaerobic digester supernatant through struvite crystallization in a fluidized bed reactor.

    PubMed

    Rahaman, Md Saifur; Mavinic, Donald S; Meikleham, Alexandra; Ellis, Naoko

    2014-03-15

    The cost associated with the disposal of phosphate-rich sludge, the stringent regulations to limit phosphate discharge into aquatic environments, and resource shortages resulting from limited phosphorus rock reserves, have diverted attention to phosphorus recovery in the form of struvite (MAP: MgNH4PO4·6H2O) crystals, which can essentially be used as a slow release fertilizer. Fluidized-bed crystallization is one of the most efficient unit processes used in struvite crystallization from wastewater. In this study, a comprehensive mathematical model, incorporating solution thermodynamics, struvite precipitation kinetics and reactor hydrodynamics, was developed to illustrate phosphorus depletion through struvite crystal growth in a continuous, fluidized-bed crystallizer. A thermodynamic equilibrium model for struvite precipitation was linked to the fluidized-bed reactor model. While the equilibrium model provided information on supersaturation generation, the reactor model captured the dynamic behavior of the crystal growth processes, as well as the effect of the reactor hydrodynamics on the overall process performance. The model was then used for performance evaluation of the reactor, in terms of removal efficiencies of struvite constituent species (Mg, NH4 and PO4), and the average product crystal sizes. The model also determined the variation of species concentration of struvite within the crystal bed height. The species concentrations at two extreme ends (inlet and outlet) were used to evaluate the reactor performance. The model predictions provided a reasonably good fit with the experimental results for PO4-P, NH4-N and Mg removals. Predicated average crystal sizes also matched fairly well with the experimental observations. Therefore, this model can be used as a tool for performance evaluation and process optimization of struvite crystallization in a fluidized-bed reactor. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Glyphosate catabolism by Pseudomonas sp

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shinabarger, D.L.

    1986-01-01

    The pathway for the degradation of glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine) by Pseudomonas sp. PG2982 has been determined using metabolic radiolabeling experiments. Radiorespirometry experiments utilizing (3-/sup 14/C) glyphosate revealed that approximately 50-59% of the C3 carbon was oxidized to CO/sub 2/. Fractionation of stationary phase cells labeled with (3-/sup 14/C)glyphosate revealed that from 45-47% of the assimilated C3 carbon is distributed to proteins and that amino acids methionine and serine are highly labeled. The nucleic acid bases adenine and guanine received 90% of the C3 label that was incorporated into nucleic acids, and the only pyrimidine base labeled was thymine. Pulse labeling ofmore » PG2982 cells with (3-/sup 14/C)glyphosate revealed that (3-/sup 14/C)sarcosine is an intermediate in glyphosate degradation. Examination of crude extracts prepared from PG2982 cells revealed the presence of an enzyme that oxidizes sarcosine to glycine and formaldehyde. These results indicate that the first step in glyphosate degradation by PG2982 is cleavage of the carbon-phosphorus bond, resulting in the release of sarcosine and a phosphate group. The phosphate group is utilized as a source of phosphorus, and the sarcosine is degraded to glycine and formaldehyde. Phosphonate utilization by Pseudomonas sp. PG2982 was investigated. Each of the ten phosphonates tested were utilized as a sole source of phosphorus by PG2982. Representative compounds tested included alkylphosphonates, 1-amino-substituted alkylphosphonates, amino-terminal phosphonates, and an arylphosphonate. PG2982 cultures degraded phenylphosphonate to benzene and produced methane from methylphosphonate. The data indicate that PG2982 is capable of cleaving the carbon-phosphorus bond of several structurally different phosphonates.« less

  15. Cluster-root formation and carboxylate release in three Lupinus species as dependent on phosphorus supply, internal phosphorus concentration and relative growth rate

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xing; Pearse, Stuart J.; Lambers, Hans

    2013-01-01

    Background and Aims Some Lupinus species produce cluster roots in response to low plant phosphorus (P) status. The cause of variation in cluster-root formation among cluster-root-forming Lupinus species is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate if cluster-root formation is, in part, dependent on different relative growth rates (RGRs) among Lupinus species when they show similar shoot P status. Methods Three cluster-root-forming Lupinus species, L. albus, L. pilosus and L. atlanticus, were grown in washed river sand at 0, 7·5, 15 or 40 mg P kg−1 dry sand. Plants were harvested at 34, 42 or 62 d after sowing, and fresh and dry weight of leaves, stems, cluster roots and non-cluster roots of different ages were measured. The percentage of cluster roots, tissue P concentrations, root exudates and plant RGR were determined. Key Results Phosphorus treatments had major effects on cluster-root allocation, with a significant but incomplete suppression in L. albus and L. pilosus when P supply exceeded 15 mg P kg−1 sand. Complete suppression was found in L. atlanticus at the highest P supply; this species never invested more than 20 % of its root weight in cluster roots. For L. pilosus and L. atlanticus, cluster-root formation was decreased at high internal P concentration, irrespective of RGR. For L. albus, there was a trend in the same direction, but this was not significant. Conclusions Cluster-root formation in all three Lupinus species was suppressed at high leaf P concentration, irrespective of RGR. Variation in cluster-root formation among the three species cannot be explained by species-specific variation in RGR or leaf P concentration. PMID:24061491

  16. Cluster-root formation and carboxylate release in three Lupinus species as dependent on phosphorus supply, internal phosphorus concentration and relative growth rate.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xing; Pearse, Stuart J; Lambers, Hans

    2013-11-01

    Some Lupinus species produce cluster roots in response to low plant phosphorus (P) status. The cause of variation in cluster-root formation among cluster-root-forming Lupinus species is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate if cluster-root formation is, in part, dependent on different relative growth rates (RGRs) among Lupinus species when they show similar shoot P status. Three cluster-root-forming Lupinus species, L. albus, L. pilosus and L. atlanticus, were grown in washed river sand at 0, 7·5, 15 or 40 mg P kg(-1) dry sand. Plants were harvested at 34, 42 or 62 d after sowing, and fresh and dry weight of leaves, stems, cluster roots and non-cluster roots of different ages were measured. The percentage of cluster roots, tissue P concentrations, root exudates and plant RGR were determined. Phosphorus treatments had major effects on cluster-root allocation, with a significant but incomplete suppression in L. albus and L. pilosus when P supply exceeded 15 mg P kg(-1) sand. Complete suppression was found in L. atlanticus at the highest P supply; this species never invested more than 20 % of its root weight in cluster roots. For L. pilosus and L. atlanticus, cluster-root formation was decreased at high internal P concentration, irrespective of RGR. For L. albus, there was a trend in the same direction, but this was not significant. Cluster-root formation in all three Lupinus species was suppressed at high leaf P concentration, irrespective of RGR. Variation in cluster-root formation among the three species cannot be explained by species-specific variation in RGR or leaf P concentration.

  17. Influence of phosphorous fertilization on copper phytoextraction and antioxidant defenses in castor bean (Ricinus communis L.).

    PubMed

    Huang, Guoyong; Rizwan, Muhammad Shahid; Ren, Chao; Guo, Guangguang; Fu, Qingling; Zhu, Jun; Hu, Hongqing

    2018-01-01

    Application of fertilizers to supply appropriate nutrients has become an essential agricultural strategy for enhancing the efficiency of phytoremediation in heavy metal contaminated soils. The present study was conducted to investigate the beneficial effects of three types of phosphate fertilizers (i.e., oxalic acid-activated phosphate rock (APR), Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 , and NaH 2 PO 4 ) in the range of 0-600 mg P kg -1 soil, on castor bean growth, antioxidants [antioxidative enzymes and glutathione (GSH)], and Cu uptake. Results showed that with the addition of phosphorus fertilizers, the dry weight of castor bean and the Cu concentration in roots increased significantly, resulting in increased Cu extraction. The phosphorus concentration in both shoots and roots was increased as compared with the control, and the Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 treatment had the greatest effect. Application of APR, NaH 2 PO 4 , and Ca(H 2 PO 4 ) 2 reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and the activity of the two antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismustase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) and catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) in the leaves of castor bean. GSH concentration in leaves increased with the increasing levels of phosphorus applied to soil as well as the accumulation of phosphorus in shoots, compared to the control. These results demonstrated that the addition of phosphorus fertilizers can enhance the resistance of castor bean to Cu and increase the Cu extraction efficiency of the plant from contaminated soils.

  18. Novel transgenic pigs with enhanced growth and reduced environmental impact

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Huaqiang; Liu, Dewu; Cai, Gengyuan; Li, Guoling; Mo, Jianxin; Wang, Dehua; Zhong, Cuili; Wang, Haoqiang; Sun, Yue; Shi, Junsong; Zheng, Enqin; Meng, Fanming; Zhang, Mao; He, Xiaoyan; Zhou, Rong; Zhang, Jian; Huang, Miaorong; Zhang, Ran; Li, Ning; Fan, Mingzhe; Yang, Jinzeng

    2018-01-01

    In pig production, inefficient feed digestion causes excessive nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen to be released to the environment. To address the issue of environmental emissions, we established transgenic pigs harboring a single-copy quad-cistronic transgene and simultaneously expressing three microbial enzymes, β-glucanase, xylanase, and phytase in the salivary glands. All the transgenic enzymes were successfully expressed, and the digestion of non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) and phytate in the feedstuff was enhanced. Fecal nitrogen and phosphorus outputs in the transgenic pigs were reduced by 23.2–45.8%, and growth rate improved by 23.0% (gilts) and 24.4% (boars) compared with that of age-matched wild-type littermates under the same dietary treatment. The transgenic pigs showed an 11.5–14.5% improvement in feed conversion rate compared with the wild-type pigs. These findings indicate that the transgenic pigs are promising resources for improving feed efficiency and reducing environmental impact. PMID:29784082

  19. The nutrient load from food waste generated onboard ships in the Baltic Sea.

    PubMed

    Wilewska-Bien, Magda; Granhag, Lena; Andersson, Karin

    2016-04-15

    The combination of the sensitive characteristics of the Baltic Sea and the intense maritime traffic makes the marine environment vulnerable to anthropogenic influences. The theoretical scenario calculated in this study shows that the annually generated food waste onboard ships in traffic in the Baltic Sea contains about 182tonnes of nitrogen and 34tonnes of phosphorus. Today, all food waste generated onboard can be legally discharged into the marine environment at a distance of 12NM from the nearest land. The annual load of nitrogen contained in the food waste corresponds to 52% of load of nitrogen from the ship-generated sewage. Future regulations for sewage discharge in the Baltic Sea will require significant reduction of total nitrogen and phosphorus released. The contribution of nutrients from food waste compared to sewage will therefore be relatively larger in the future, if food waste still can be legally discharged. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Potential of duckweed (Lemna minor) for removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from water under salt stress.

    PubMed

    Liu, Chunguang; Dai, Zheng; Sun, Hongwen

    2017-02-01

    Duckweed plays a major role in the removal of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from water. To determine the effect of salt stress on the removal of N and P by duckweed, we cultured Lemna minor, a common species of duckweed, in N and P-rich water with NaCl concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 mM for 24 h and 72 h, respectively. The results show that the removal capacity of duckweed for N and P was reduced by salt stress. Higher salt stress with longer cultivation period exerts more injury to duckweed and greater inhibition of N and P removal. Severe salt stress (100 mM NaCl) induced duckweed to release N and P and even resulted in negative removal efficiencies. The results indicate that L. minor should be used to remove N and P from water with salinities below 75 mM NaCl, or equivalent salt stress. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Top