We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Balancing Soil Fertility and Emerging Contaminants Risk: Insights from a 15-Year Biosolid Application Study Under Maize Production
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a 15-year field trial applying biosolids to maize cropland at various rates and found that while soil carbon and nitrogen improved significantly, the antimicrobial triclosan was detected in plant shoots and grain at higher application rates. However, dietary intake estimates remained well below health risk thresholds, and the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole was not detected in any soil or plant samples, supporting biosolid application as generally safe at tested rates.
The use of biosolids in agriculture enhances soil fertility and organic matter, yet concerns remain over the accumulation of contaminants of emerging concern in soils and food crops. Despite increased land application, long-term field-based evidence on the environmental fate and plant uptake of these compounds is limited. This study hypothesized that prolonged biosolid application improves soil carbon and nitrogen without promoting triclosan (TCS) or sulfamethoxazole (SMX) persistence or uptake under rainfed and rainfed + irrigation maize systems. Over a decade and half, a field trial was conducted with biosolids applied at rates of 0, 4, 8, and 16 t ha−1 yr−1. Soil samples were analyzed for organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH, electrical conductivity, TCS, and SMX. Maize stem, leaves, and grain were similarly analyzed for TCS and SMX. Results showed that biosolids significantly improved soil organic carbon and nitrogen (p ≤ 0.0001), but also increased soil acidification and salinity. SMX was not detected in either soil or plant tissues at any rate. Although TCS was absent in soils six months post-application, it was detected in maize shoots and grains at 8 and 16 t ha−1 yr−1, highest in stems (6.66–8.92 ng g−1) and lowest in grains (3.25–4.28 ng g−1). Estimated dietary intake was well below health risk thresholds. These findings support biosolid application ≤ 16 t ha−1 yr−1 as a safe and effective treatment for improving soil fertility in maize systems. Future research should explore transformation products, microplastics, and cumulative exposure under varied agroecosystems.
More Papers Like This
Biosolid amendments as drivers for microplastic pollution in soil: Measurements and insight from multiple analytical methods in an agricultural field study
AI summary Read the abstract
Farms sometimes spread "biosolids" (treated sewage sludge) on fields as fertilizer, and this study measured microplastic particles in soil that had received these applications over a decade compared to untreated farmland. Using detailed chemical testing, researchers confirmed that soil treated with sludge contained identifiable plastic contamination, supporting concerns that this common farming practice can be a source of microplastics building up in agricultural land. Since these plastics can end up in the crops we eat and potentially in our food and water supply, understanding where they come from is an important step toward reducing our overall exposure.
Advancing sustainable agriculture through multi-omics profiling of biosolids for safe application: A review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines the potential benefits and risks of using biosolids from wastewater treatment as agricultural soil amendments. Researchers highlight that while biosolids provide valuable nutrients, they may also contain contaminants including pharmaceuticals, PFAS, pathogens, and microplastics that could transfer to cropland. The study advocates for multi-omics profiling approaches to better characterize these risks before widespread agricultural application.
Biosolids for soil, not soil for biosolids?
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewing biosolids management highlight that while applying sewage-derived biosolids as agricultural soil amendments offers carbon and nutrient benefits, the same material is a primary pathway for PFAS and microplastics entering farmland — arguing for a principled distinction between beneficial reuse and indiscriminate soil disposal.
Microplastic fate in a chronosequence of biosolid‐amended agricultural soil in Southern Ontario, Canada
AI summary Read the abstract
A field study in 2022 tracked the fate of microplastics in agricultural soils amended with municipal biosolids over a chronosequence of application histories, filling a gap in environmentally relevant field data. Biosolid-amended soils showed elevated microplastic concentrations, raising concerns about the circular use of these fertilizers.
Biosolid amendments as drivers for microplastic pollution in soil: Measurements and insight from multiple analytical methods in an agricultural field study
AI summary Read the abstract
Farms often spread "biosolids" (treated sewage sludge and animal waste) on fields as fertilizer, but this study shows that practice can also introduce microplastic pollution into agricultural soil, with fields that received sludge showing different plastic contamination than untreated fields. Since crops grow in this soil and microplastics can potentially work their way into our food and water, this raises questions about how common farming practices might be a hidden source of plastic exposure in our diets.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.