Environmental risks of trace elements associated with long-term phosphate fertilizers applications: A review

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 168; pp. 44 - 53
• Main Authors: Jiao, Wentao, Chen, Weiping, Chang, Andrew C., Page, Albert L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; analysis; Applied sciences; arsenic; Arsenic - analysis; Arsenic - metabolism; Bioavailability; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; cadmium; Cadmium - analysis; Cadmium - metabolism; chemistry; cropland; Croplands; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Fertilizer application; fertilizer rates; Fertilizers; Fertilizers - statistics & numerical data; food chain; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; lead; Lead - analysis; Lead - metabolism; Mass balance model; metabolism; methods; Models, Chemical; Non agrochemicals pollutants; Phosphates; Phosphates - analysis; Phosphates - metabolism; phosphorus fertilizers; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; plant characteristics; Plants; Plants - metabolism; Pollution; Pollution effects and side effects of agrochemicals on crop plants and forest trees. Other anthropogenic factors; Pollution effects. Side effects of agrochemicals; Pollution, environment geology; risk; simulation models; soil; Soil - chemistry; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil and water pollution; Soil Pollutants; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - metabolism; Soil science; statistics & numerical data; Trace Elements; Trace Elements - analysis; Trace Elements - metabolism; uncertainty; Croplands; Trace elements; Bioavailability; Fertilizer application; Mass balance model; Arsenic; Cultivated soil; Review; Phosphate fertilizer; Modeling; Trophic chain; Risk assessment; Lead; Agriculture; Copper; Mathematical model; Fertilization; Agricultural soil; Long term; Heavy metal; Trace element; Carcinogen; Poison; Soil plant relation; Material balance
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.03.052

Application of phosphate fertilizer can be a significant contributor of potentially hazardous trace elements such as arsenic, cadmium, and lead in croplands. These trace elements have the potential to accumulate in soils and be transferred through the food chain. We articulated the environmental risks of trace elements associated with long-term phosphate fertilizer applications by combining data from the literature and results from model simulations. Results illustrate that under normal cropping practice, the impact of phosphate fertilizers applications on trace element accumulation in receiving soils has been limited and localized. Their plant uptake varied greatly depending on the fertilizer application rates, soil and plant characteristics. This has led to a great deal of uncertainty in characterizing soil distribution coefficients, Kd, and plant uptake factors, PUF, two of the most used parameters in assessing the risks of accumulations. Therefore, the risks may be more appropriately assessed based on the probabilistic distributions of Kd and PUF. Environmental risks of trace elements associated with long-term phosphate fertilizer applications were articulated by combining data from the literature and results from model simulations.