Effects of Alum and Aluminum Chloride on Phosphorus Runoff from Swine Manure

• Published in: Journal of environmental quality Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. 992 - 998
• Main Authors: Smith, D.R., Moore, P.A., Griffis, C.L., Daniel, T.C., Edwards, D.R., Boothe, D.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Madison American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society 01.05.2001; Crop Science Society of America; American Society of Agronomy
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Alum Compounds - chemistry; aluminum chloride; Aluminum Compounds - chemistry; aluminum sulfate; Animals; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorides - chemistry; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring; Eutrophication; Exact sciences and technology; Festuca arundinacea; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Manure; Natural water pollution; Other nutrients. Amendments. Solid and liquid wastes. Sludges and slurries; Phosphorus - analysis; Phosphorus - chemistry; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Rainwaters, run off water and others; Refuse Disposal; Soil and water pollution; Soil science; Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments; Sus scrofa domesticus; Swine; Water Movements; Water Pollutants - analysis; Water Pollution - prevention & control; Water treatment and pollution; United States; North America; Arkansas; America; Monocotyledones; Fertilization; Pollution prevention; Cultivated soil; Phosphorus; Runoff water; Farmyard manure; Vertebrata; Amendment; Mammalia; Gramineae; Swine; Angiospermae; Aluminium chloride; Nutrient; Spermatophyta; Agriculture; Water pollution; Artiodactyla; Animal waste; Rearing by-product; Ungulata; Festuca arundinacea; Aluminium sulfate
• ISSN: 0047-2425; 1537-2537
• DOI: 10.2134/jeq2001.303992x

ABSTRACT Phosphorus (P) runoff from fields fertilized with swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) manure may contribute to eutrophication. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of aluminum sulfate (alum) and aluminum chloride applications to swine manure on P runoff from small plots cropped to tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb.). There were six treatments in this study: (i) unfertilized control plots, (ii) untreated manure, (iii) manure with alum at 215 mg Al L−1, (iv) manure with aluminum chloride at 215 mg Al L−1, (v) manure with alum at 430 mg Al L−1, and (vi) manure with aluminum chloride at 430 mg Al L−1 Manure application rates were equivalent to approximately 125 kg N ha−1 Alum and aluminum chloride additions lowered soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) levels from about 130 mg P L−1 to approximately 30 mg P L−1 at low rates. At high rates, SRP levels in swine manure were around 1 mg P L−1 Soluble reactive P concentrations in runoff were 5.50, 3.66, 3.00, 0.87, 0.87, and 0.55 mg P L−1, for normal manure, low alum, low aluminum chloride, high alum, high aluminum chloride, and unfertilized control plots, respectively. Hence, high alum and aluminum chloride reduced SRP concentrations in runoff by 84% and were not statistically different from SRP concentrations in runoff from unfertilized control plots. These data indicate that treating swine manure with alum or aluminum chloride could result in significant reductions in nonpoint‐source P runoff.