Detection and degradation of organic contaminants in an agricultural soil amended with alkaline-treated biosolids

• Published in: Canadian journal of plant science Vol. 94; no. 5; pp. 595 - 604
• Main Authors: Gillis, J. D, G. W. Price, G. W. Stratton
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Agricultural Institute of Canada 2014
• Subjects: agricultural soils; alkaline-treated biosolids; anti-infective agents; biodegradation; biosolids; gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer; gas chromatography; land application; N-Viro; priority pollutants; soil amendments; soil incubation; soil sampling; spectrometers; spring; summer; Triclosan; wastewater
• ISSN: 1918-1833; 1918-1833

Gillis, J. D., Price, G. W. and Stratton, G. W. 2014. Detection and degradation of organic contaminants in an agricultural soil amended with alkaline-treated biosolids. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 595–604. The agricultural use of wastewater biosolids is a common practice in many countries, but concerns exist regarding the presence of organic wastewater contaminants that remain in the land-applied biosolids. The objective of this study was to determine if contaminants present in biosolids are detectable in soil following land application. A suite of organic contaminants were monitored by gas chromatograph with mass spectrometer in agricultural soil samples from a site amended with increasing rates of alkaline-treated biosolids. Triclosan, a common antimicrobial agent, was detected at levels greater than the reporting limit in an environment-controlled incubation study and validated through in situ field samples from soils receiving the same alkaline-treated biosolid. A rapid decrease in triclosan concentration was observed during the first few weeks of the incubation study, with concentrations decreasing from 92±26 to 20±2 ng g⁻¹ (average 78% decrease) after 4 mo. The field results indicate that triclosan in fall-applied may persist overwinter. However, a rapid decrease in triclosan concentration during the spring and summer months led to levels lower than predicted following the spring application, and levels below our reporting limit (up to 85% decrease) by the end of the study. Removal is posited to be through aerobic microbial degradation.