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Organic By-Product Materials as Soil Amendments

Tvergyak, Jennifer Louise
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1339463187

Abstract Details

2012, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Environment and Natural Resources.
The reduction in the quality of soils is a major issue worldwide. The remediation of these lands is needed to restore ecosystem services as well to protect human health. Urban areas, already devoid of excess land, can especially benefit from soil remediation. Additions of organic amendments are an approach to remediate soil naturally. Urban by-products such a composted sewage sludge (biosolids), composted vegetative waste, water treatment residues (inorganic iron oxides removed from drinking water) (WTR), and biofuel combustion residuals (biochar) could be recycled and potentially be useful for bioremediation of degraded soils. Since there is very little information on comparing the microbial response to these amendments when added to soils, the objective of the research was to monitor enzyme activities and microbial community structure (phospholipid profiling) in soils amended with biosolids, vegetative compost, and designer amendment mix ( biosolids, biochar and WTRs) over a three year period in the field. Chapter 1 reviews common remediation methods and measurements to determine soil quality. Industrial by-products, are attractive for soil remediation because they are generally abundant, inexpensive, and promote recycling. Other materials, such as biochar and wastewater treatment residual (WTR), may enhance the effects of biosolid on the microbial biomass within soil. Therefore, an objective of Chapter 2 was to compare the effects of biosolids and vegetative composts on soil enzyme activities. Another objective was to analyze the effects of adding residual material, such as biochar and WTR, to biosolids. The objectives of Chapter 3 were to determine the effects of these amendments on the microbial community composition three years after initial application. A field study began in August 2009, with a randomized design of control soil, vegetative yard waste compost, biosolids (at 202 or 403 Mg ha-1), and a designer mix (biosolids at 202 Mg ha-1, biochar, and WTR). Enzyme activities were analyzed in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Microbial community structure was determined using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) in 2011. Addition of organic amendments was shown to increase enzyme activity; however the biosolid treatments tended to have higher activity levels compared to vegetative composts. These effects were transitory and activities fell to control levels by 2011. The PLFA analysis showed high variability and therefore insignificant values in total PLFA content and bacterial biomarker concentrations, however consistent patterns were observed. Fungal biomarkers and a stress ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids were significantly (P<0.10) higher and lower in biosolid treatments, respectively. This study indicates that: 1) a one-time addition of vegetative or biosolid composts had its largest effect on microbial properties after one year followed by a decline in amended soils that was still significantly greater than the control after three years; 2) no statistical difference was observed for all microbial measures between the biosolid and vegetative compost treatments after three years; 3) the biosolid treatment significantly increased fungal biomass over the other treatments three years after soil amendment; and 4) addition of biosolids to soils decreased microbial stress levels.
Richard Dick, PhD (Advisor)
Nicholas Basta, PhD (Committee Member)
Warren Dick, PhD (Committee Member)
116 p.
Soil Sciences
soil remediation; degraded soil; biosolids; vegetative compost; biochar; drinking water treatment residual; PLFA; soil enzymes; microbiological responses

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Tvergyak, J. L. (2012). Organic By-Product Materials as Soil Amendments [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1339463187

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Tvergyak, Jennifer. Organic By-Product Materials as Soil Amendments. 2012. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1339463187.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Tvergyak, Jennifer. "Organic By-Product Materials as Soil Amendments." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1339463187

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1339463187
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© 2012, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.