Progress 10/01/05 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The overall objective of the AAES Hatch/Multistate project entitled "Reducing phosphate and arsenic leachability and ammonia volatilization in poultry litter using a new class of iron oxide and gibbsite nanoparticles" is to develop a low-cost and "green" technology based on a new class of iron oxide and gibbsite nanoparticles to mitigate the environmental impacts of poultry litter. We found that lab-prepared starch stabilized magnetite nanoparticles were more effective than carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilized magnetite for the removal of arsenic. CMC stabilized iron-manganese oxide nanoparticles, however, appeared to be as effective as starch stabilized magnetite. In batch experiments containing 1% poultry litter, starch (0.4%) stabilized magnetite particles (2.5 gFe/L) reduced arsenic concentrations from ~130 ug/L to less than 20 ug/L. Similarly, CMC (0.14%) stabilized Fe-Mn oxide particles (0.37 gFe/L, molar ratio of Fe to Mn = 3:1) decreased arsenic concentrations from ~150 ug/L to less than 20 ug/L. Kinetic experiments showed that 90% arsenic removal was achieved within 30 minutes for both types of nanoparticles. In the presence of poultry litter, both starch stabilized magnetite and CMC stabilized Fe-Mn particles removed more arsenic at low pH (pH 4) than at high pH (pH 10). Arsenic sorption capacities of both types of nanoparticles were also affected by the concentrations of stabilizers. Column experiments were conducted to simulate the actual arsenic removal process in the environment. Column elution tests showed that when 2 g of poultry litter was treated with starch (0.2%) stabilized magnetite (0.5 gFe) nanoparticles, arsenic leachability was reduced by ~88%, compared to untreated poultry litter. The Fe-Mn oxide particles also provided a similar result with 85% reduction for arsenic leachability. To determine the environmental impact of these nanomaterials, we evaluated effects of starch and CMC stabilized magnetite nanoparticles on bacterial survival and growth in natural waters. Neither CMC nor starch stabilized magnetite nanoparticles at a concentration of 0.01 g Fe/L affected the survival of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecalis inoculated into the stream water. The growth of indigenous bacteria as indicated by [3H]thymidine incorporation, however, decreased in the presence of nanoparticle suspensions. The growth inhibition, albeit small, can be attributed to both background electrolytes in the suspension and nanoparticles themselves. PARTICIPANTS: PIs from Auburn University: Y. Feng, D. Zhao, and J.P. Blake. Graduate students: Kimberly F. Starr and Qiqi Liang. TARGET AUDIENCES: Academic community, Environmental resource managers, Poultry industry, Poultry farmers PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Our original research plan was to use gibbsite nanoparticles in this study. Preliminary experiments showed that iron-manganese oxide nanoparticles were a better choice for arsenic removal. Thus work on gibbsite nanoparticles was discontinued.
Impacts
Large amounts of nutrients (P and N) and As are released into the environment through either land applications or directly from litter stockpiles. Ammonia emissions from poultry facilities represent another major environmental concern. Volatilized ammonia causes serious outdoor and indoor air pollution. The development of a cutting-edge nanotechnology to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of poultry litter will ensure the sustainable development of poultry industry and to promote environmentally sound application or disposal of poultry litter. In addition to demonstrating the benefits of the new technology, it is also important to assess the potential risks of nanopartcles. Our results show that nanoscale magnetite was not toxic to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria tested and provide evidence that releasing these nanoparticle for environmental cleanup may pose minimal risk to bacteria.
Publications
- Starr, K.F., Y. Feng, Q. Liang, and D. Zhao. 2010. Influence of stabilized magnetite nanoparticles on bacterial survival and growth in natural waters. The 240th American Chemical Society National Meeting, August 22-26, 2010. Boston, Massachusetts.
- Liang, Q., K.F. Starr, D. Zhao, and Y. Feng. 2010. Enhanced removal and immobilization of arsenate and arsenite in soil and groundwater by polysaccharide-stabilized magnetite and Fe-Mn nanoparticles. The 240th American Chemical Society National Meeting, August 22-26, 2010, Boston, MA. (Invited keynote presentation)
- Levi, M.R., J.N. Shaw, C.W. Wood, S.M. Hermann, E.A. Carter, and Y. Feng. 2010. Land management effects on near-surface soil properties of southeastern US coastal plain Kandiudults. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 74: 258-271.
- Li, L., G. Pan, D. Zhao, and H. Chen. 2010. Immobilization of non-point phosphorus using stabilized magnetite nanoparticles with enhanced transportability and reactivity in soils. Environmental Pollution, 158:35-40.
- Liang, Q., K.F. Starr, D. Zhao, and Y. Feng. 2010. Sorption of arsenate by polysaccharide-stabilized magnetite nanoparticles: Effects of stabilizers and water chemistry. The 239th American Chemical Society National Meeting, March 21-25, 2010. San Francisco, California.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The overall objective of the AAES Hatch/Multistate project entitled "Reducing phosphate and arsenic leachability and ammonia volatilization in poultry litter using a new class of iron oxide and gibbsite nanoparticles" is to develop a low-cost and "green" technology based on a new class of iron oxide and gibbsite nanoparticles to mitigate the environmental impacts of poultry litter. We have successfully synthesized and characterized carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC) and starch stabilized magnetite nanoparticles. Sorption experiments revealed that the starch- or CMC-stabilized nanoparticles offered 9.3 and 5.4 times, respectively, greater arsenate sorption capacity than commercial magnetite "nanoparticles". Starch-stabilized nanoparticles offered a faster adsorption rate than CMC-stabilized nanoparticles. The greater arsenate uptake of starch-stabilized magnetite nanoparticles, which was 62.1 mg/g compared to 36.0 mg/g for CMC stabilized, is in accordance with the much less negative surface. The maximum uptake was observed at pH low than 4 . Long term (60 days) monitoring on As (V) adsorption onto starch-stabilized nanoparticles displayed a 4.0% decrease of adsorption capacity from 7 days to 60 days of contact time. The As-laden precipitate was able to pass the TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) criterion of 5 mg/L. We also investigated the effects of magnetite nanoparticles on four pure cultures of bacteria, i.e., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Enterococcus faecalis. The results show that magnetite nanoparticles at concentrations of 0.3, 0.6, and 1.0 g Fe/L were neither toxic nor inhibitory to the four organisms tested. In some cases, growth stimulation was observed. After the addition of cultures to nanoparticle suspensions, there was a loss of particle stability manifested by the formation of large aggregates. Scanning electron microscopy of the aggregates formed in E. coli culture revealed that nanoparticles covered cell surfaces and bridged cells together in clusters, but no damage to cell integrity was observed. The results suggest that stabilized nanoparticles may interact with bacterial surfaces without causing damage sufficient to inhibit cell growth. Additionally, CMC stabilized synthesized magnetite suspension, commercial magnetite/maghemite products, ferric chloride and ferrous sulfate were applied on poultry litters to test the reduction of ammonia emission. The results indicated that ferric chloride and ferrous sulfate did reduce ammonia emission significantly by ~90%, which is comparable to PLT (Poultry Litter Treatment, mainly sodium bisulfate), which is a commercial products used for poultry house ammonia control. However, neither synthesized nor commercial magnetite products showed obvious ammonia emission reduction effect compared to PLT. This project involves the training of one Master's and one Ph.D. degree student. The research findings were disseminated through the following presentations: 1) four invited presentations (Zhao) at four Chinese institutions; 2) an oral presentation (Feng) at a national symposium; and 3) a poster presentation at an international conference. PARTICIPANTS: PIs: Y. Feng, D. Zhao, and J.P. Blake. Graduate students: Kimberly F. Starr and Qiqi Liang. TARGET AUDIENCES: Academic community, Environmental resource managers, Poultry industry, Poultry farmers PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Large amounts of nutrients (P and N) and As are released into the environment through either land applications or directly from litter stockpiles. Ammonia emissions from poultry facilities represent another major environmental concern. Volatilized ammonia causes serious outdoor and indoor air pollution. The development of a cutting-edge nanotechnology to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of poultry litter will ensure the sustainable development of poultry industry and to promote environmentally sound application or disposal of poultry litter. In addition to demonstrating the benefits of the new technology, it is also important to assess the potential risks of nanopartcles. Our results show that nanoscale magnetite were not toxic to Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria tested and provide evidence that releasing these nanoparticle for environmental cleanup may pose minimal risk to bacteria.
Publications
- Qiu, Y.P., H. Pang, Z.L. Zhou, P. Zhang, Y. Feng, G.D. Sheng. 2009. Competitive biodegradation of dichlobenil and atrazine coexisting in soil amended with a char and citrate. Environ. Pollut. 157:2964-2969.
- Lei, L., G. Pan, D. Zhao, and H. Chen. 2010. Immobilization of non-point phosphorus using stabilized magnetite nanoparticles with enhanced transportability and reactivity in soils. Environmental Pollution, 158:35-40.
- Zhang, M., Y. Wang, D. Zhao, and G. Pan. 2009. Immobilization of arsenic in soils and groundwater by stabilized nanoscale zero-valent iron, iron sulfide (FeS), and magnetite (Fe3O4) particles. China Sci. Bullet. 54:3637-3644.
- Starr, K.F., Y. Feng, Q. Liang, and D. Zhao. 2009. Carboxymethyl cellulose stabilized magnetite nanoparticles are nontoxic to bacteria. Conference Proceedings: International Conference on the Environmental Implications and Applications of Nanotechnology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, June 9-11, 2009. http://scholarworks.umass.edu/tei, p.91-95.
- Feng, Y., Starr, K.F., Q. Liang, and D. Zhao. 2009. How did magnetite nanoparticles affect bacterial growth Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.
- Starr, K.F., Q. Liang, Y. Feng, and D. Zhao. 2009. Soil transport and microbial impact of magnetite nanoparticles. The 237th American Chemical Society National Meeting, March 22-26, 2009.
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The objectives of the AAES Ag Initiative project entitled Reducing the Leachability of Phosphate and Arsenic in Poultry Litter Using a New Class of Iron (Hydr)Oxide Nanoparticles were to develop a new class of iron oxide nanoparticles that are non-toxic and can be easily dispersed and incorporated in poultry litter and serve as a strong binding agent for phosphate and arsenic. In Year 1, we synthesized and characterized magnetite nanoparticles, determined nutrients and arsenic contents in five poultry litter samples from various sources, determined arsenic species present in these litter samples, assessed arsenic removal by carboxylmethyl cellulose (CMC) stabilized magnetite nanoparticles, quantified reduction in leachability of arsenic, measured biodegradability of CMC in two soils, and assessed the effect of magnetite nanoparticles on four bacteria. This project involves the training of one Master's and one Ph.D. degree student. The research findings were disseminated through presentations at the following conferences: 1) an invited keynote speech (Zhao) at the Third International Congress on Environmental Technologies, Polytechnic University of Army, Quito, Ecuador, June 4-6, 2008; 2) an invited keynote presentation (Zhao) at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Centennial Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 17-21 November, 2008; and 3) a poster presentation at the 22nd Annual Alabama Water Resources Conference, Orange Beach, Alabama, Sept. 4-5, 2008. Under Objective One of the W-1082 project, we determined sorption of the veterinary antimicrobials sulfadimethoxine and ormetoprim in soil. This project trained one Master's degree student. PARTICIPANTS: PIs: D. Zhao, Y. Feng and J.P. Blake. Collaborators: P. Srivastava, J.H. Dane, J. Basile and M.O. Barnett. Graduate students: Kimberly F. Starr, Qiqi Liang, and S.M. Sanders TARGET AUDIENCES: Academic community, environmental resource managers, poultry industry, and poultry farmers PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Although poultry litter is an inexpensive source of nutrients, repeated land application of poultry litter results in P build-up in soils and subsequent P runoff. In addition, due to its fairly high As content, there has been concerns about As contamination of soils and groundwater. To ensure the sustainable development of poultry industry and to promote environmentally sound application or disposal of poultry litter, this research aims to develop a cutting-edge nanotechnology to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of poultry litter. We have successfully synthesized magnetite nanoparticles stabilized with CMC. X-ray diffraction patterns of the synthesized material confirmed magnetite crystal structure. The transmission electron microscopy images showed particles of 20 nm in diameter. The hydrodynamic diameter of these particles determined by dynamic light scattering was 100 nm. The point of zero charge appeared to be less than pH 1. Total P found in poultry litter ranged from 13581 to 20700 ppm. Fairly high concentrations of As were detected in all samples from commercial sources, ranging from 17.2 to 26.5 ppm. Five major species of As were detected, including inorganic arsenic (As(III) and As(V)) and organic arsenic species (dimethylarsonic acid, monomethylarsonic acid, and roxarsone). Batch kinetic data of As removal from water showed a rapid initial (<10 min) concentration drop followed by a gradual decrease until 40-50 hrs when equilibrium was achieved. As uptake by magnetite nanoparticles was a function of pH; the maximum As uptake occurred between pH 4.5 and 8.0. When an As-contaminated soil was treated with magnetite nanoparticles, the leachability of As was reduced by more than 91% compared to soil treated with either distilled water or 0.5% CMC solution. Soil incubation experiments showed that CMC was degraded in soil via both biotic and abiotic reactions. The rate and extent of CMC degradation were higher in the sandy soil than in the clayey soil. After the 76-day incubation, 70% of radioactive CMC was mineralized in the sandy and 40% in the clayed soil. Effects of magnetite nanoparticles on bacteria were evaluated using Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus faecalis in the presence and absence of UV light. These nanoparticles did not seem to affect the growth of these bacteria significantly even in the presence of UV light. This project helped secure one AAES equipment grant and two China NSF grants. In addition, this project led to the submission of three research proposals to NSF and one to USEPA. To achieve Objective 1 of the W-1082 project, sorption of sulfadimethoxine (SDM) and ormetoprim (OMP) as single and bi-solutes was investigated in two soils using batch experiments. OMP sorption was enhanced at high concentrations in the presence of SDM. OMP sorption isotherm became more linear when SDM was present. SDM sorbed less than OMP in both soils. SDM sorption isotherm became more nonlinear when OMP was present. Overall, sorption of both antimicrobials was higher in the soil with higher organic matter and clay contents, and higher cation exchange capacity.
Publications
- Xiong Z., D. Zhao, and G. Pan. 2008. Rapid and controlled transformation of nitrate in water and brine using stabilized iron nanoparticles. J. Nanoparticle Res. (in press)
- Wang Y., D. Zhao, G. Pan. 2009. Immobilization of Arsenic in Soils and Groundwater by Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron, Ferrous Sulfide (FeS), and Magnetite (Fe3O4) Particles. Invited paper, China Science (in review)
- Sanders, S.M., P. Srivastava, Y. Feng, J.H. Dane, J. Basile, and M.O. Barnett. 2008. Sorption of the veterinary antimicrobials sulfadimethoxine and ormetoprim in soil. J. Environ. Qual. 37:1510-1518.
- Loganathan, V.A., Y. Feng, G.D. Sheng, and T.P. Clement. 2009. Influence of sorption and desorption on bioavailability of atrazine in soils amended with crop-residue-derived char. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. (in press)
- Srivastava, P., S.M. Sanders, J.H. Dane, Y. Feng, J. Basile, and M.O. Barnett. 2009. Fate and transport of sulfadimethoxine and ormetoprim in two southestern U.S. soils. Vadose Zone J. (in press)
- Feng, Y., V.A. Loganathan, G.D. Sheng, and T.P. Clement. 2008. Bioavailability of atrazine in char-amended soils. Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.
- Zhao, D., F. He, Z. Xiong, Y. Xu, R. Liu, and Q. Liang. 2008. In situ immobilization of toxic metals in soils and solid wastes using stabilized mineral nanoparticles. Invited keynote speech at the Third International Congress on Environmental Technologies, Polytechnic University of Army, Quito, Ecuador, June 4-6, 2008.
- Zhao, D. 2008. Development and application of polysaccharide-stabilized nanoparticles for in situ remediation of soils and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated solvents and heavy metals. Invited keynote presentation, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Centennial Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, 17-21 November, 2008.
- Liang, Q., K. Freeland, D. Zhao, and Y. Feng. 2008. Reducing arsenic leachability from soil and poultry litter using a new class of iron oxide nanoparticles. Presentation at the 22nd Annual Alabama Water Resources Conference, Perdido Beach Resort Hotel and Convention Center, Orange Beach, Alabama, Sept. 4-5, 2008.
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The use of the herbicide, glyphosate, has increased significantly in recent years due to the widespread use of Roundup Ready crop varieties and increased adoption of conservation tillage systems. In this study, we evaluated glyphosate mineralization as affected by tillage system, cotton variety, and row spacing. The field experiment was established on a Compass sandy loam using a factorial arrangement with four replications. The tillage treatments were conventional tillage and non-inversion deep tillage (conservation) systems. Roundup Ready and non-transgenic cotton varieties were planted at standard (40") and narrow (15") row spacings. Soil samples were collected at 0-5 cm depth in spring. Soil PLFA profiles suggest that soil microbial communities under conventional tillage were different from those under conservation tillage. Laboratory soil incubation was carried out using 14C-glyphosate for 91 days. Preliminary data showed that 32 to 46% of the initial radioactivity was
converted to 14CO2. Glyphosate mineralization was significant higher in conservation tillage soils than in conventional tillage soils regardless of other treatments. The results indicate that glyphosate is more persistent in conventional tillage soils than in conservational tillage soils. Differences in soil microbial communities may be the cause of different glyphosate degradation characteristics.
PARTICIPANTS: PI: Y. Feng; Co-PI: K. Balcom and A. Price; Research Associate: M. Owsley. Partner organization: USDA-ARS
TARGET AUDIENCES: Farmers who grow Roundup-Ready cotton and the scientific community
Impacts
The herbicide, glyphosate, has come the most used pesticide in the US in recent years due to the widespread use of Roundup Ready crop varieties and increased adoption of conservation tillage systems. Limited information is available regarding the response of soil microbial communities to transgenic crops cultivated under different tillage systems and the fate of glyphosate in those systems. This study showed that transgenic cotton did not significantly change soil microbial community structure and conservation tillage practice resulted in increased glyphosate degradation in soils.
Publications
- Feng, Y. 2008. Soil microbiology. In: Encyclopedia of Soil Science, W. Chesworth (ed). p. 673-678. Springer Publishing Company, New York, NY.
- Feng, Y. and S.A. Boyd. 2007. Bioavailability of soil-sorbed pesticides and organic contaminants. In: Soil Mineral-Organic Matter-Microorganism Interactions: Theories and Applications, Q. Huang, P. M. Huang, A. Violante (ed). Springer Publishing Company, New York, NY. (accepted)
- Toth, J.D., Z. Dou, J.D. Ferguson, C.F. Ramberg, Jr., C. Wang, S.C. Rankin, Q. Wang, and Y. Feng. 2007. Effect of veterinary pharmaceuticals on metabolic functions of native soil bacteria. Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.
- Mathew, R., Y. Feng, M.R. Owsley, L. Samuelson and T. Stokes. 2007. Influence of irrigation and fertilizer application on soil microbial communities in an intensively managed loblolly pine plantation. Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
We are continuing the effort to study the influences of crop residue derived char on sorption, desorption, and bioavailability of atrazine in soils. A desorption-biodegradation-mineralization (DBM) model was used to assess the bioavailability of atrazine in soil, char-amended soil, and char slurry systems. The model predicted sorbed phase bioavailability in soil and char amended soil systems, but not in char slurries. Multi-step kinetic and equilibrium desorption experiments showed that equilibrium, non-equilibrium, and non-desorbed site fractions varied with atrazine concentrations. Thus, a dynamic DBM model incorporating this variation in site fractions with atrazine concentrations was developed. The dynamic DBM model confirmed that sorbed phase atrazine was not utilized in char slurries. Further, the results indicate that sorbed atrazine in both equilibrium and non-equilibrium site fractions were bioavailable in soils and char-amended soils, but not that in the
non-desorbed site fraction.
Impacts
Crop residue derived char can be a significant contributor of black carbon to agricultural soils where frequent burning of crop residues occurs. Its presence in soil increases the sorption capacity of the soil and may influence pesticide efficacy and biodegradation. Our understanding of pesticide sorption/desorption and bioavailability has important ramifications for environmental fate modeling, risk assessment, and the development of remediation strategies.
Publications
- Zhang, P., G. Sheng, Y. Feng, and D.M. Miller. 2006. Predominance of char sorption over substrate concentration and soil pH in influencing biodegradation of benzonitrile. Biodegradation 17:1-8.
- Feng, Y. and S.A. Boyd. 200_. Bioavailability of soil-sorbed pesticides and organic contaminants. In: Soil Mineral-Organic Matter-Microorganism Interactions: Theories and Applications, Q. Huang, P. M. Huang, A. Violante (ed). Springer Publishing Company, New York, NY. (accepted)
- Loganathan, V.A., Y. Feng, G. Sheng, and T.P. Clement. 2006. Effects of crop residue derived char on the bioavailability of sorbed atrazine. Annual Meetings Abstracts [CD-ROM]. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI.
- Boozer, T.V., K.S. Lawrence, C.H. Burmester, Y. Feng, and B.L. Freeman. 2006. Concurrent evaluation of reniform nematode and early season insect populations as influenced by enhanced degradation of aldicarb. 2006 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, San Antonio, TX, January 3-6.
- Sanders, S., P. Srivastava, J. Basile, Y. Feng, and J. Dane. 2006. The fate and transport of veterinary antimicrobials, sulfadimethoxine and ormetoprim, in the environment. Alabama Water Resources Conference, Orange Beach, AL, Sept. 6-8, 2006.
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Progress 10/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
This is a new project initiated on 10/1/2005. In the next five years, we plan to investigate the persistence and availability of pesticides and antimicrobials in the environment.
Impacts
Identifying and quantifying the physical, chemical, and biological processes that control the behavior of organic chemicals in the environment is critical for improving management of agrochemicals, minimizing contamination of natural resources, and remediating contaminated environments.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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