W4170: Beneficial Use of Residuals to Improve Soil Health and Protect Public, and Ecosystem Health

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Inactive/Terminating

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[08/01/2020] [08/12/2021] [01/01/1970] [08/24/2023]

Date of Annual Report: 08/01/2020

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/28/2020 - 06/30/2020
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2019 - 06/30/2020

Participants

Participants Attachment:

W4170_2020 Participants.docx

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

W4170_2020 Business Meeting Minutes.docx

Accomplishments

Objective 1: Evaluate the short- and long-term chemistry and bioavailability of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, persistent organic contaminants, and pathogens in residuals, reclaimed water, and amended soils in order to assess the environmental and human health risk-based effects of their application at a watershed scale. Research for this objective was conducted by members from PA, WA, IN, MA, FL, VA, GA, MI, and KY. Researchers from PA, VA, MI and FL performed studies addressing chemistry, bioavailability, fate, and transport of CECs/PPCPs. In PA, carbamazepine, estrogens, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ofloxacin were quantified in soils, monitoring wells, and plants at a site receiving treated wastewater since 1983. An increase in antibiotic resistance occurred in soil microorganisms exposed long-term to wastewater antibiotics. Pharmaceuticals were detected in groundwater wells; however, concentrations were 100x lower than in the effluent, suggesting that the site soil acts as a biogeochemical filter. Risk calculations suggest effluent CEC levels pose moderate to high risk to aquatic organisms but minimal risk for humans drinking groundwater. In FL, data assessing retention-release of biosolids-borne ciprofloxacin and azithromycin demonstrated high sorption and limited desorption from a variety of biosolids. Biosolids characteristics associated with higher retention were identified. In VA, vertical and lateral soil transport of thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid, under field conditions occurred within 23 and 36 days of planting, respectively. These results revealed that neonicotinoids can be transported from seed coatings both above and through the soil profile, which may enable migration into surrounding ecosystems. In MI, the fate, uptake, and distribution of pharmaceuticals in agricultural soils originating from irrigation with treated wastewater and land-applied biosolids were measured in soil pore water and plants. In one study, the distribution of pharmaceuticals between soil and pore water and their transformation governed the bioavailability of pharmaceuticals in soils to radish uptake. Fourteen of 15 pharmaceuticals entered radish tissue. Comparison of bioconcentration factors (BCFs) provided evidence that pharmaceuticals in soil pore water are the major bioavailable fractions to plant uptake. The pore water-based BCFs exhibited a positive linear relationship with log Dow for the pharmaceuticals with >90% as neutral species in soil pore water, while such relationship was not observed between bulk soil-based BCFs and log Dow due mainly to the sorption by soil. In addition to pharmaceutical hydrophobic nature, the dissociation of ionizable pharmaceuticals in the soil pore water and (or) root cells may lead to the "ion-trap" effects and thus influence the uptake and translocation process. Large molecular-size pharmaceuticals (e.g., tylosin) manifested a minimum uptake due plausibly to the limited permeability of cell membranes. In a hydroponic study, sorption by lettuce roots of 13 common pharmaceuticals was measured to evaluate transport from roots to shoots. Small-sized pharmaceuticals (e.g., caffeine and carbamazepine) with molecular weight (MW) <300 g mol−1 and a low affinity to lettuce roots (sorption coefficient Kp < 0.05 L g−1) manifested substantial transport to shoots. Small-sized molecules lamotrigine and trimethoprim had a relatively strong affinity to lettuce roots (Kp > 12.0 L g−1) and demonstrated a reduced transport to shoots. Large-sized pharmaceuticals (e.g. MW >400 g mol−1), including lincomycin, monensin sodium, and tylosin, were excluded from cell membranes, resulting in predominant accumulation in roots. Large-sized oxytetracycline existed as zwitterionic species that could slowly enter lettuce roots; however, the relatively strong interaction with lettuce roots limits its transport to shoots. Mass balance analysis revealed that acetaminophen, β-estradiol, carbadox, estrone and triclosan were readily metabolized in lettuce with >90% loss during 144-h exposure period. A scheme was proposed to describe pharmaceutical uptake and transport in plant, which could elucidate many literature-reported results. Molecular size, reactivity and ionic speciation of pharmaceuticals, as well as plant physiology, collectively determine their uptake, transport and accumulation in plants. An organic CEC whose occurrence in water, soil, plants, and agricultural products is PFAS. PFAS exposure has been linked to increases in immunotoxicity, developmental toxicity, hormonal disruption, hepatoxicity, and certain cancers. In 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established a Lifetime Health Advisory (LHA) level of 70 ng/L for two of the most frequently detected compounds, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Just this year (Feb 2020), the EPA proposed regulating PFOS and PFOA in drinking water and is seeking to engage the scientific community to discover and establish toxicity values for additional PFAS compounds. Researchers from numerous states (IN, FL, PA) performed laboratory and field studies quantifying the occurrence, persistence, fate and human health effects of PFAS. In PA, samples from the Penn State wastewater treatment plant and monitoring wells at the Penn State Living Filter were collected for analysis to understand the occurrence, persistence, fate, and potential human health impacts of PFAS in a beneficial reuse system. Crops are also being analyzed for PFAS uptake to assess potential risks for livestock consumption. In IN, researchers expanded their quantitation to over 40 biosolids-borne PFAS. They have revised and simplified PFAS biosolids extraction protocol to accommodate a suite of characteristics previously observed in biosolids from various types of treatment plants. Some biosolids show the presence of some side-chain polymer PFAS. Lastly, the researchers are evaluating ways to mitigate PFAS release from land-applied biosolids. The Purdue researchers received substantial funds through EPA to improve the understanding of how PFAS release may be mitigated and to evaluate PFAS contributions to groundwater in rural water supplies and agricultural operations. In FL, a project funded by the EPA to investigate the retention-release behavior of PFAS in biosolids and upon treatment with various sorbents is under way. Experiments are investigating the trophic transfer potential of PFAS in simulated terrestrial food chains. These experiments are also serving as a platform within which PFAS analytical capabilities are being developed at UF. Modeling is essential to reduce the number of field experiments that must be performed to predict CEC/PPCP fate and transport to develop better regulations and practices. The transport of nonionic chemicals, such as carbamazepine (CBZ), is highly dependent upon interaction with soil organic carbon. The results of a CBZ modeling effort in PA found that land use impacted CBZ distribution in soil due to variations in organic carbon content. The model, using literature-based sorption parameters, gave a high r^2 range of 0.63 to 0.96. Simulated values underestimated total soil profile carbamazepine, indicating sorption processes are dependent upon parameters other than organic carbon. Currently, no models with field-verified data that can aid land management decision-making exist for the wide range of CECs that are known to occur, persist, cause endocrine disruption in non-target species, and pose potential ecological and human health risks. Through combined field, lab, and modeling approach, Penn State researchers are seeking to advance the current state of knowledge on the occurrence and mechanisms controlling fate and transport of CECs. Existing field data will be used to expand the widely used Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to simulate PFAS, pharmaceutical, and microplastics fate and transport. New modules have been developed for hormones and are currently being validated using existing data from the Penn State Agronomy Research Farm and from the Purdue Agronomy Center for Research and Education. Additional CECs whose occurrence in land-applied wastes necessitate an understanding of their chemistry, transport, fate, and bioavailability are engineered nano-particles (ENP). Researchers in MA and GA have been studying ENP. In MA, ENPs are being released into soils, both intentionally and unintentionally, via land application of byproducts and irrigation with reclaimed wastewater. A survey of the scientific literature on four typical types of ENPs (i.e., TiO2, Ag, CuO, graphene) revealed low concentrations in various environmental compartments (including soils). Environmental factors (e.g., hetero-aggregation and attenuation with soil clay particles and organic matter) could further reduce their availabilities. In general, the environmental risk of ENPs is currently of low concern currently due to low concentrations and reduced availability. In another review article, the UMass researchers reported that for many types of ENPs, various parameters of plant growth (e.g., biomass, photosynthesis) can be enhanced at relatively doses. Carbon nanotubes are a major type of carbon-based nanomaterials that have increased use and environmental releases. In GA, researchers studied the toxicities of multi-walled CNTs and three heavy metals, copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) to the microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus. Results showed that CNTs promoted algae growth and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency. CNTs appeared to alleviate the adverse effects of Cu, Cd or Zn on microalgae, but these effects differed depending on both the toxicity of each metal and the exposure period. During the next reporting year, UGA researchers will study the benefits of ENPs for crop growth and nutritional quality and on the attenuation of antibiotic resistance in soil and water using different materials. CECs/PPCPs can affect soil microbial communities necessary for beneficial nutrient cycles and pathogens. Researchers from KY and VA are conducting research on microbial genomics that could elucidate effects of such constituents. Researchers in KY are developing state-of-the-art methods, a version of metatranscriptomics termed Reference Sequencing (RefSeq), which can quantify abundance of all genes expressed by all bacteria in the soil. The UKY researchers are using RefSeq to determine the effects of biosolids application on microbial community composition in soils that have been treated with and without biosolids. Using the RefSeq approach, UKY researchers discovered that application of biosolids did not affect the number of transcriptionally-active genera (average richness=3600 genera) but did cause a significant shift in genus composition (Multiple Response Permutation Procedure, p-value<0.05), including significant reductions in Shannon and Simpson Diversity (p<0.05), significant increases in several “potential” pathogens including Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Tissierella, and Clostridium at the expense of significantly more transcriptionally-active Luteitalea, Pedosphaera and Verrucomicrobia in unamended soil (log 2-fold changes>3, p<0.05). Many of the changes in bacterial community composition in biosolids-amended soils also occurred in soils amended with plant litter, suggesting that changes were simply due to organic matter inputs, not pathogens in the biosolids. The UKY researcher’s goal for the next year is to focus more specifically on expression of virulence and antibiotic resistance genes in biosolids-amended soils. In VA, spectroscopic analyses, eDNA degradation and the associated alterations in DNA secondary structure were investigated by exposing DNase I to tested DNA in the presence of chlorpyrifos, a commonly used organophosphate pesticide. Molecular dynamics simulation was used to explore the weak interactions between the tested DNA and chlorpyrifos. Both spectroscopic and molecular simulation results indicated that chlorpyrifos significantly enhanced DNA degradation without affecting the enzyme activity of DNase I in an aqueous system. The findings provided novel insight into the genotoxicity and ecotoxicity of chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl, as well as their impacts on DNA persistence in aquatic environments. The Virginia Tech researchers employed an integrated, high-resolution examination of the effects of prior antibiotic use, composting, and a 120-day wait period on soil resistomes on manure-amended soil, demonstrating that all three management practices have measurable effects and should be taken into consideration in the development of policy and practice for mitigating the spread of antibiotic resistance. In order to communicate the risk of CECs/PPCPs to regulators, government decision makers, and citizens, risk communication tools are necessary. Numerous studies on land application have demonstrated low human risk, yet public concerns persist. A communications tool was developed by WA researchers whereby they calculated the quantities of biosolids a person would need to consume, biosolids runoff water needed to drink, and food grown in biosolids-amended soils that must be eaten to receive the equivalent of a single day home exposure to such PPCPs, following the risk pathway approach used in the 503 regulations. Practices for neutralizing and mitigating CEC/PPCP transport and effects have been studied by researchers in PA, VA, WA, and GA. UGA researchers developed a review of weak oxidation-induced spontaneous polymerization/coupling transformation of micropollutants, processes also referred to as humification, which plays a critical role in natural detoxification of aquatic micropollutants. The researchers summarized solution conditions and discussed toxicity evolution from the weak oxidation-induced coupling/polymerization of micropollutants. VA researchers studied the effects of temperature and initial pH shock on cephapirin and ARGs in dairy manure slurries using a microcosm. Results suggested that simple changes in temperature or initial pH adjustment during storage of dairy manure slurries could mitigate the spread of antibiotic resistance. Researchers from PA and VA compared the use of shallow disk injection to surface broadcasting of dairy manure in the field on hormones, veterinary antibiotic, and antibiotic-resistant fecal coliform bacteria (ARFCB) transport in surface water. Penn State researchers discovered that shallow disk injection reduced the mass of hormones transported during natural surface runoff by 400 times and veterinary antibiotics transported during surface runoff during rainfall simulation 4 times. In VA, liquid dairy manure spiked with 8 antibiotics from four classes (sulfonamides, tetracyclines, macrolides and lincosamides) at 500 μg/kg and applied to field plots at 56 Mg/ha were subjected to rainfall simulations 1 or 7 day(s) after manure application. Subsurface injection reduced (p<0.05) ARFCB in the surface runoff in the spring by 227-593x for day 1 rainfall and 9-30x for day 7 rainfall and 4-20x in fall. The ARFCB were detectable only in 0-5 cm depth of soil in the manure surface applied plots within the first 14 days after manure application but remained detectable in the injection slits of the subsurface injected plots for up to 45 days after manure application. Bioretention media to reduce CECs/PPCPs transport in urban areas were investigated in WA. University of Washington researchers evaluated composts, municipal biosolids, water treatment residuals (WTR), and sands for their ability to filter N, P, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and PAHs from stormwater collected from an urban highway. High Fe biosolids was most effective at removing metals and P, and a biosolids compost was more effective, with and without WTR, than a food-yard waste compost at removing PAHs from stormwater. Nitrogen release from the mixtures was mitigated by adding a high carbon material. These results showed that a wide range of mixtures are generally effective for use in bioretention soil media. Soil arsenic (As) continues to pose a potential threat as a carcinogen, while ranking among the high priority pollutants in soil ecological risk assessment. The origin of soil As can be either geogenic with naturally high background levels or anthropogenic sources from industrial activity, transportation-related activity, or agricultural application of fertilizer and pesticides. Using soil properties to predict bioavailability and/or phytotoxicity of As for use in ecological risk assessment is highly desirable. In Oh, researchers demonstrated that As extracted from soil pore water and Bray-1 had strong relationships with plant tissue As concentration and could be used to predict the modifying effect of soil properties on phytoavailable As. Soil properties, such as clay, reactive Al and Fe, eCEC, pH and OC could directly or indirectly influence As adsorption or complexation on soil and consequently influence As bioavailability. Objective 2: Evaluate the uses and associated environmental benefits for residuals and wastewaters in various ecosystems (e.g., agricultural, urban, recreational, forest, rangeland, mine-impacted, disturbed, degraded) with respect to changes in soil physical, chemical, biological, nutrient, and trace/heavy metals with respect to soil quality/soil health. Research on this topic was conducted by members from PA, HA, CO, OH, WA, FL, MN, VA, GA, NE and KS. Researchers in FL, CO, and NE investigated beneficial effects of byproduct application on natural soil properties that promote vegetative growth with reduced environmental impact compared to fertilizers. In FL, a long-term, instrumented field study was established to evaluate agronomic and environmental impacts of biosolids and biochar applied to pastures. Results from field studies demonstrated that prudent nutrient management is possible even on biosolids-amended Spodosols with high water tables.  Inorganic fertilizer resulted in greater leachate N and P losses than biosolids. Approximately 1% of applied N was lost via leaching from biosolids treatments vs. 16% for inorganic fertilizer. Similarly, negligible (0.1 to 0.2% of applied P) P leaching occurred from biosolids-amended soils during a 3-yr field study. Negligible amounts (<1%) of N were lost as N2O from biosolids-amended soils. Efforts are also underway to attract research funds to support these research trials. CO researchers determined that agronomic rates of biosolids are equal to inorganic fertilizer for the production of dryland winter wheat and corn growth. Agronomic biosolids rates improved plant-available soil Zn, which is beneficial to crops grown on Colorado’s alkaline Zn-deficient soils. NE researchers are conducting or planning on-farm, field, and greenhouse experiments to elucidate management practices and soil conditions that result in the most beneficial use of the high amounts of animal manures generated by confined animal feeding operations. Soil productivity, soil health, water quality, and resource efficiency will be employed to assess manure management optimization. Researchers from VA evaluated and developed protocols for mitigating the detrimental effects of mined and disturbed lands. Lime-stabilized biosolids were applied at high rates (> 35 Mg/ha) at Stafford County Airport in the early 2000s to remediate and revegetate acid sulfate soils. The effects of this treatment and two subsequent smaller applications have been studied for 20 years, following which occurred complete revegetation success and significant reductions in off-site water quality effects. Acid-forming materials remain below the treated surface and local acid seeps and “hot spots” are common, but cover <5% of the project area. In late 2020, the airport will move to a new runway extension that will disturb up to one million more cubic meters of potentially acid-forming materials. Testing those soil materials is resulting in the development of a further remediation plan. Similar levels of disturbance are currently occurring along I-95 road corridors in the region and are currently being minimally documented. The same VA researchers have studied long-term (>35 years) effects of biosolids applied to Appalachian mine soils (Wise County, VA) at rates of 22 to 224 Mg/ha. The original treatments are clearly expressed in much thicker ^A horizons, thicker and better structured subsoil (^Bw) horizons, and in much higher levels of total C and N and extractable P, Z and Cu. Native vegetation has invaded the biosolids plots to a greater extent than the non-treated plots. Soil pits were excavated in 2016, and lab analyses are being completed. Statistical comparisons of original 1982 vs. 2016 C, N and metal levels indicate that, while profound long-term signatures are still visible, much of the original C loadings are no longer detectable compared to background C sequestration. Working with the building and road construction industry in Richmond City and Botetourt County, VA scientists have developed and tested a new rapid approach for the determination of acid-forming materials in the field that will limit their exposure and quickly allow their isolation to minimize water quality impacts from acid drainage. All tests and decisions are formulated into a field flow chart for field personnel to follow sequentially. Field testing takes < 15 minutes per sample and is up to 90% reliable in placing a given soil, sediment or hard rock material into its appropriate category (e.g. 1 - non-acid forming, 2 -acidic – no lime needed; 3 - moderately acidic – site lime application needed; 4 -strongly acid forming – must be isolated away from site and local drainage. A similar approach is now being utilized to assist the “solar farm” industry in assessment of excavated/trenched materials in very large projects in the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Biosolids organic matter mitigates/reduces heavy metal food chain, ecosystem, and phytotoxicity risk. A greenhouse study conducted in PA to compare the use of dairy manure (36 mg kg-1 Cu) and high-Cu biosolids (~1100 mg kg-1 Cu) on the growth and composition of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) showed that ryegrass tissue Cu in the biosolids and manure treatments was statistically similar but well below phytotoxic levels reported in the literature. The lower ryegrass tissue Al and Fe concentrations in the manure and biosolids than in the control treatments were likely a result of manure- and biosolids-borne organic matter complexation and reduced uptake of the metals by plant roots and translocation to above-ground tissue. Scientists in CO quantified the effects of biosolids and other residuals on pollutant availability, assimilation, phytotoxicity, and remediation. GA scientists studied the ability of an agro-processing waste oil tea shell (OTS) to adsorb heavy metals in aqueous solution. Adsorbent dosage, pH, ion concentration, temperature, and contact time were investigated in batch experiments. GA scientists also evaluated the use of industrial microbial waste (IMW) from amylase production using Aspergillus niger as novel adsorbent to remove two model cationic dyes (crystal violet, CV; methylene blue, MB). IMW was composed of organic Aspergillus niger biomass and inorganic perlite and diatomite and regarded as a composite sorbent which was characterized using FTIR, SEM, and XPS. The sorptive properties of IMW were studied in batch experiments by varying initial dye concentration, contact time, temperature, sorbent dosage, and NaCl concentration. Most soil health assessments have been associated with crop productivity, but they can also be useful for other land management. OH scientists contributed to a chapter on Pb health and remediation issues. Soil assessment of Pb is currently conducted by evaluating exposure in human health risk assessment, but risk-based soil screening levels (SSL) are extremely conservative. This chapter provides a novel, risk-based soil health approach to management of soil Pb, including exposure pathways, risk assessment, and restoration strategies to improve soil health and reduce human health exposure and risk. A risk-based framework is applied to evaluate the use of soil amendments to remediate Pb-contaminated soils. KS researchers continue field to micro-scale investigations of biosolids amendments and Miscanthus for phytostabilization of lead-contaminated soils on a US Army reservation in Fort Riley, KS. Scientists have completed X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of soils from field and laboratory studies to understand the mechanisms of reducing Pb bioaccessibility and Pb uptake by Miscanthus. Results from three years show that one-time addition of biosolids at 45 Mg/ha to Pb-contaminated soil enabled establishment of Miscanthus, increasing biomass yield, and reducing phytoavailability and bioaccessibility of Pb. Plots amended with biosolids had significantly less total Pb uptake, plant tissue Pb concentration, and Pb bioaccessibility, and more soil enzyme activities, organic carbon, and microbial biomass. Beneficial effects of residuals on soil carbon and greenhouse gas balance. Understanding the impact of biosolids end use on C emissions can help municipalities achieve C neutrality. Scientists in WA compared biosolids composting with land application to wheat. Urban compost use, including turfgrass, tree plantings, highway right-of-ways, and urban agriculture, was evaluated using results from scientific literature. The researchers found that compost used to amend subsoil or degraded soils provided greater C benefits than agronomic use. The WA scientists also compared biosolids to synthetic fertilizer for switchgrass-based ethanol production. Biosolids-amended soils generated lower N2O emissions than predicted. The CO2 generated for the production of switchgrass was lower for that fertilized with biosolids than with synthetic fertilizer. In VA, researchers determined that the addition of Fe to biosolids strengthens chemical binding, using synchrotron techniques, that increases the stability of land-applied biosolids C. Thermal treatment of biosolids to create a partially (i.e., biochar) or fully (i.e., ash) combusted byproduct is becoming more common, but the properties and potential benefits of such residuals are not as well-understood as the uncombusted biosolids. W4170 members from HA, FL, CO, NE, and MN are investigating the properties and benefits of such byproducts. In HA, research is being conducted to specify characteristics of biochar that enable its recommendation for various uses. In FL, research on the co-application of biochar with organic residuals has provided evidence that that biochar may improve the efficiency of nutrients in biosolids. Results from laboratory and field, including rainfall simulation, trials suggested significantly lower risk of N and P losses via runoff and leaching than commercial inorganic fertilizer. In NE, researchers conducted field studies with biochar in collaboration with scientists from Germany. The data consistently showed an increase in soil organic carbon to a soil depth of 30 cm after 4-6 years of biochar application at rates exceeding 30 t ha-1. The data also suggested that higher application rates and additional non-combusted organic amendments, such as compost, were required to improve pH, water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, microbial biomass, and crop yield in the long-term. Additional studies by NE researchers resulted in two recently published articles evaluating laboratory and field experiments designed to evaluate the value of coal combustion residues (CCR) as soil amendments. The data suggested that optimum application rates of 70 t ha-1 or higher of these CCRs reduce N volatilization loss and increase soil C with application rates. MN researchers conducted a 3-year field study to assess the value and safety of sewage sludge incinerator ash (SSA) as a phosphorus (P) source at the Rosemount Research and Outreach Center in Rosemount, MN. Corn and soybean grown with P applied in any form or amount had significantly higher yields than control plots.  DTPA-Zn and Cu increased with application rate; however, neither source nor rate affected available or total elemental soil concentrations. Residuals sidestream and alternative products uses. Increasing numbers of municipalities are producing Class A biosolids that are not suitable for direct use by the public due to such properties as moisture content, appearance and odors. WA researchers investigated the production of suitable urban soil amendments manufactured from Class A biosolids and other residuals. Blending the biosolids with urban-derived wood waste produced a product that ranked high acceptability and high-quality petunias. KS researchers continued testing the utility of Ca-P recovered from simulated swine wastewater using a pilot-scale anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR). CO researchers demonstrated the capability of Al-based WTRs to sorb organic forms of P from swine effluent, removing almost 100% of organic P within 1 hour. A subsequent study showed that 17% (~ 3,000 mg P/kg Al-WTR) can be desorbed over time. The researchers showed that the organic P-Al-WTR composite material can be used to supply P to wheat grown in low-P containing soils. CO researchers also showed that oil and gas production waters used for irrigation negatively affect soil health, cause shifts in soil microbial communities that may impact soil biochemical cycling, and suppress plant immune responses.

Publications

Impact Statements

Oil tea shell and industrial microbial waste can be used as sorbents for removal of metals and organic pollutants from water.

Date of Annual Report: 08/12/2021

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/29/2021 - 06/29/2021
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2020 - 09/30/2021

Participants

Participants Attachment:

2021-6 W4170 Meeting Minutes.docx

Brief Summary of Minutes

W4170 Annual Meeting – Annual Meeting Minutes

Business Meeting 6/29/2021, 1:00-4 pm

Zoom Link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/94973590042

Participants (39): M. Silveira, R. Batjiaka, T. Borch, L. Daniels, T Ghesesger, A. Bary, C Acheson, H. Li, M Badzmier, M. Kaiser, L. Lee, G. Evanylo, R. Herrmann, M. Desjard, H. Zhang, Maile Lono-Batura, J. Huang, I. Pepper, J. Ippolito, E Resek, J. Iqbal, L. Moss, W. Oladeji, N. Basta, S. Brown, G. Hettiarachchi, C. Rosen, H. Nguyen, G. Kester, B. Badgley, P. Ma, J. Judy, L. Baroldi, A. Gray, C. Gravesen, X. Bai, H. Preisendanz, D. LaHue, M. Mashtare, Gao.

Last name	First name	Email	Institution
Acheson	C
Badgley	Brian	badgley@vt.edu	Virginia Tech Univ.
Badzmier	M
Bai	Xuelian	Xuelian.Bai@dri.edu	Desert Research Institute
Baroldi	Layne	lbaroldi@SYNAGRO.com	Synagro
Batjiaka	Ryan	rbatjiaka@sfwater.org	San Francisco Public Utilities
Bary	A
Basta	Nicholas	basta.4@osu.edu	Ohio State Univ.
Borch	Thomas	Thomas.borch@colostate.edu	Colorado State Univ.
Brown	Sally	slb@uw.edu	Univ. of Wachington
Daniels	W. Lee	wdaniels@vt.edu	Virginia Tech Univ.
Desjard	M
Evanylo	Greg	gevanylo@vt.edu	Virginia Tech Univ.
Ghesesger	T
Gravesen	Caleb	cgravesen@ufl.edu	Univ. of Florida
Gray	Andrew	agray@ucr.edu	Univ. of California, Riverside
Herrmann	R
Hettiarachchi	Ganga	ganga@ksu.edu	Kansas State Univ.
Huang	Qingguo	qhuang@uga.edu	University of Georgia
Hue	Nguyen	nvhue@hawaii.edu	Univ. of Hawaii
Ippolito	James	jim.ippolito@colostate.edu	Colorado State Univ.
Iqbal	Javed	javed.iqbal@unl.edu	Univ. of Nebraska
Judy	Jonathan	jonathan.judy@ufl.edu	Univ. of Florida
Kaiser	Michael	mkaiser6@unl.edu	Univ. of Nebraska
Kester	Greg	gkester@casaweb.org	California Association of Sanitation Agencies
LaHue	D
Lee	Linda	lslee@purdue.edu	Purdue State Univ.
Li	Hui	lihui@msu.edu	Michigan State Univ.
Lono-Batura	Maile	MLono-batura@wef.org	Water Envir. Federation
Ma	Persephone	phma@umn.edu	Univ. of Minnesota
Mashtre	M
Moss	Lynne	mosslh@bv.com	Black & Veatch Inc.
O’Connor	George	gao@ufl.edu	Univ. of Florida
Oladeji	Olawale		MWRD Chicago
Pepper	Ian	ipepper@ag.arizona.edu	Univ. of Arizona
Preisendanz	Heather	heg12@psu.edu	Penn State Univ.
Resek	Elizabeth	resek.elizabeth@epa.gov	EPA
Rosen	Carl	rosen006@umn.edu	Univ. of Minnesota
Silveira	Maria	mlas@ufl.edu	Univ. of Florida
Zhang	Hailin	hailin.zhang@okstate.edu	Oklahoma State Univ.

1:00 to 1:10 pm: Maria introduced the W-4170

1:10 to 1:18 pm: Self-introduction of all participants

1:18 to 1: 40 pm: Annual state report update. Original deadline (June 26 extended to the second week of July). Maria (W4170 chair) will put all state reports together and submit it as one W-4170 annual report within two months after the annual meeting.

2022 annual meeting: Location: Seattle, WA. Date: June 26-28, 2022. Sally Brown from University of Washington will host the meeting.

Publication and report sharing. Linda Lee proposed a special issue on “soil and health” in the Frontiers of Soil Sciences.

1:40 to 2:10 pm: Basta and Resek, W4170 response to OIG report entitled “EPA unable to assess the impact of unregulated pollutants in land-applied biosolids on human health and the environment”. W4170 response to OIG report can be found at https://www.nimss.org/system/ProjectAttachment/files/000/000/502/original/W4170%20Response%20to%20OIG%20Report%20July%2023%202020%20final.pdf

Inputs on the W4170 report are encouraged.

2:10 to 2:40 pm: PFAS in biosolids and treatment residuals: Process effects and subsequent leaching potential, Linda Lee, Purdue Univ.

2:45 - 3:15 PM – Analyzing land-applied biosolids soil carbon data through a systematic review, Mike Badzmierowski, Virginia Tech.

3:15 - 3:45 PM – Measuring C sequestration resulting from forest fertilization with biosolids, Sally Brown, Univ. of Washington.

3:45 – 4:00 PM – Discussion on ways to improve group interaction and engagement. Greg Evanylo suggested quarterly webinars featuring new members (tentatively planned to start this fall). Members were also in favor of offering an special session at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA society next year. Adjourn.

Accomplishments

Objective 1. Evaluate the short- and long-term fate, bioavailability and persistence of trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) in residuals, reclaimed water, and amended soils to aid in assessing and minimizing environmental and human health risks from their application at a watershed scale. Specific tasks: i) Quantify and evaluate the uptake, accumulation and transport of TOrCs in residuals, wastewaters and residuals- and wastewater-treated soils (e.g., agricultural, urban and brownfields); ii) Predict the long-term bioavailability, persistence and toxicity of TOrCs in residuals- and wastewater-amended soils; iii) Evaluate ecological effects of TOrCs from soils amended with residuals and reclaimed wastewaters; and iv) Evaluate long-term effects of residuals and wastewater application on the emergence/spread of antibiotic resistance. Research for this objective was conducted by members from AZ, CA, FL, GA, IN, KS, MI, OH, PA, VA, WA Per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFASs) substances are a class of persistent organic contaminants that are ubiquitous in the environment and have been found to be accumulated in agricultural products. Consumption of PFAS-contaminated agricultural products represents a feasible pathway for the trophic transfer of these toxic chemicals along food chains/webs, leading to risks associated with human and animal health. Researchers from numerous states (AZ, FL, IN, MI, FL, PA) performed laboratory and field studies quantifying the occurrence, persistence, fate and human health effects of PFAS. In MI, a thorough literature review was performed on environmental occurrence, fate and plant uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). The review paper published in Chemosphere indicated that a large variety of plant species can take up PFASs from the environment. This work also indicated that vegetables and grains are the most investigated crops, with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as the most studied PFASs. The potential sources of PFASs for plant uptake include industrial emissions, irrigation with contaminated water, land application of biosolids, leachates from landfill sites, and pesticide application. Root uptake is the predominant pathway for the accumulation of PFASs in agricultural crops. PFAS uptake by plants is influenced by physicochemical properties of compounds (e.g., perfluorocarbon chain length, head group functionality, water solubility, and volatility), plant physiology (e.g., transpiration rate, lipid and protein content), and abiotic factors (e.g., soil organic matter, pH, salinity, and temperature). A field study conducted in Pima County, AZ was designed to investigate the impact of long-term land application of biosolids on PFAS presence in soils. The study involved multiple agricultural plots that have received annual land application of Class B biosolids from 1984 to 2019. No PFAS analytes were detected at any of the three sampling depths for the soil samples collected from undisturbed sites with no history of agriculture, irrigation, or biosolids application (background control sites). Concentrations of PFAS ranging from non-detect to 1.8 μg/L were measured in soil samples collected from sites that were used for agriculture and that received irrigation with groundwater, but never received biosolids. Similar levels of PFAS were measured for soils collected from the agricultural fields that received biosolids applications. PFOS was observed at the highest concentrations, followed by PFOA. PFAS concentrations in soil attenuated dramatically with depth. Overall, attenuation was >90% at the 6 foot soil depth regardless of the biosolid loading rate. These results indicate that biosolids and the irrigation water both important sources of PFASs present in the soils for all of the study sites. This study resulted in the moratorium being lifted, and significant cost reduction associated with biosolids management.  A mesocosms study in IN demonstrated that PFAS leaching from biosolids-amended soils was sustained throughout the 6-month field study with total PFAS concentrations ranging from 10s to 100s of nanogram per liter (ng/L) in the leachate. Transformation of precursor compounds accounted for the vast majority of PFAS present in the leachate from the biosolids. Another PFAS leaching study in a land-reclamation field study in VA where biosolids were applied at either the typical N-based rates for crops or five times that rate demonstrated that PFAS leached (captured by 15-cm depth) was in the order of 100s to 1000s of nanogram per liter (ng/L) depending on timing of rain after application. Results from this study also indicated that rainfall intensity and rainfall frequency, and biosolids application rate affected PFAS leaching potential. Studies in FL examining trophic transfer of PFAS within a simulated terrestrial food chain (tomato à tobacco hornworm) indicated that while patterns of uptake and elimination were similar between different PFAS, PFOS bioaccumulated in the hornworms to a higher concentration, featuring approximately 5-fold higher assimilation efficiency than other PFAS tested.  Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer factors were positively correlated with PFAS carbon chain length for both sulfonates and carboxylic acids.  This result suggests that although recently published work has demonstrated that shorter chain PFAS are more readily accumulated in plants, shorter-chain PFAS may also be more readily eliminated by higher trophic level consumers. Ongoing research in IN and FL are currently evaluating the presence of PFAS in drinking water treatment residuals as a first step in evaluating their potential as an amendment for mitigating PFAS release from biosolids. Preliminary data from IN indicated that alum WTRs showed 7 PFAS detected at a total of 84 ± 4.2 mg/kg dry weight with the dominant PFAS being perfluoropentanoic,  and perfluorohexanoic, and perfluorooctanoic acids (C5 and C6),  and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Similarly, W4170 members in FL are also investigating characteristics and wastewater treatment plant management practices associated with PFAS partitioning to drinking water treatment residual (WTRs) and biosolids, as well as how amending biosolids with WTRs affects plant uptake of PFAS and P. Preliminary results indicated PFAS partitioning in biosolids is likely to be related to Al, Fe, and OM content, and thus, likely to be influenced by WWTP management practices affecting biosolids Al and Fe content (e.g., use of biological phosphorus removal, inclusion of WTRs in WWTP influent, etc.). In GA, studies are focused on developing and evaluating wastewater and residuals treatment strategies to reduce pathogens, antibiotics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), with especial emphasis on electrochemical approaches. Such novel technologies are expected to have major impacts on beneficial reuse of biosolids and wastewater.  Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are present in biosolids due to input from variety of sources including residential homes from the use and care of numerous PFAS-containing consumer products. Research group in IN reported an increased number of PFAS they were able to quantify for which 50% or more appear to be polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters (diPAPs) similar to what has been found in household dust. These diPAPs will degrade to more mobile and more commonly monitored poly- and perfluoroalkyl acids particularly during aerobic processing or after being land-applied. Researchers in IN are also evaluating PFAS release from pyrolyzed (350 C, low oxygen) biosolids reported that although PFAS concentrations shifted some in the biochar relative to the biosolids, overall PFAS content was still high. However, PFAS release to porewater dropped from hundreds of ppt leaching from the biosolid was negligible (only low single digit ppt of short chain PFAAs) leaching from the biochar. In 2020, the W4170 group wrote a comprehensive review to respond to the request of biosolids stakeholders for W4170 to provide a scientific review of the OIG Report. The review (available at: <a href="../../system/ProjectAttachment/files/000/000/502/original/W4170%20Response%20to%20OIG%20Report%20July%2023%202020%20final.pdf">https://www.nimss.org/system/ProjectAttachment/files/000/000/502/original/W4170%20Response%20to%20OIG%20Report%20July%2023%202020%20final.pdf</a>) addressed chemical, antibiotic, and pathogen issues raised in the OIG report. The W4170 team concluded that OIG report was badly flawed and that the science of beneficial use of biosolids was lacking. The W4170 report has been widely read and our groups have given many presentations of the Response to local, regional, and national audiences. Research in PA evaluated the potential of biochar materials as potential adsorbents for removing pharmaceuticals from reclaimed water prior to irrigation of food crops. Results demonstrated that increase in biochar pyrolysis temperature from 350C to 700C led to an increase in pH, surface area, and hydrophobicity. The team concluded that biochars could potentially serve as low-cost adsorbents for reducing pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater prior to beneficial reuse by careful selection/modification of biochar properties to sorb compounds most likely to impact health though dietary intake of consumed crops. In a similar study in MI designed to evaluate biochar potential to mitigate the uptake of 15 pharmaceuticals by radish (Raphanus sativus), researchers reported that accumulation of acetaminophen, carbamazepine, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, lamotrigine, carbadox, trimethoprim, oxytetracycline, tylosin, estrone, and triclosan in radish grown in the soil amended with 1.0% of biochar significantly decreased by 33–83% relative to control (no biochar) treatments. However, the concentration of lincomycin in radish increased by 37–48% in the soil amended with 1% biochar. While the soil amended with 1.0% of biochar increased sorption of all 15 pharmaceuticals, the persistence (half-life) of 7 pharmaceuticals in the soil were prolonged, including caffeine, sulfadiazine, sulfamethoxazole, lincomycin, estrone, 17 β-estradiol and triclosan. The reduced plant uptake of pharmaceuticals was attributed mainly to the fact that biochar could lower the pharmaceutical concentrations in soil pore water. The estimated daily intake data suggest that biochar amendment could potentially decrease the human exposure to a mixture of pharmaceuticals.  Treated wastewater is a critical and valuable water source to augment agricultural irrigation, especially in the American Southwest. However, recycled water irrigation introduces many trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) into agroecosystems, and concerns about the potential accumulation of TOrCs in food produce hinder its broader adoption. Research in CA supported by USDA and EPA evaluated processes and risks of TOrCs in the wastewater-soil-plant continuum. Results from these studies demonstrated that plant accumulation of TOrCs depends closely on the specific compounds, and that potential accumulation in edible parts is generally low for many TOrCs. In addition, plants possess the capability of quickly metabolizing many TOrCs via conjugation, which contributes to a reduced accumulation in edible organs. Microplastic particles (size of 1 μm - 5 mm) are a contaminant of emerging concern in wastewater and biosolids. In CA, fundamental and applied research was carried out to advance microplastics field sampling, laboratory processing and analysis, and data analysis techniques in service of this objective through projects funded by NOAA Marine Debris Research and the California State Water Board. Collaborators include the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, Orange County Sanitation District, Orange County Environmental Resources, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Collaborative research among W4170 members from CA and IN and University of Cincinnati resulted in a funded project through USEPA’s National Priorities – Evaluation of Pollutants in Biosolids program. This project is expected to expand the team research on TOrCs to consider processes, risks and management in land applications of biosolids. Manure-associated antibiotics are often concentrated in manure injection slits, however, research in VA demonstrated that manure application methods did not affect dissipation rates of antibiotics in soil with some antibiotics remained detectable in soils 180 days after manure application. Field investigation and simulated rainfall studies were conducted in VA to monitor distribution and dissipation of pirlimycin, tylosin, chlortetracycline, and sulfamerazine in soil following either surface application or subsurface injection of liquid dairy manure. Liquid dairy manure spiked with eight antibiotics from four classes (sulfonamides, tetracyclines, macrolides and lincosamides) at 500 μg/kg was applied to field plots at 56 Mg/ha in spring and to different plots the following fall. Rainfall simulations were conducted on the plots at 1 or 7 day(s) after manure application. The absolute abundance (CFU/mL/g) of antibiotic-resistant fecal coliform bacteria (ARFCB) in surface runoff and soils were monitored. Results from these efforts suggested that subsurface injection, rather than surface application, should be the method of manure application to reduce surface runoff output of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant fecal coliform bacteria, and resistant genes to the aquatic environment while still allowing access to the nutrients in manure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence began to grow that the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is shed through feces and therefore enters the wastewater stream. Efforts in AZ and PA were placed on monitoring wastewater as an early-warning surveillance tool for determining the presence of COVID-19 in defined communities. In AZ, the team utilized WBE paired with clinical testing as a surveillance tool to monitor the Univ. of Arizona community for SARS-CoV-2 in near real-time, as students re-entered campus in the fall. Similar wastewater surveillance efforts were launched at the Penn State wastewater treatment plant and at three other treatment plants across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The AZ case study demonstrated the value of WBE as a tool to efficiently utilize resources for COVID-19 prevention and response. Overall, WBE provided to be an accurate diagnostic for new cases of COVID-19 with an 82.0% positive predictive value and an 88.9% negative predictive value. In PA, treated wastewater from two of the treatment plants (Penn State and University Area Joint Authority) are beneficially reused, and therefore understanding whether the pandemic affected pharmaceutical concentrations in the effluent was import. The overall goal of this project is to use wastewater as an indicator of the physical and mental health of communities as they cope with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research is important because it enables us to understand the level of local infection as widespread testing continues to remain limited or unavailable. Additionally, it may be helpful in understanding the extent of asymptotic cases and whether the number of infections is increasing or decreasing over time. This information is expected to be useful to local planners. Furthermore, usage of over-the-counter medications likely increases with the number of local cases ranging from mild to severe. The levels of various over-the-counter medications as well as increases in prescriptions related to the mental health of the community (i.e., medications for treating anxiety and depression) are analyzed. This is useful to understanding how the community is coping with the pandemic, and all of the additional stress it is causing for people across the Commonwealth of PA. These data were shared with facility operators within 48 hours of sample collection, enabling the communities to track increases and decreases, particularly of the virus, in near-real time. These data have been utilized, along with other indicators, to understand the prevalence of disease within the community over the past year. The data have been particularly effective when they are showing decreasing trends, to provide reassurance that downward trends in individual case data are also true at the community scale. Further, the data have been particularly useful to the Department of Corrections in knowing when transmission has been high and low at their facility. A new low-cost and fast biosensing method based on the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas12a technique was developed by the VA team to detect ARGs in environmental samples. The VA team also developed AgroSeek (https://agros eek.cs.vt.edu), a centralized web-based system that provides computational tools for analysis and comparison of metagenomic data sets tailored specifically to researchers and other users in the agricultural sector interested in tracking and mitigating the spread of ARGs. It creates a space for metagenomic data sharing and collaboration to assist policy makers, stakeholders, and the public in decision-making.   Objective 2. Evaluate the uses and associated environmental benefits for residuals and wastewaters in various ecosystems (e.g., agricultural, urban, recreational, forest, rangeland, mine-impacted, disturbed, degraded) with respect to changes in soil physical, chemical, biological, nutrient, and trace/heavy metals with respect to soil quality/soil health. Research on this topic was conducted by members from AZ, CO, FL, HI, KS, MS, NE, OH, PA, VA, WA Collaborative research among W4170 members in CO, WA, VA, and OH and Soil Health Institute using long-term plots in CO reported positive soil health changes associated with biosolids land application at agronomic rates to agroecosystems. The team also continue to monitor an experiment on reconstructed Appalachian mine soils where biosolids were applied at rates of 22 to 224 Mg/ha in 1982. Long-term experimental area in VA demonstrated despite organic matter mineralization losses that have occurred during more than 35 years, biosolids continue to have significant positive effects on a wide range of Appalachian mine soil chemical properties, including soil CEC, plant available P, cations, essential micronutrients, and total C. Research in CO, FL, and WA demonstrated that land application of biosolids to various crops (wheat, corn, pastures, tree plantation) have multiple agronomic and environmental benefits including improvement in soil health as compared to inorganic fertilizers. Results from field and laboratory trials and a rainfall simulation study in FL suggested significant lower risk of N and P losses via runoff and leaching than commercial inorganic fertilizer. Negligible (0.1 to 0.2% of applied P) P leaching occurred from biosolids-amended soils during a 3-yr field study in FL. In 2020, the OH team in collaboration with the City of Columbus established long-term experimental areas on local farms in OH to evaluate the effect of land application biosolids on soil health.  In addition to the multiple agronomic benefits, biosolids offer several environmental advantages compared with inorganic fertilizers because nutrients are less soluble and, therefore less likely subject to losses. Corroborating this hypothesis, research in FL demonstrated that long-term biosolids application reduced P leaching compared with control treatments (no biosolids addition). This response was due to the addition of Fe and Al with biosolids and subsequent positive effects on soil P storage capacity. Research findings in KS also concluded that high-Fe biosolids reduced bioaccessible lead in alkaline soils that are not responding effectively to conventional P fertilizer treatments. Research in CO evaluated the ability of drinking water residuals’ ability to sorb organic P from waste streams and utilize the end product as a P fertilizer source instead of landfilling or disposing of both waste streams. The study evaluated Al-based WTRs ability to sorb organic forms of P from swine effluent, removing almost 100% of organic P within 1 hour.  A subsequent study showed that 17% (~ 3,000 mg P/kg Al-WTR) can be desorbed over time.  A subsequent study in CO showed that the organic P – Al-WTR composite material can be used to supply P to wheat grown in low-P containing soils. This research is expected to close the loop in terms of recovering P from wastewaters and reutilizing P (a non-renewable resource) as a fertilizer. Bioretention soil typically consist of a mixture of sand and compost and are critical component of green stormwater infrastructure. In many states, WA included, biosolids based materials are prohibited from use in these mixtures because of their relative high concentrations of metals and nutrients. Research in WA evaluated various Class B biosolids materials and water treatment residuals and concluded that biosolids based products can be an effective media to filter out pollutants and reduce stormwater flows into treatment plants. Results from this study also build on extensive work by members of the group to predict and mitigate P release from soils, biosolids, and water treatment residuals.  Research in KS evaluated recovery of Ca-P products from simulated swine wastewater and their solubility, diffusion and potential plant availability in different soil types. Results from these studies indicated that anaerobic membrane bioreactors and associated technologies can be used to generate secondary Ca-based P fertilizer sources to reuse in agriculture. Research in MN is evaluating the potential of sewage sludge incinerator ash SSA) as a P source for crop production. Approximately 12,000 Mg of SSA, a wastewater treatment by-product, is produced in the Twin Cities each year.  On average the ash contains 8.3 % total P. The study evaluated the effects of SSA relative to triple superphosphate, biosolids, and struvite at 5 rates (0, 45, 90, 135, 180 kg P2O5/ha) over three growing seasons on corn and soybean yields. Corn yields were not affected by P application the first two years of the study, but by the third year, yields were significantly higher than the than control plots regardless of P source. Soybean yields followed the same trend except that yield increased both years soybean was grown.  Overall, DTPA-zinc and DTPA-copper also increased significantly with application rate; however, results have shown minimal loading, likely due to the application of SSA based on agronomic-P needs of the crop rather than N. The findings to date support SSA as a potential P fertilizer source for crop production, suggesting that landfill costs could be eliminated, and area farmers would be able to use the ash as a renewable source of P in addition to other residuals such as biosolids and struvite.  As a result of this research, the Metropolitan Council has developed the “Smart Ash” project to explore regulatory issues with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency related to land application of the ash as a P fertilizer source. Based on a comprehensive literature review, the potential for utilization of SSA as a P source is summarized in a review article that was recently published in Chemosphere.   Land application of biosolids can increase soil organic and also help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the vast literature on the agronomic value of biosolids, there is still limited information on its potential benefits soil carbon sequestration potentials. Understanding the impact of biosolids end use on C emissions can help municipalities achieve C neutrality. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted in VA to quantify carbon sequestration potential of land-applied biosolids. The VA team reported growing evidence that biosolids may be used to restore mine soils in VA. Similarly, research in WA suggested that use of biosolids for commercial tree plantations can be a beneficial end use for tree response and for carbon storage. Although land application of biosolids for commercial tree plantations is a common practice in the Pacific Northwest, scientists in WA concluded this practice could also provide multiple benefits in other regions such as loblolly pine plantations in the Southeast U.S. In addition to promoting soil C sequestration, research in FL also demonstrated reduced nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide emissions associated with biosolids compared with commercial fertilizer. Research in OH demonstrated that soil health assessment typically associated with crop productivity can also be very useful for many other land uses including remediation and for connecting soil and human health. The team published a book chapter illustrating health and remediation issues with a focus on lead, one of the most common urban legacy soil contaminants due to mining, refining and industrial processes, and ubiquitous inclusion in gasoline and paint products throughout much of the 20th Century. Soil assessment of Pb is currently conducted by evaluating exposure in human health risk assessment. Risk-based soil screening levels (SSL) based on human exposure are used by many federal and state regulatory agencies, but they are very conservative and assume worst-case scenarios including conservative default human exposure values. The chapter provided a novel risk-based soil health approach to management of soil lead including exposure pathways, risk assessment, and restoration strategies to improve soil health and reduce human health exposure and risk. A case study was used to illustrate a potential soil health framework for contaminants based on human and ecological health.  The risk- based framework is applied to evaluate the use of soil amendments to remediate Pb contaminated soils. Thermal treatment of biosolids to create a partially (i.e., biochar) or fully (i.e., ash) combusted byproduct is becoming more common, but the properties and potential benefits of such residuals are not as well-understood as the uncombusted biosolids. Members of W4170 in CO, FL, HI, and NE continue to study land application biochar on heavy metal mitigation, soil health, carbon sequestration, and nutrient availability. Research in HI evaluated the impact of biochar (either surface applied or incorporated) and chicken manure compost applied at 4% v/v/ on crop responses. Soil pH, total N, and extractable P, Ca, and Mg concentrations increased in response to biochar application. Chinese cabbage biomass was 14-70% higher in biochar treatments than unamended soil, while papaya biomass increased by 19-23%. Results indicated that surface co-application of biochar and compost could be an effective farm-scale practice with potential benefits to annual and perennial crops. In NE, research is evaluating low-cost animal manure management options, including production of manure-derived char. In a greenhouse study evaluating co-application of dairy slurry and swine lagoon wastewater with biochar and coal char, they reported significant reduction in P leaching (15-24% for biochar vs. 38-50% char). The study also demonstrated that unlike biochar, some char-N is plant available, which could potentially have agronomic benefits. Land application of manure can alter soil microbial communities. Data from a three-year field experiment in VA demonstrated that manure from cattle treated with antibiotics caused sustained alterations of soil bacterial communities compared to application of manure from antibiotic-free cattle. In contrast, soil fungal communities and abundances of antibiotic resistance genes in soils were impacted only by the application of manure, regardless of whether it was from cattle treated with antibiotics. Data suggested that managing the antibiotic resistance crisis requires consideration of both antibiotic usage prior to manure application but also the impacts of the nutrients in the manure itself. A land suitability framework and an accompanying decision-making tool were developed by PA team for sustainable manure management. The framework evaluates land for manure application based on exclusionary criteria (floodplains, stream buffers, karst geology, shallow soils) and categorical vulnerability factors (land slope, nitrate leaching index, phosphorus index). Areas were classified highly suitable, moderately suitable, marginally suitable, and unsuitable. The decision-making tool built in ArcGIS environment was applied in a case study area in western PA. The tool classified 2% of the potential area as highly suitable and 21% as unsuitable for manure application. Landscape slope and proximity to streams were the dominant limiting factors in the study area. Research efforts in NE target at refining manure recommendations resulted in changes in application rates. These changes are expected to increase the economic value of animal manures while reducing the risk of N loss.

Publications

Abdelhafez, A. A., Eid, K. E., El-Abeid, S. E., Abbas, M. H.H., Ahmed, N., Mansour, R. R.M.E., Zou, G., Iqbal, J., Fahad, S., Elkelsih, A., Alamri, S., Siddiqui, M. H., Mohamed, I. 2020. Application of soil biofertilizers to a clayey soil contaminated with Sclerotium rolfsii can promote production, protection and nutritive status of Phaseolus vulgaris. Chemosphere, 129321. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129321">http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129321</a>. Abercrombie, S., de Perre, C., Iacchetta, M., Flynn, R., Sepulveda, M., Lee, L.S., Hoverman, J. 2020. Sublethal Effects of Dermal Exposure to Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances on Post- Metamorphic Amphibians, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4711">https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4711</a> Abercrombie, S.A.; de Perre, C.; Choi, Y.J. ; Tornabene, B.J.; Sepúlveda, M.S.; Lee, L.S.; Hoverman, J.T. 2019. Larval Amphibians Rapidly Bioaccumulate Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances, Ecotox. and Environ. Safety, EES-18-4008, 178:137-145, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.04.022">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.04.022</a> Alasmary, Z., T. Todd, G.M. Hettiarachchi, T. Stefanovska,V. Pidlisnyuk, K. Roozeboom, L. Erickson, L. Davis, and O. Zhukov. 2020. Effect of Soil Treatments and Amendments on the Nematode Community under Miscanthus Growing in a Lead Contaminated Military Site. Agronomy 10, 1727. Alghamdi, A., D.R. Presley, M.B. Kirkham, and G. Hettiarachchi. 2020. Efficacy of amendments to improve soil physical properties at an abandoned lead and zinc mine. Agroecosystems, Geosciences & Environment. 3: e20032. Anuo, C.O., Jennifer A. Cooper, Katja Koehler-Cole, Salvador Ramirez II, Michael Kaiser. Effect of Cover Cropping on Soil Organic Matter Decomposition and Stabilization: Insights from a five-year field experiment in Nebraska. Will be submitted in June/July 2021 to Soil Science Society of America Journal. Book chapter Attanayake, C.P., G.M. Hettiarachchi, M. Palomo, G.M. Pierzynski, B. Calderon. 2021. Phytoavailability of lead for vegetables in urban garden soils. ACS Agricultural Science & Technology. 1: 173–181. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsagscitech.0c00068 Azeem, M., A. Ali, P.G.S.A. Jeyasunder, Y. Li, H. Abelrahman, A. Latif, R. Li, N. Basta, G. Li, S.M. Shaheen, J. Rinkleve, and Z, Zhang. 2021.  Bone-derived biochar imprioved soil quality and reduced Cd and Zn phytoavailavility in a multi-metal contaminated mining soil. Environ. Pollut. 277:116800. Badzmierowski, M.J., G.K. Evanylo, W.L. Daniels, and K.C. Haering. 2021. What is the impact of human wastewater biosolids (sewage sludge) application on long term carbon sequestration rates? A systematic review protocol. Environmental Evidence. 10:6. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-021-00221-3">https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-021-00221-3</a>. Banet, T., I. Zohar, I.M. Litaor, M. Massey, and J.A. Ippolito. 2020. Phosphorus removal from swine wastewater using aluminum-based water treatment residuals. Res. Conserv. Recycl. X. 6:100039. Banet, T., M. Massey, I. Zohar, I. Litaor, and J.A. Ippolito. 2020. Assessing modified aluminum-based water treatment residuals as a plant-available phosphorus source. Chemosphere. 247:125949 Barnes, R.G., C.A. Rotz, H.E. Preisendanz, J.E. Watson, H.A. Elliott, T.L. Veith, C. Williams, and K.J. Brasier. 2021. Cover cropping and interseeding management practices to improve runoff quality from dairy farms in Central Pennsylvania. Transactions of ASABE, Accepted 20 April, 2021.  Basta, N.T., Alyssa M. Zearley, Jeffory A. Hattey, and Douglas L. Karlen. 2021. A Risk-Based Soil Health Approach to Management of Soil Lead. In: D.L. Karlen, D.E. Stott, and M.M. Mikha (eds). Soil Health: Vol. 1: Approaches to Soil Health Analysis, Chapter 7, Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) & Wiley International, SSSA, Madison, WI. Book chapter Basta, N.T., I. Pepper, L.S. Lee, G. Kester, and A. Zearley.  2020. W4170 Multistate Research Committee Response to USEPA OIG Report No. 19-P-00021 “EPA unable to assess the impact of unregulated pollutants in land-applied biosolids on human health and the environment”, <a href="../../system/ProjectAttachment/files/000/000/502/original/W4170%20Response%20to%20OIG%20Report%20July%2023%202020%20final.pdf">https://www.nimss.org/system/ProjectAttachment/files/000/000/502/original/W4170%20Response%20to%20OIG%20Report%20July%2023%202020%20final.pdf</a> USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Research Committee W4170,  June 2020. Battaglia M; Thomason W; Fike JH; Evanylo GK; Cossel M; Babur E; Iqbal Y; Diatta AA. 2021. The broad impacts of corn stover and wheat straw removal for biofuel production on crop productivity, soil health and greenhouse gas emissions: A review. GCB Bioenergy, 13(1), 45-57. doi:10.1111/gcbb.12774. Benli Chai, Tamara Tsoi, J Brett Sallach, Cun Liu, Jeff Landgraf, Mark Bezdek, Gerben Zylstra, Hui Li, Cliff T Johnston, Brian J Teppen, James R Cole, Stephen A Boyd, James M Tiedje, 2020, Bioavailability of Clay-Adsorbed Dioxin to Sphingomonas wittichii RW1 and its associated genome-wide shifts in gene expression. Science of the Total Environment, 712: 135525. Betancourt, W.W., Schmitz, B.W., Innes, G.K., Prasek, S.M., Pogreba Brown, K.M., Stark, E.R., Foster, A.R., Sprissler, R.S., Harris, D.T., Sherchan, S.P., Gerba, C.P., Pepper, I.L. 2021. COVID-19 containment on a college campus via wastewater-based epidemiology, targeted clinical testing and an intervention. Sci. Tot. Environ. 779 (2021) 146408. Brown, S., J. Ippolito, N. Basta, L. Hundal. 2020. Municipal biosolids as a tool for sustainable communities. Current Opinion in Environmental Science and Health. 14:56-62. Brown, S., J.A. Ippolito, L. Hundal, and N.T. Basta.  2020. Municipal biosolids – A resource for sustainable communities. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 14:56-62. Buchanan, C., and J. Ippolito. 2020. Utilizing long-term organic amendments to improve soil health in semi-arid, grazed grasslands. Proceedings of the Great Plains Soil Fertility Conference. Denver, CO. March 10-11. Cannon, J., R.M. Foguth, R. Wesley Flynn; Chloe de Perre; L.S. Lee and M.S. Sepulveda. 2019. Developmental exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) selectively decreases brain dopamine levels in northern leopard frogs. Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, TAAP-D-19-00419R1, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2019.114623">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2019.114623</a>. Chandler, J. W., Preisendanz, H. E., Veith, T. L., Elkin, K. R., Elliott, H. A., & Watson, J. E. (2021). Role of concentrated flow pathways on the movement of pesticides through agricultural fields and riparian buffer zones. Transactions of the ASABE, Accepted 24 February 2021. doi.org/10.13031/trans.14221. Chandler, J.W., H.E. Preisendanz, T. L. Veith, K.R. Elkin, H.A. Elliott, J.E. Watson, and P.J.A. Kleinman. 2020. Role of concentrated flow pathways on the movement of pesticides through agricultural fields and riparian buffer zones. ASABE Paper No. 2001630. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, MI. <a href="https://elibrary.asabe.org/abstract.asp?aid=51824&t=3&redir=&redirType=">doi:10.13031/aim.2001630</a> Cheng, Z., G. M. Hettiarachchi, and K-H Kim. 2020. Urban soils research: SUITMA 10. J. Environ. Qual. Published online 12/20/2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.2019. Cheng, Z.P., H.W. Sun, H.S. Sidhu, N. Sy, and J. Gan. 2020. Metabolism of mono-(2-ethyhexyl)phthalate in Arabidopsis thaliana: Exploration of metabolic pathways by deuterium labeling. Environmental Pollution 265: 114886. doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114886 Chao Lu, Bing Yang, and Michael Gatheru Wagi, 2020, A Fast and Easily Parallelizable Biosensor Method for Measuring Extractable Tetracyclines in Soils. Environmental Science and Technology, 54: 758-767. Chen, C.Q., S. Hilaire, and K. Xia, 2020. Veterinary pharmaceuticals, pathogens and antibiotic resistance. In Animal Manure: Production, Characteristics, Environmental Concerns, and Management. Editor(s): H.M. Waldrip  P.H. Pagliari  Z. He. pp 385-407. ASA Special Publication 67. (<a href="https://doi.org/10.2134/asaspecpub67.c26">https://doi.org/10.2134/asaspecpub67.c26</a>). Book chapter Cheng, F.Y., H.E. Preisendanz, M.L. Mashtare, L.S. Lee, and N.B. Basu. 2021. Nevertheless, they persisted: Can hyporheic zones increase the persistence of estrogens in streams? Water Resources Research, Accepted 26 April, 2021. Clark, Elyse V., Carl E. Zipper, David J. Soucek, and W. Lee Daniels. 2020. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57780-3_9">Contaminants in Appalachian water resources generated by non-acid-forming coal-mining materials</a>. p. 217-243. In: Carl E. Zipper and Jeff Skousen (ed.) Appalachia’s coal-mined landscapes. Springer. Book chapter Codling, Eton E., Ngowari Jaja, Wale Adewunmi & Gregory K. Evanylo 2021. Residual effects of long-term biosolids application on concentrations of carbon, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in soils from two regions of the United States, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00103624.2020.1869772">10.1080/00103624.2020.1869772</a> Cowger W, Gray A, Christiansen SH, De Frond H, Deshpande A, Hermabessiere L, Lee E, Mill L, Munno K, Ossmann B, Pittroff M, Rochman C, Sarau G, Tarby S, Primpke S. 2020. EXPRESS: Critical Review of Processing and Classification Techniques for Images and Spectra in Microplastic Research. Applied Spectroscopy. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003702820929064 Cowger W, Booth AM, Hamilton BM, Thaysen C, Primpke S, Munno K, Lusher AL, Dehaut A, Vaz VP, Liboiron M, Devriese LI, Hermabessiere L, Rochman C, Athey SN, Lynch JM, De Frond H, Gray A, Jones OAH, Brander S, Steele C, Moore S, Sanchez A, Nel H. 2020. Reporting Guidelines to Increase the Reproducibility and Comparability of Research on Microplastics. Applied Spectroscopy, 74: 989-1010. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003702820930292 Jennifer A. Cooper, Rhae A. Drijber, Arindam Malakar, Virginia L. Jin, Daniel N. Miller, Michael Kaiser. Evaluating coal char as an alternative to biochar for mitigating nutrient and carbon loss from manure amended soils - insights from a greenhouse experiment. Submitted to Journal of Environmental Quality. Book chapter Cox J., Hue N., Ahmad A., Kobayashi K. 2021. Surface-applied or incorporated biochar and compost combination improves soil fertility, Chinese cabbage and papaya biomass. Biochar 3:213-227. Eaton, W. K. Brasier, M.E. Burbach, W. Whitmer, E.W. Engle, M. Burnham, B. Quimby, A.K. Chaudhary, H, Whitley, J. Delozier, L.B. Fowler, A. Wutich, J.C. Bausch, M. Beresford, C. Burkhart-Kriesel, C. Williams, H.E. Preisendanz, J. Watson, and J. Weigle. 2021. A conceptual framework for social, behavioral, and environmental change through stakeholder engagement in water resource management. Society & Natural Resources, Accepted 13 May 2021.  Eriksson, Kenneth A. and W. Lee Daniels. 2020. <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-57780-3_2">Environmental implications of regional geology and coal mining in the Appalachians</a>. p. 27-53. In: Carl E. Zipper and Jeff Skousen (ed.) Appalachia’s coal-mined landscapes. Springer. Book chapter Filipovic, L., V. Filipovic, C. Williams, H. Preisendanz, C. Walker, J. Watson. 2020. Modeling carbamazepine transport in wastewater-irrigated soil under different land uses. DOI:10.1002/jeq2.20074. Journal of Environmental Quality 49:1011-1019. Flynn, R., Iacchetta, M., de Perre, C., Lee, L.S., Sepúlveda, M., Hoverman, J. 2020. Chronic PFAS-exposure under environmentally relevant conditions delays development in northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens) larvae, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4690">https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.4690</a> Foguth RM, Flynn RW, de Perre C, Iacchetta M, Lee LS, Sepúlveda MS, Cannon JR . 2019. Developmental exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) selectively decreases brain dopamine levels in Northern leopard frogs. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 377:114623. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2019.114623">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2019.114623</a> Foguth, R., Hoskins, T., Cali Clark, G., Nelson, M., Flynn, W., de Perre, C., Hoverman, J., Lee, L.S.,  Sepulveda, M., Cannon, J.R. 2020. Single and mixture per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances accumulate in developing Northern leopard frog brains and produce complex neurotransmission alterations. Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 81:106907. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106907">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106907</a> Frame, S., Pearsons, K. A., Elkin, K. R., Saporito, L. S., Preisendanz, H. E., Karsten, H. D., & Tooker, J. F. (2021). Assessing surface and subsurface transport of neonicotinoid insecticides from no-till crop fields. Journal of Environmental Quality. 50(2):476-484. Gunn, K.M., T.L. Veith, A. Buda, H.E. Preisendanz, C. Kennedy, and R. Cibin. 2021. Integrating daily CO2 emissions in SWAT-VSA to examine climate change impacts on hydrology in a karst watershed. Transactions of ASABE, Accepted 4 May 2021. Hilaire Sheldon. 2020. Impact of Manure Land Management Practices on Manure Borne Antibiotic Resistant Elements (AREs) in Agroecosystems. Ph.D. Dissertation, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg. Iftikhar, S., Turan, V., Tauqeer, H. M., Rasool, B., Zubair, M., Mahmood-ur-Rahman, Khan, M. A., Akhtar, S., Khan, S. A., Basharat, Z., Zulfiqar, I., Iqbal, J., Iqbal, M., Ramzani, P. M. (2021). Phytomanagement of As-contaminated matrix: Physiological and molecular basis. Handbook of Bioremediation (pp. 61-79). Elsevier. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-819382-2.00005-3">http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-819382-2.00005-3</a>. Book chapter Jiang, F., Drohan, P. J., Cibin, R., Preisendanz, H. E., White, C., & Veith, T. L. (2020). Reallocating crop rotation patterns maintains crop yield and improves water quality. Agricultural Systems, 187. 103015. Jianzhou He, Yuanbo Li, Haonan Qi, Hui Li, Wei Zhang, 2020, Biochar amendment changed soil-bound fractions of silver nanoparticles and ions but not their uptake by radish at an environmentally relevant concentration. Biochar, 2: 307-317. Jiao, X.C., Q.Y. Shi, and J. Gan. 2020. Uptake, accumulation and metabolism of PFASs in plants and health perspectives: A critical review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology doi.org/10.1080/10643389.2020.1809219 Kates, N., D. Butman, F. Grothkopp, and S. Brown.  Tools to quantify the potential for phosphorus loss from bioretention soil mixtures. Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment.  In press  Kohmann, M.M., Saha, A., Silveira, M.L., Boughton, E.H., Swain, H., Brandani, C.B. 2021. Farm-scale phosphorus budgets of beef cow-calf operations. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystem. 10.1007/s10705-021-10130-z Lake, L.M., N. T. Basta and D.J. Barker.  2021. Modifying Effects of Soil Properties on Bioaccessibility of As and Pb from Human Ingestion of Contaminated Soil.   Special Issue “Medical Geology in the Urban Environment. ”Geosciences. 11, 126, https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11030126 Langsha Yi, Linzi Zuo, Chenhui Wei, Heyun Fu, Xiaolei Qu, Shourong Zheng, Zhaoyi Xu, Yong Guo, Hui Li, Dongqiang Zhu, 2020, Enhanced adsorption of bisphenol A, tylosin, and tetracycline from aqueous solution to nitrogen-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes via cation-π and π-π electron-donor-acceptor. Science of the Total Environment, 719: 137389. Lazcano-Kim, R., Choi, Y., Mashtare, M. Lee, L.S. 2020. Characterizing and Comparing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Commercially Available Biosolid and Nonbiosolid-based Organic Products. Environ. Sci. Technol. 54(14):8640-8648. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07281">https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b07281</a>. Le, H.T. V., R. Maguire, K. Xia. 2021.  Spatial distribution and temporal change of antibiotics in soils amended with manure using two field application methods. Sci Total Environ. 759: 143431 (doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143431). Leonard, E., J. Botas, S. Brown and B. Axt.  Carbon balance for biosolids use in commercial Douglas Fir plantations in the Pacific Northwest.  J. Environ. Management.  In press Li, L., Y. Zhang, J.A. Ippolito, W. Xing, and Y. Cheng. 2020. Lead smelting effects heavy metal concentrations in soils, wheat, and potentially humans. Environ. Pollut. 257:113641. Li, Y.C. 2020. Biochar impacts on nutrient dynamics in subtropical grassland soil: 2. Greenhouse gas emissions. Journal of Environmental Quality 49:1421-1434. DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20141. Lin H., Peng H., Feng X., Li X., Zhao J., Yang K.,Liao J., Cheng D., Liu X., Huang Q., 2020, Energy-efficient advanced oxidation of bio-treated landfill leachate effluent by reactive electrochemical membranes (REMs): Laboratory and pilot scale studies. Water Research, 190, 116790. Lu. Y., Silveira, M.L., Cavigelli, M., O’Connor, G.A., Vendramini, J.M.B., Erickson, J.E., and Li, Y.C. 2021. Biochar impacts on nutrient dynamics in subtropical grassland soil: part 2. Greenhouse gas emissions. Journal of Environmental Quality 49:1421-1434. DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20141. Lu. Y., Silveira, M.L., O’Connor, G.A., Vendramini, J.M.B., Erickson, J.E., and Li, Y.C. 2021. Assessing the impacts of biochar and fertilizer management strategies on N and P balances in subtropical pastures. Geoderma 394 doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115038 Lu. Y., Silveira, M.L., O’Connor, G.A., Vendramini, J.M.B., Erickson, J.E., Li, Y.C., and Cavigelli, M. 2020. Biochar impacts on nutrient dynamics in subtropical grassland soil: part 1. Nitrogen and phosphorus leaching. Journal of Environmental Quality 49:1408-1420. DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20139. Ma, P. and C. Rosen. 2021.  Land application of sewage sludge incinerator ash for phosphorus recovery: A review.  Chemosphere 274: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129609">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.129609</a> McDevitt, B., M. McLaughlin, C.A. Cravotta, M.A. Ajemigbitse, K.J. Van Sice, J. Blotevogel, T. Borch, and N.R. Warner. 2019. Emerging Investigator Series: Radium Accumulation in Carbonate River Sediments at Oil and Gas Produced Water Discharges: Implications for Beneficial Use as Disposal Management. Environ. Sci. Process. Impacts. 21:324-338. McDevitt B., M. McLaughlin, D.S. Vinson, T. Geeza, J. Blotevogel, T. Borch, and N.R. Warner. 2020. Isotopic and element ratios fingerprint salinization impact from beneficial use of oil and gas produced water in the Western U.S. Sci. Total Environ. 716:137006. Mclaughlin M.C., J. Blotevogel, R.A. Watson, B. Schell, T.A. Blewett, E.J. Folkerts, G.G. Goss, L. Truong, R.L. Tanguay, J. Lucas, and T. Borch. 2020. Mutagenicity assessment downstream of oil and gas produced water discharges intended for agricultural beneficial reuse. Sci. Total Environ. 715:136944. McLaughlin M.C., T. Borch, B. McDevitt, N.R. Warner, and J. Blotevogel. 2020. Water quality assessment downstream of oil and gas produced water discharges intended for beneficial reuse in arid regions. Sci. Total Environ. 713:136607. Miller, H., K. Diaz, H. Hare, K. Borton, R. Daly, J. Blotevogel, C. Danforth, M. Wilkins,      K. Wrighton, J. Ippolito, and T. Borch. 2020. Reusing produced water for agricultural irrigation: Effects on soil quality and microbiome. Sci. Tot. Environ. 722:137888. Miller H., P. Trivedi, Y.M. Qiu, E.P. Sedlacko, C. Higgins, and T. Borch. 2019. Food Crop Irrigation with Oilfield-Produced Water Suppresses Plant Immune Response. Environ. Sci. Technol. Letters. 6:656−661. Mroczko, O., H.E. Preisendanz, C. Wilson, T.L. Veith, M.L. Mashtare, J.E. Watson, and H,A, Elliott. 2021. Spatial and temporal patterns of PFAS occurrence at a wastewater beneficial reuse site in central Pennsylvania. ASABE Paper No. 2101035.  American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, MI. Ndoun, M. C., Elliott, H. A., Preisendanz, H. E., Williams, C. F., Knopf, A., & Watson, J. E. (2020). Adsorption of pharmaceuticals from aqueous solutions using biochar derived from cotton gin waste and guayule bagasse. Biochar, 16. doi.org/10.1007/s42773-020-00070-2. Ozores-Hampton, M., L. Cooperband, Nancy Roe, B. Faucett, J. Biala, G. Evanylo, and J. Creque. 2021. Compost Use. In Rynk et al. (ed.) Handbook of Composting. U.S. Composting Council. (In press) Book chapter Pepper, I.L., Brusseau, M.L., Prevatt, J. et al. 2021. Incidence of PFAS in soil following long-term application of Class B biosolids: A Southern Arizona Case Study. Sci. Tot. Environ. In Review. Pidlisnyuk, V., L. Erickson, T. Stefanovska, G. Hettiarachchi, L. Davis, J. Trögl, and P. Shapoval. 2020. Response to Grygar (2020) comments on "Potential phytomanagement of military polluted sites and biomass production using biofuel crop miscanthus x giganteus"- Pidlisnyuk et al. (2019). Environmental pollution, 261: 113038. Saha, G., Cibin, R., Elliott, H. A. & Preisendanz, H. E. (2021). Development of a land suitability framework for sustainable manure utilization. Transactions of the ASABE. 64(1):273-285 Sammi, S.R., Foguth, R.M., Nieves, C.S., De Perre, C., Wipf, P., McMurray, C.T., Lee, L.S., Cannon, J.R. 2019.  Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) produces selective dopamine neuron neuropathology in C. elegans. Tox. Sci. 172(2): 417–434, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfz191">https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfz191</a> Schmitz, B.W., Innes, G.K., Xue, J., Gerba, C.P., Pepper, I.L., Sherchan, S. 2020. Reduction of erythromycin resistance gene erm (F) and Class 1 integran-intergrase genes in wastewater by Bardenpho treatment. Wat. Environ. Res. 92(7):1042-1050. Schmitz, B.W., Innes, K.B., Prasek, S.M., Betancourt, W.P., Stark, E.R., Foster, A.R., Abraham, A.G., Gerba, C.P., Pepper, I.L. 2021. Enumerating asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and estimating SARS-CoV-2 fecal shedding rates via wastewater-based epidemiology. Sci. Tot. Environ. In Review. Sedlacko, E.M, C.E. Jahn, A.L. Heuberger, N.M. Sindt, H.M. Miller, T. Borch, A.C. Blaine, T.Y. Cath, and C.P. Higgins. 2019. Potential for Beneficial Reuse of Oil-and-Gas-Derived Produced Water in Agriculture: Physiological and Morphological Reponses in Spring Wheat (Triticum Aestivum). Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 38:1756–1769. Shawver S, Wepking C, Ishii S, Strickland MSS, Badgley BD. 2021. Application of manure from cattle administered antibiotics has sustained multi-year impacts on soil resistome and microbial community structure. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 157: 108252. Skousen, J., W. Lee Daniels, and Carl E. Zipper. 2020. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57780-3_4">Soils on Appalachian coal-mined lands.</a> p. 85-109. In: Carl E. Zipper and Jeff Skousen (ed.) Appalachia’s coal-mined landscapes. Springer. Book chapter Wang B., Shi H., Habteselassie M. Y., Deng X., Teng Y., Wang Y., Huang Q., 2021, Simultaneous removal of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium, antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes from water by electrooxidation on a Magnéli phase Ti4O7 anode. Chemical Engineering Journal, 407, 127134. Wang L., Lu J., Li L., Wang Y., & Huang, Q., 2020, Effects of chloride on electrochemical degradation of perfluorooctanesulfonate by Magnéli phase Ti4O7 and boron doped diamond anodes. Water Research, 170, 115254.   Wang Y., Shi H., Li C., & Huang Q., 2020, Electrochemical degradation of perfluoroalkyl acids by titanium suboxide anodes. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 6(1), 144-152. Wasel, O., Thompson, K.M., Gaob, Y., Godfrey, A.E., Gaob, J., Mahaptra, C., Lee, L.S., Sepúlveda, M.S., Freeman, J.L., Comparison of zebrafish in vitro and in vivo developmental toxicity assessments of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). 2020. J. Toxicol. & Environ. Health A, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2020.1842272">https://doi.org/10.1080/15287394.2020.1842272</a> Weeks, J.J., Jr., G.M. Hettiarachchi, E. Santos, and J. Tatarko. 2021. Potential Human Inhalation Exposure to Soil Contaminants in Urban Gardens on Brownfields Sites- A Breath of Fresh Air? J. Environ. Qual. 02/22/21, https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20208. Wenfeng Wang, Geoff Rhodes, Jing Ge, Xiangyang Yu, and Hui Li, 2020, Uptake and accumulation of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances in plants, Chemosphere, 261: 127584. Wenfeng Wang, Jing Ge, Xiangyang Yu, and Hui Li, 2020, Environmental Fate and Impacts of Microplastics in Soil Ecosystems: Progress and Perspective. The Science of the Total Environment, 708: 134841. Xiao L., K. Akers, I. Keenum, L. Wind, S. Gupta, C.Q. Chen, R. Aldaihani, A. Pruden, L.Q. Zhang, K. F. Knowlton, K. Xia, and L. S. Heath. 2021. AgroSeek: a system for computational analysis of environmental metagenomic data and associated metadata. BMC Bioinformatics. 22:117.  (<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12859-021-04035-5">https://doi.org/10.1186/s12859-021-04035-5</a>). Xu, B.L., D. Huang, F. Liu, D. Alfaro, Z.J. Lu, C.X. Tang, J. Gan, and J.M. Xu. 2020. Contrasting effects of microplastics on sorption of diazepam and phenanthrene in soil. J. Hazardous Materials doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124312 Yuanbo Li, Jianzhou He, Haonan Qi, Hui Li, Stephen A Boyd, Wei Zhang, 2020, Impact of Biochar Amendment on the Uptake, Fate and Bioavailability of Pharmaceuticals in Soil-Radish Systems. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 398: 122852. Zhang, Xiaoqin, Elizabeth A. Dayton, Nicholas T. Basta. 2020. Predicting the modifying effect of soils on arsenic phytotoxicity and phytoaccumulation using soil properties or soil extraction methods. Environ. Pollut. 263:1-10 Zhao Ma, Juan Liu, Hui Li, Wei Zhang, Mark Williams, Yanzheng Gao, Fredrick Owino Gudda, Zohar, I., N.B. Rose, J.A. Ippolito, and I. Litaor. 2020. Phosphorus pools in Al and Fe-based water treatment residuals (WTRs) following mixing with agro-wastewater - a sequential extraction study. Environ. Technol. Innovation. 18:1006454.

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 01/01/1970

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/05/2022 - 06/07/2022
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2021 - 09/30/2022

Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

W 4170 2022 Business Meeting Minutes

Location: UC Riverside, 301 Science Laboratories

Date: 06/05/2022, 4:00-5:40 pm

Participants: Maria Silveira (Chair), Patrick Dube, Guanglong Tian, Kang Xi, Ian Pepper. Gene Kester, Nicole Dennis, Andrew Gary, Jim Dunber, Sally Brown, Linda Lee, Jay Gan, Jon Judy, Hui Li, Kiranmayi Mangalgiri (virtual), Ganga Hettiarachchi (virtual), Nicolas Baste (virtual)

W4170 appreciates Greg Evanylo for his long-time involvement, service, contribution and leadership of W170, W1170, W2170, W3170 and W4170. Sally Brown will take a leadership role in the arrangement.

State reports

Currently, only five state reports have been received. Maria Silveira will send follow-up email reminders in the coming two weeks, or to individual state leader.

Research-based webinars

In the coming year, W 4170 will organize three quarterly webinars on the topics of (1) Urban environment, led by Sally Brown and Ganga Hettiarachchi, (2) PFAS, led by Linda Lee and Hui Li, and (3) Soil health, led by Jim Ippolito.

Extension/Outreach

The activities will include share of literature library, involvement of reginal biosolids associations, and communications with industrial stakeholders, farmers and PFAS-impacted communities. Sally Brown will take the lead in revising the letter to USDA administration on the issues of land application of biosolids.

W4170 shows interest in working with USDA LTAR Manureshed Working Group by adding the sites receiving biosolids.

W4170 2023 annual meeting will be held at Chicago from June 26 to 28, 2023. Guanglong Tian will host the annual meeting.

Accomplishments

Objective #1-  Evaluate the short- and long-term fate, bioavailability and persistence of trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) with an emphasis on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pathogens in residuals, reclaimed water, and amended soils to aid in assessing and minimizing environmental and human health risks from their application at a watershed scale. Specific tasks: i) Quantify and evaluate the uptake, accumulation and transport of TOrCs in residuals, wastewaters and residuals- and wastewater-treated soils (e.g., agricultural, urban and brownfields); ii) Predict the long-term bioavailability, persistence and toxicity of TOrCs in residuals- and wastewater-amended soils; iii) Evaluate ecological effects of TOrCs from soils amended with residuals and reclaimed wastewaters; and iv) Evaluate long-term effects of residuals and wastewater application on the emergence/spread of antibiotic resistance. Research for this objective was conducted by members from AZ, CA, FL, GA, IN, KS, MI, OH, PA, VA, WA.        Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)        Researchers from numerous states (AZ, FL, IN, MI, FL, PA) performed laboratory and field studies quantifying the occurrence, persistence, fate and human health effects of PFAS. Studies to date also highlight the importance and magnitude of perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) precursors such as the polyfluoroalkyl phosphate esters (diPAPs) initially present in biosolids and their contribution to long term leaching of PFAAs from land-applied biosolids.        Data from seven municipal water resource recovery facilities in IN indicated that fifty-four PFAS were quantified in biosolids with concentrations ranging from 323 ± 14.1 to 1100 ± 43.8 μg/kg (dry weight basis), of which > 75% of the fluorine moles from these PFAS were associated with precursors. Di-substituted polyfluorinated phosphate esters (diPAPs) were the most abundant PFAS precursors identified. The total oxidizable precursor assay on biosolids extracts generally failed to quantify the amount of precursors present, in large part due to the fact that diPAPS were not fully transformed during the TOP assay. Improved methods for PFAS determination in biosolids are also currently being evaluated by the IN team.        In PA, researchers evaluated 20 PFAS compounds in wastewater influent, effluent, and in 13 groundwater monitoring wells at the Penn State “Living Filter”, which has been spray-irrigating treated wastewater at the site for 40 years. The most frequently detected PFAS in the effluent were short-chain PFCAs, including PFBA, PFHxA, and PFHpA. PFOA+PFOS levels in the groundwater monitoring wells did not exceed the EPA’s 70 ng/L health advisory levels, but 7 of the wells did have levels that exceeded the PA DEP’s proposed drinking water standards.        A collaborative project in IN and FL indicated that mixing biosolids with sorbents such as aluminum chlorohydrate water treatment residuals or biochars or blending biosolids with other organic-rich low PFAS-containing material could mitigate PFAS in biosolids. Similarly, a collaborative study (IN and VA) evaluated PFAS leaching from biosolids and a biosolids-mulch blend applied to an artificially constructed land-reclamation site showed that dilution of PFAS loads in the biosolids-mulch blend generally translated to reduced PFAS concentrations in the leachate PFAS-specific trends are being evaluated in more detail, but data are consistent with the idea that blending biosolids to dilute PFAS loads may be a reasonable solution, at least in the short term, for mitigating potential impacts PFAS in biosolids on water quality. Wastewater treatment process has also been reported to correlate with PFAS portioning in biosolids. For instance, research in FL demonstrated that PFAS partition coefficients in biosolids were highly variable (~10 to 20,000 L kg-1) and dependent on both PFAS and wastewater treatment process.       Similar work focused on the impacts of exchangeable cations in soils on sorption of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFCA) is also currently being conducted in MI. A meta-analysis revealed that sorption of PFAS could not be described singularly as the partitioning in soil organic matter. Divalent cations such as Ca2+ in aqueous solution could enhance PFAS sorption. To test this hypothesis, the MI group evaluated the relative contributions of partitioning in SOM and cation-bridging interaction to sorption of PFCAs by soils. Results suggested that in natural soils, divalent cation Ca2+ is predominant at cation exchange sites in moderately weathered soils, and trivalent cations Fe3+ and Al3+ are abundant in highly weathered subtropical and tropical soils, the potential contributions of cation-bridging interaction to sorption of PFCAs could be substantial, which could influence PFCA fate and transport in the environment.        A short-term (6 month) mesocosm study in IN showed sustained PFAS leaching during the experimental period. Perfluoroalkyl acid concentrations in leachate, when detected, typically ranged in the 10  to 100 ng/L; no diPAPs were detected in the leachate. The PFAA leaching from the biosolids exceeded the PFAA mass initially present in the biosolids due to precursor degradation.        A new study was initiated in MN in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Texas Tech University to determine the fate and transport of PFAS and their breakdown products following land application of biosolids and food waste compost. PFAS concentrations and their breakdown products in soil, tissue, and water samples will be monitored.        Multiple states are currently working on PFAS toxicity studies. For instance, researchers in IN are currently evaluating the effect of PFAS on ecotox and human health. Results showed that PFAS concentrations in biota are elevated above those measured in a nearby wetland receiving runoff and discharge from agricultural lands not receiving biosolids or wastewater. In FL, a study examining trophic transfer of PFAS within a simulated terrestrial food chain (tomato à tobacco hornworm) indicated that while patterns of uptake and elimination were similar between different PFAS, PFOS bioaccumulated in the hornworms to a higher concentration, featuring approximately 5-fold higher assimilation efficiency than other PFAS tested. Results suggest that although recently published work has demonstrated that shorter chain PFAS are more readily accumulated in plants, shorter-chain PFAS may also be more readily eliminated by higher trophic level consumers.        Research in PA showed that PFAS are entering livestock feed due to elevated levels of short-chain PFAS compounds in corn silage and fescue grown at a site where treated wastewater is spray-irrigated, and suggest that more research is needed to understand the impacts of wastewater irrigation activities on livestock feed quality, with potential implications for human health (meat and milk consumption).       Research efforts have also been placed on evaluating PFAS presence in rural well water supplies. Research team from IN and PA team conducted a collaborative study involving nearly 70 homeowners. Results showed no wells contained PFOS+PFOA concentrations that exceeded EPA’s 70 ng/L health advisor levels, and one well exceeded the PA DEP’s proposed drinking water standards, suggesting that biosolids applications do not pose an elevated risk to groundwater used as a potable water to supply for homeowners in rural areas.        Antibiotics        Rainfall simulation studies were conducted in VA to evaluate the impact of manure application on the absolute abundance (CFU/mL/g) of antibiotic-resistant fecal coliform bacteria (ARFCB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in surface runoff and soils. Data showed that when preferential flow represented less than 15% of the total water flow, solute transport to lysimeters was similar, regardless of antibiotic affinity for soil. When preferential flow exceeded 15%, however, concentrations were higher for compounds with relatively low affinity for soil. Natural spectrum preferential flow should be considered as an explanatory variable to gauge the influence of soil matrix-solute interactions and may improve parsimonious transport models for antibiotics in soils.        Pathogens        In KY, researchers are working on developing comprehensive methods to determine pathogen concentrations in biosolids. Reference Sequencing (RefSeq) is currently being evaluated as an alternative approach. Research efforts in GA are also focused on developing and evaluating treatment strategies of residuals and wastewaters to reduce contaminant and pathogen loads. Main emphasis has been placed on the development of novel technologies to address the few constituents limiting the beneficial reuse of biosolids, particularly electrochemical approaches and enzyme-based processes to remove hormones, antibiotics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs).         Coronavirus, pharmaceuticals, and substance of abuse surveillance        During the COVID-19 pandemic, evidence began to grow that the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is shed through feces and therefore enters the wastewater stream. The PA team provided wastewater surveillance data to four wastewater treatment plants in the PA. Surveillance data were shared with facility operators within 48 hours of sample collection, enabling the communities to track increases and decreases, particularly of the virus, in near-real time. These data have been utilized, along with other indicators, to understand the prevalence of disease within the community over the past year. Further, the data have been particularly useful to the Department of Corrections in knowing when transmission has been high and low at their facility.  Surveillance efforts in PA are ongoing.        Researchers in VA evaluated the occurrence of opioids in wastewater treatment plant influent, effluent, and biosolids. Results showed all 13 opioids were detectable in all samples. The team estimated that the average daily drug usage/1000 people in the communities ranged from 0.64 g/day/1000 people – 5.92 g/day/1000 people.        Metals        A recently completed study in FL examining how different soil nutrient tests correlate with various lead bioavailability tests in a variety of lead contaminated soils indicated that bioavailable lead (determined via a diverse suite of relatively inexpensive and accessible soil nutrient test methods) was correlated with bioaccessible Pb (determined via specific in vitro lead bioavailability tests).        Research in KS continued to investigate the use of high-Fe biosolids amendments for in situ stabilization of Pb contaminated alkaline soils collected from El Paso neighborhoods. Results from this study demonstrated that high-Fe biosolids amendments help to reduce bioaccessibility of lead in alkaline soils that are not responding effectively to conventional phosphorus fertilizer treatments.        In NE, researchers are evaluating the utility of ferrihydrite soil amendment to reduce plant uptake of arsenic and uranium. Soils that received ferrihydrite showed that greater plant dry biomass and less arsenic and uranium concentrations in plant tissue.          Other unregulated organic contaminants        The IN team is leading a new, collaborative field study recently initiated at 2 biosolids-field sites in California.  PFAS and other unregulated organic compounds are or will be assessed at these sites over time. Initial monitoring well, soil and biosolids samples have been taken and are currently being analyzed.   Objective 2: Objective 2 of the project: Evaluate and optimize the uses and associated environmental benefits of residuals and wastewaters applied to various ecosystems (e.g., agricultural, urban, recreational, forest, rangeland, mine-impacted, other anthropogenic) on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and plant nutrition, health, and yield. Specific tasks: i) Quantify the effects of biosolids and other municipal, industrial, and agricultural residuals on indicators of soil health; ii) Quantify the effects of biosolids and other residuals on pollutant (TOrCs and metals/metalloids) availability, assimilation, phytotoxicity, and remediations. Research on this topic was conducted by members from AZ, CO, FL, HI, KS, MS, NE, OH, PA, VA, WA.        Soil health and soil carbon benefits        Land application of biosolids has been associated with multiple agronomic and environmental benefits; however, the intimate association between biosolids use and soil health has not been adequately addressed. Research in CO continues to demonstrate soil health benefits associated with long-term land application of biosolids to agroecosystem. Results demonstrated that biosolids application at agronomic rates has greater, positive impact on soil health than inorganic fertilizer. These findings help assure that biosolids land application in the western US is a positive attribute for municipalities with land application programs (e.g., Denver Metro Wastewater; the South Platte Renew). The CO team has also partnered with the Soil Health Institute, and Washington State University to further evaluate soil health in long-term agroecosystem research plots. Results from this effort indicated that biosolids increases long-term soil C accumulation with subsequent positive impacts on soil health. Research is also focused on evaluating the potential impacts of biosolids on soil microbial community function and structure. Research in CO also demonstrated that biosolids application (rates of 10 Mg ha-1) to overgrazed, western US rangelands improves soil health without negatively compromising above-ground plant community structure/function.       Collaborative research among CO, OH, and WA continues to evaluate biosolids land application in mine land contaminated with heavy metals, with a specific focus on soil health and plant health.  Results showed that although biosolids can improve mine land soil health and reduce plant-available heavy metals, above-ground plant tissue metal concentrations still may be greater than acceptable for browsing animals. The research team is working towards including soil heavy metal concentrations into an overall soil health program.      Water quality       In addition to the multiple agronomic benefits, biosolids offer several environmental advantages compared with inorganic fertilizers because nutrients are less soluble and, therefore less likely subject to losses. Research in FL demonstrated that long-term biosolids application reduced P leaching compared with control treatments, mainly due the addition of Fe and Al with biosolids and subsequent positive effects on soil P storage capacity. A field study in FL evaluating the impacts of new FL rule (62-640, Florida Administrative Code) on crop performance, soil health, and water quality responses demonstrated that reduced (P-based) biosolids rates were unable to supply adequate amounts of N and other essential nutrients to sustain adequate crop production. Land application of biosolids applied at P-based rates are practical or economically feasible for farmers, and will result in the loss of a valuable resource.       A new research project in VA is evaluating physical and chemical properties of commercial biofiltration soil media currently utilized in stormwater BMPs and urban tree planter applications. Active work also includes preliminary column simulation studies of net elution vs. removal of N and P forms from simulated stormwater additions.       Wastewater       A study in TX evaluating the use of treated wastewater for irrigation of romaine lettuce indicated that AP205 bacteriophage (used as a pathogen surrogate) increased in foliage, leachate, and soil during lettuce cultivation. Although levels decreased during post-harvest storage, this suggests potential health risks from leafy greens grown with treated wastewater. A second project investigated use of photocatalytic disinfection for treatment of irrigation water. Ongoing work is further investigating the potential for enhancing recovery and reuse of nanomaterial catalysts in these systems. Furthermore, as part of a USDA-funded Research and Extension Experiences for Undergrads program on Reuse Water Quality, eleven undergraduate students from multiple universities were trained on advanced water treatment and reuse in summer 2022. A textbook on Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology was also published.                  Climate change mitigation       Land application of biosolids can increase soil organic matter and help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the vast literature on the agronomic value of biosolids, there is still limited information on its potential benefits on soil carbon sequestration potentials. Understanding the impact of biosolids end use on C emissions can help municipalities achieve C neutrality. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was conducted in VA to quantify carbon sequestration potential of land-applied biosolids. The VA team reported growing evidence that biosolids may be used to restore mine soils in VA. The VA team continue to monitor an experiment on reconstructed Appalachian mine soils where biosolids were applied at rates of 22 to 224 Mg/ha in 1982. Over the past year, the team has improved a method to determine and eliminate the interference of both carbonates and trace coal fragments in these mine soils that will greatly enhance our ability to accurately calculate effects of the original treatments on long-term C-sequestration rates. They have also statistically confirmed >35-year positive effects of biosolids on mine soil CEC, plant available P, cations, essential micronutrients, and total C. However, overall net C-sequestration rates are much lower (e.g. ~0.25 Mg/ha/yr) than commonly reported in the coal mined land reclamation literature.        Biochar studies        Biochar is a solid material high in stable carbon, which is obtained from the thermochemical treatment (pyrolysis) of biomass (e.g., crop residue, discarded wood, animal waste) in an oxygen limited environment. Members of W4170 in CO, FL, HI, and NE continue to study land application biochar on heavy metal mitigation, soil health, carbon sequestration, nutrient availability, and crop productivity. Although biochar has been suggested as an approach to enhance carbon storage and to improve soil functioning, biochar characteristics and related improvements of soil functioning are variable depending on biochar production conditions. In a meta-analysis, the NE team reported that pyrolysis temperature and feedstock impacted biochar characteristics. Targeted production of biochar with specific characteristics can be facilitated by the selection of pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type.        A field study conducted in Maui, Hawaii demonstrated biochar applied at 10 ton/ha increased crop production in nutrient-poor, highly weathered soils. Similar efforts are also being conducted in NE where researchers are evaluating the use of biochar in no-till corn-soybean cropping systems.       Biochar has also been suggested as an effective remediation strategy. Research in PA evaluated the effectiveness of biochar to remove four pharmaceuticals from aqueous solution. Biochar produced from cotton gin waste was able to effectively remove docusate, whereas the walnut shell biochar removed acetaminophen and sulfapyridine better than the cotton gin biochar. Both biochars removed ibuprofen at similar efficiencies. The PA team is currently evaluating three pre-treatment options to improve performance of the biochar.       Collaborative research in KS focused on improving the recovery Ca-P products from simulated swine wastewater indicated that anaerobic membrane bioreactors and associated technologies are viable strategies to generate secondary Ca-based P fertilizer sources that can be reused in agriculture. Beneficial reuse of manure and other organic residuals       A newly funded research and extension project in NE is evaluating the impact of integrated manure and inorganic fertilizer management on nitrogen use efficiency, water quality, and soil health. In PA, a manureshed-based approach using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) evaluated manure management strategies in the Susquehanna River Basin. Results from this effort showed lower N and P loads in the major sub-basins of the Susquehanna River Basin compared to crop N-demand baseline scenarios.        In MN, a three-year study evaluated the effectiveness of sewage sludge incinerator ash has been completed.  The findings support SSA as a potential slow-release P fertilizer source for crop production. Landfill costs could be eliminated, and area farmers would be able to use the ash as a renewable source of P in addition to other residuals such as biosolids and struvite. As a result of this research, the Metropolitan Council has developed the “Smart Ash” project to explore regulatory issues with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency related to land application of the ash as a P fertilizer source.        Urban soils       Urban agriculture in general and community gardens in particular, have the potential to provide a wide range of direct and indirect benefits including improved diets and increased physical activity for direct participants.  Indirect benefits include reduced crime and increased real estate values in neighborhoods around the gardens.  These gardens also provide an excellent opportunity for use of residuals- based soil amendments.       Soil health has recently been a focus of research in agronomic systems. However, with the growth of urban agriculture and the ready availability of a range of residuals -based soils and soil amendments in urban areas, it is pertinent to consider soil health in an urban context.  Research in WA evaluated the impact of two biosolids-based products and a vermicompost from food scraps in both field trials and a greenhouse study. Yield and nutrient uptake of a range of vegetable crops (including carrots, broccoli, kale and swiss chard) were evaluated.  In the most disturbed urban soil, fertilizer alone was only able to support minimal growth for some of the crops. All organic amendments showed high yield with increases over the control for certain nutrients. Soil properties (e.g., total C and N, active C, bulk density, water infiltration rates and Mehlich III available nutrients) also improved as a result of amendment addition.  For highly fertile, non- disturbed soils, the amendments generally performed slightly worse than synthetic fertilizer for plant yield.  However, improvements in soil characteristics including increased C and N and water infiltration were observed.       An investigation of soil from vacant lots in Cleveland found 25% exceeded the 400 mg/kg Pb regulatory soil screening level. In older cities with longer industrial histories, Pb pollution tends to be more widespread and severe. Exposure to soil Pb results in health risks to human and ecological receptors. Human health risks are highest in children, who have high rates of incidental soil ingestion and can develop permanent neurological impairment from Pb exposure. In many communities, prohibitory expensive remediation costs have resulted in inaction and exposure of another generation of children to legacy Pb.  To address this concern, research in OH was focused on using inexpensive biosolids incinerator ash as an inexpensive Soil amendment to improve urban soil. An interdisciplinary project was initiated in 2021 with the goal of establishing demonstration plots on vacant land in Slavic village in Cleveland, OH, which was one of the hardest hit areas during the 2008 economy collapse. The soil was contaminated with lead and a four soil blends made from local byproducts (Lake Erie Dredge, high Fe biosolids incinerator ash and biosolids compost) were applied to vacant lots. Plots were seeded with a native plant blend designed for pollinators. Researchers will be evaluating the success of these treatments in Summer 2022. The OH research team is hoping this novel approach will be used a prototype for other urban areas. This project is also expected to break the exposure to legacy soil Pb that has damaged the population, especially children, in the Cleveland area. Similar work is ongoing in Kansas City vacant and residential lots in residential neighborhoods, using P and other soil amendments, including class A biosolids, to reduce bioaccessible Pb in urban soils.

Publications

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 08/24/2023

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/26/2023 - 06/28/2023
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2022 - 09/30/2023

Participants

Participants Attachment:

2023 W4170 Meeting Minutes.docx

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

Reporting Period 10/1/2022 to 09/30/2023 Accomplishments Objective #1-  Evaluate the short- and long-term fate, bioavailability and persistence of trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) with an emphasis on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pathogens in residuals, reclaimed water, and amended soils to aid in assessing and minimizing environmental and human health risks from their application at a watershed scale. Specific tasks: i) Quantify and evaluate the uptake, accumulation and transport of TOrCs in residuals, wastewaters and residuals- and wastewater-treated soils (e.g., agricultural, urban and brownfields); ii) Predict the long-term bioavailability, persistence and toxicity of TOrCs in residuals- and wastewater-amended soils; iii) Evaluate ecological effects of TOrCs from soils amended with residuals and reclaimed wastewaters; and iv) Evaluate long-term effects of residuals and wastewater application on the emergence/spread of antibiotic resistance. Research for this objective was conducted by members from AZ, CA, FL, GA, KS, MN, OH, PA, WA.      Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) PFAS analytes are perfluorinated compounds used in many household products to provide water- repellent and anti- stain properties. Because of their common usage, PFAS is ubiquitous and found in soil, water and sediments worldwide. They are also found in wastewater, and during wastewater treatment they partition into the solid phase and end up in biosolids. Because biosolids are land applied, there has been increasing concern over the potential for biosolid derived PFAS to leach through soil and the vadose zone, ultimately contaminating groundwater used as a potable water source.      Researchers from several states performed laboratory and field studies to quantify the occurrence, persistence, fate, and human health effects of PFAS. A national collaborative project led by researchers in AZ is currently evaluating the incidence and mobility of PFAS through soil following land application of biosolids. The project includes 30 land application sites across the US, with different soils, depths to groundwater, and variable climates. The team also measured PFAS concentrations in groundwater beneath the land application sites. Data from this project is expected to allow for validation of a screening level risk assessment model to predict the risk of PFAS leaching and subsequent groundwater contamination. A literature review conducted by the GA team on the potential input of PFAS to soil from air, water, and landfill found that PFAS in air (average of 101-2 pg/m3) and landfill leachates (average of 100-2 ng/L) were the main sources of PFAS in soil. Many factors, such as solution pH and cations, influence sorption and desorption of PFAS in the water-soil interface. Similar work is also being conducted in NM. Investigators conducted a literature review and meta-analysis on the global distributions of PFAS substances in the environment. Studies in GA characterized PFAS in fluorinated-industrial wastewater using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry and data-processing algorithms. Data demonstrated that a total of 175 formulae of PFASs were identified. In particular, 18 iodinated PFAA formulas involving 21 congeners were identified for the first time, indicating the possibility of forming iodinated PFAS in fluorination industrial wastewaters. In MN, biosolids from 5 facilities were analyzed for a suite of PFAS compounds.  All biosolids tested were found to contain detectable levels of PFAS.  Similarly, PFAS in various forms were detected in most soil and lysimeter water samples, indicating that PFAS was already present at the site, even before biosolids were applied.  A new study will be initiated in 2024 to evaluate PFAS in three participating WWTPs and three farmers who have been applying biosolids on their cropland. Multiple states are currently working on PFAS toxicity studies. For instance, researchers in FL examined trophic transfer of PFAS within a simulated terrestrial food chain (tomato à tobacco hornworm). Data indicated that while patterns of uptake and elimination were similar between different PFAS, PFOS bioaccumulated in the hornworms to a higher concentration, featuring approximately 5-fold higher assimilation efficiency than other PFAS tested.  Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer factors were positively correlated with PFAS carbon chain length for both sulfonates and carboxylic acids.  This result suggests that although recently published work has demonstrated that shorter chain PFAS are more readily accumulated in plants, shorter-chain PFAS may also be more readily eliminated by higher trophic level consumers. In PA, a community-science based PFAS project to assess the occurrence of PFAS in rural water supplies was launched in collaboration with the Penn State Extension Master Well Owner Network. Nearly 115 homeowners participated in the study and collected water samples from their private wells. Results suggested that more than half (52%) of the 115 wells sampled have detectable levels of PFAS, such that 60 of the 115 wells had PFAS concentrations exceeding the EPA’s interim health advisories. The PA team is also conducting an ongoing monitoring effort at the Penn State “Living Filter”, which has been spray-irrigating treated wastewater at the site for 40 years. Since October 2019, we have collected bi-monthly samples of the wastewater (influent and effluent) and the 13 groundwater monitoring wells at the site. Additionally, we are collecting crop tissue at the time of harvest for corn silage and haylage to determine the PFAS concentrations incorporated into animal feed. Results showed elevated levels of PFAS in the groundwater at the site, with concentrations of PFOA and PFOS above the EPA’s proposed drinking water standard 10 of the 13 monitoring wells and above the PA DEP’s MCLs in 7 wells. Data collected from the harvested corn silage and fescue suggest that PFAS (mostly short-chain compounds) are entering the food chain at a rate of between 2.45 and 7.48 mg/animal/year for dairy cattle. It is unknown what the impacts to livestock health and milk quality might be, and more information is needed to provide context for these numbers from other similar studies at wastewater-irrigated facilities. Work in FL demonstrated that the use of Al, Ca and Fe DWTRs to immobilize and/or reduce the bioavailability of PFAS is effective, particularly for short chain PFAS, albeit at relatively high application rates (10% DWTR by mass application to biosolids). They also demonstrated that PFAS partition coefficients from 16 biosolids samples were highly variable (~10 to 20,000 L kg-1) and dependent on both PFAS and wastewater treatment process. Research in GA evaluating the use of electrooxidation for destruction of PFAS in water indicated that surface fluorination of Ti4O7 anode can effectively mitigate the formation of chlorate and perchlorate when chloride is present in the wastewater, without significantly comprising the PFAS treatment performance. The team also studied the degradation of chloramphenicol by electrooxidation. A study on PFAS removal by foam fractionation (FF) indicated that higher air flow, greater ionic strength, and addition of thickener boosted PFAS removal in the defoamed bottom solutions and intensified enrichment in the collected foam. FF is potentially a technology that can be applied on large quantities of water in a cost-effective manner, which can remove PFAS from water and concentrate them in a small-volume foam solution. It can be further coupled with a PFAS destruction technology, such as electrooxidation, to destruct the concentrated PFAS in the foam solution, forming an FF-EO treatment train that can be an effective option to manage PFAS in wastewaters.   Pathogens and Metals With current projections indicating an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as hurricanes, coastal regions, including the Texas Gulf Coast, are increasingly vulnerable to drinking and recreational water contamination caused by flooding. A study conducted in TX evaluated fecal indicator levels and bacterial communities in Clear Lake near Houston, TX following Hurricane Harvey. Fecal indicator bacteria levels were elevated immediately after the hurricane but decreased to below regulatory levels within one week. Likewise, the bacterial community shifted from being dominated by Cyanobacteria before flooding to being dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes immediately after flooding and then returning to a community resembling pre-flooding conditions. A second study measured fecal indicator levels in private drinking water wells in the area around Houston, TX in the weeks following flooding from Hurricane Harvey. This information was used in quantitative microbial risk assessment to determine the increased risks from various exposure scenarios. It was estimated that median health risks exceeded USEPA’s daily risk threshold of 1x10^-6 for gastrointestinal infection with the greatest risk being from norovirus and Cryptosporidium. Smaller levels of risk were also associated with bathing and food preparation. Ongoing work is further characterizing residents’ behavior with respect to treating and maintaining their drinking water sources following flooding events.   Coronavirus, pharmaceuticals, and substance of abuse surveillance A project funded by Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Health to continue the University’s wastewater surveillance program for SARS-CoV-2, pharmaceuticals, and influenza A and B. The surveillance efforts also include two other WWTPs in PA. The PA team ran data analysis tools through supercomputing facilities on campus to determine the doubling rate of each virus. The results were shared with facility operators within 48 hours of sample collection, enabling the communities to track increases and decreases in near-real time. These data have been utilized, along with other indicators, to understand the prevalence of the viruses within the community over the past year. The data have been particularly effective when they are showing decreasing trends, to provide reassurance that downward trends in individual case data are also true at the community scale.   Microplastics Microplastic particles (size of 1 μm - 5 mm) are a contaminant of emerging concern in wastewater and biosolids. Research in CA focused on the development of microplastics sampling, analysis methodologies (including the development of new spectroscopic software for the chemical characterization of microplastics), monitoring of microplastics in rivers, streams, and coastal marine habitats, and advancement of the scientific understanding of microplastics transport in streamflow and sediments. Collaborators include the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, Orange County Sanitation District, Orange County Environmental Resources, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.   Other unregulated organic contaminants Research in OH was focused on the prioritization of UOCs in biosolids being amended to soil based on their occurrence, mobility, persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential toxicity to humans. The prioritization study leveraged empirical and modeled data for use in a scoring scheme to derive a short list of UOCs of greatest potential concern for offsite transport, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. The major challenge is identifying UOCs that are most likely to be mobility and bioaccumulation in the environment and the effects of these compounds on human health. While information is easily accessible either by measurement or predictive modeling, there is a lack of a methodology to perform high throughput screening of UOCs. The priority list serves as a starting point to perform laboratory and field experiments for those chemicals with the highest risk to human health. The starting list of biosolids-borne chemicals of potential concern was prepared from the USEPA biennial reports, TSSS survey, USEPA CompTox dashboard, and literature. From this database of 912 chemicals, data filtering resulted in 128 UOCs of high concern. These UOCs were then ranked via a scoring scheme based on the following parameters: (1) occurrence, (2) mobility, (3) persistence, (4) bioaccumulation, and (5) toxicity. The assessments simulated were: (1) mobility and persistence, (2) mobility and bioaccumulation, (3) persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity, (4) mobility, bioaccumulation, and persistence, and (5) mobility, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. Based on these assessments, some of the highest priority UOCs included Desmosterol, Triphenyltin, Aroclor 1254, Digoxin, and N-Nitrosodimethylamine, Polyethylene terephthalate, Dimethyl sulfone, Clinafloxacin, and Digoxin. Treated wastewater is a critical and valuable water source to augment agricultural irrigation, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. However, recycled water irrigation introduces many trace organic contaminants (TOrCs) into agroecosystems, and concerns about the potential accumulation of TOrCs in food produce hinder its broader adoption. Fundamental and applied research in CA funded through USDA and EPA evaluated processes and risks of TOrCs in the wastewater-soil-plant continuum. Findings suggested that plant accumulation of TOrCs depends closely on the specific compounds, and that potential accumulation in edible parts is generally low for many TOrCs when treated wastewater is used for irrigation. In addition, plants possess the capability of quickly metabolizing many TOrCs via conjugation, which contributes to a reduced translocation and accumulation in edible organs. The CA team also evaluated a simple and yet practical mitigation strategy to further minimize accumulation of TOrCs in plants – alternating sources of irrigation water, by using treated wastewater only for the first half of the growing season.   Objective 2: Objective 2 of the project: Evaluate and optimize the uses and associated environmental benefits of residuals and wastewaters applied to various ecosystems (e.g., agricultural, urban, recreational, forest, rangeland, mine-impacted, other anthropogenic) on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and plant nutrition, health, and yield. Specific tasks: i) Quantify the effects of biosolids and other municipal, industrial, and agricultural residuals on indicators of soil health; ii) Quantify the effects of biosolids and other residuals on pollutant (TOrCs and metals/metalloids) availability, assimilation, phytotoxicity, and remediations. Research on this topic was conducted by members from AZ, CO, FL, HI, KS, NE, OH, PA, , WA   Soil health and soil carbon benefits Land application of biosolids has been associated with multiple agronomic and environmental benefits; however, the intimate association between biosolids use and soil health has not been adequately addressed. Research in CO continues to demonstrate soil health benefits associated with long-term land application of biosolids to agroecosystem. Results demonstrated that biosolids application at agronomic rates has greater, positive impact on soil health than inorganic fertilizer. These findings help assure that biosolids land application in the western US is a positive attribute for municipalities with land application programs. The CO team has also partnered with the Soil Health Institute, and Washington State University to further evaluate soil health in long-term agroecosystem research plots. Results from this effort indicated that biosolids increases long-term soil C accumulation with subsequent positive impacts on soil health. Research is also focused on evaluating the potential impacts of biosolids on soil microbial community function and structure. Research in CO also demonstrated that biosolids application (rates of 10 Mg ha-1) to overgrazed, western US rangelands improves soil health without negatively compromising above-ground plant community structure/function. Collaborative research among CO, OH, and WA continues to evaluate biosolids land application in mine land contaminated with heavy metals, with a specific focus on soil health and plant health. Results showed that although biosolids can improve mine land soil health and reduce plant-available heavy metals, above-ground plant tissue metal concentrations still may be greater than acceptable for browsing animals. The research team is working towards including soil heavy metal concentrations into an overall soil health program.   Water quality Research in KY demonstrated that biosolids- decreased expression of several genes in the denitrification/nitrification pathways. Overall, results from the metatranscriptomic analysis support many benefits of biosolids application to soil that pertain to the N cycle: (i) decreased production of leachable NO2- and NO3-, (ii) increased production and assimilation of NH4+ into soil organic matter, and (iii) reduced emissions of the greenhouse gas, N2O. A field study in FL evaluated the impacts of new state biosolids rule (62-640, Florida Administrative Code) on crop performance, soil health, and water quality responses. Results demonstrated significant lower risk of nitrogen and phosphorus losses via leaching than commercial inorganic fertilizer. Data also demonstrated significant agronomic benefits associated with biosolids application to pastures. Reduced (P-based) biosolids application rates may not be practical or economically feasible for farmers, which will result in the loss of a valuable resource that can have many agronomic and environmental benefits . A mesocosm study in PA  is investigating the potential benefits of organic matter amendments to a stormwater bioretention cell for improving nitrogen removal. The study also investigated the potential impact of de-icing agents on denitrification in the bioretention cell. Total nitrogen removal was found to be positive for most treatments, indicating net removal in the stormwater bioretention mesocosm experiment. However, negative removal efficiencies, or nitrogen leaching, was observed for some treatments and sampling events, almost exclusively for free-draining mesocosms. These preliminary results support the value of saturated zones and carbon amendments in bioretention soils to assist with improved N treatment.    Biochar studies Researchers in NE are investigating the effects of biochar soil carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and nitrate retention. One of the key findings was that the redox driven formation of iron oxides on surfaces of biochar aging in soil can explain the improved retention of nitrate in biochar amended soil. Biochar also resulted in significant increases in soil carbon storage in 0-30 cm depth, six months after application of biochar. Additional benefits from synergistic effects of cover cropping and biochar on soil carbon storage seem to take longer to be detectable. The data emphasize the potential of biochar application in combination with cover crop  to increase resource efficiency in corn-soybean systems but also highlight the need for long-term data from different sites to make recommendations for reduced N-fertilization rates, for example. Research in PA  evaluated the effectiveness of biochar produced from two feedstocks (cotton gin waste and walnut shells) to remove four pharmaceuticals from aqueous solution. Biochar produced from cotton gin waste was able to effectively remove docusate, whereas the walnut shell biochar removed acetaminophen and sulfapyridine better than the cotton gin biochar. Both biochars removed ibuprofen at similar efficiencies. The team is currently evaluating three pre-treatment options to improve performance of the biochar.   Beneficial reuse of manure and other organic residuals Research in FL examined how different soil nutrient tests correlate with various lead bioavailability tests in a variety of lead contaminated soils, including those receiving lead-immobilizing amendments such as compost Results indicated that a diverse suite of relatively inexpensive and accessible soil nutrient test methods correlate with bioaccessible Pb at a specific site, regardless of whether Pb-immobilizing amendments have been used. A study in HI evaluated P availability and Al and Mn toxicity following application of three P sources (Kailua biosolids, chicken manure, and cowpea green manure) to two highly weathered, acidic Oxisols of Hawaii. Results demonstrated that all three organic amendments reduced soil P sorption, and chicken manure was the most effective in keeping more P in the soil solution. Soybean growth and P uptake varied depending on the P source and soil type. Research in NE demonstrated that manure in conjunction with inorganic fertilizer and woodchips did not affect crop growth and yield.   Urban soils Use of biosolids and other residuals- based amendments in proximity of the areas where they are generated offers multiple benefits. It increases public awareness and also provide a cost- effective end use for residuals- based products. For the end uses, residuals- based amendments are likely to show equal benefits, if not more extensive benefits with urban use in comparison to more traditional agronomic end uses. Promoting urban use of residuals closes an important loop for nutrient recycling and provides an opportunity for food production in urban areas. Research in WA evaluated the potential for urban residuals use and nutrient cycling in the context of urban agriculture. Results demonstrated that crop yield in disturbed urban soils was significantly greater than with fertilizer for all of the products tested. The team also calculated nutrient flows through food scraps and wastewater in Seattle and Tacoma. Wastewater had much higher N and P flows than food scraps. While a majority of the P was captured in the biosolids, the majority of N in the system was released in the effluent. Anthropogenic activities have left a legacy of contaminated vacant land which disproportionately affects lower income communities and can have detrimental impacts on human health, particularly children. EPA estimates that 95% of children will ingest 200 mg soil/day which places children in close proximity to contaminated soil at increased risk of ingesting Pb. The national average blood lead level (BLL) in children is 1.2 µg/dL with excessive BLL threshold of 5 µg/dL. However, 13% of children in Cuyahoga County, Ohio and 17% of children in Cleveland, OH have BLL > 5 µg/dL. Research in OH evaluated the impact of exposure to soils with legacy contamination, including lead, arsenic and other heavy metals, to urban populations. Remedial action has been slow in contaminated communities. Excavation and replacement of contaminated soil is destructive and expensive. Soil testing to identify contaminated soil is either prohibited and/or expensive. The result is continued unacceptable exposure of legacy contaminants such as lead. The OH team developed  a novel risk management approach where enhanced soil amendments is used as reactive topsoil to reduce heavy metal contaminant bioavailability and exposure and provide a physical barrier. Reactive topsoils were created from locally available byproducts: biosolids incineration ash, Lake Erie dredge, biosolids compost, and yard waste compost. Four soils blends of varying combinations of the above byproducts were mixed with the top 10 cm of contaminated residential soil. The soil blends were seeded with a native plant mixture selected for residential ecological restoration. Potential lead exposure to humans, from soil or dust ingestion, was determined by measuring in vitro Pb bioaccessibility (IVBA Pb) using U.S. EPA Method 1340. Soil blends were very effective in reducing IVBA Pb up to 50%.  Reduction of IVBA Pb  was attributed to reactive Fe and Al oxides from biosolid incineration ash. Topsoil blends can provide a physical barrier and a chemical barrier when applied to vacant urban land. Reactive additives, that adsorb or precipitate contaminants, will reduce exposure from future aerial deposition of Pb and other legacy toxicants in urban areas.