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Jannesari M, Caslin A, English NJ. Electric field-based air nanobubbles (EF-ANBs) irrigation on efficient crop cultivation with reduced fertilizer dependency. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 362:121228. [PMID: 38823304 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
The advent of air nanobubbles (ANBs) has opened up a wide range of commercial applications spanning industries including wastewater treatment, food processing, biomedical engineering, and agriculture. The implementation of electric field-based air nanobubbles (EF-ANBs) irrigation presents a promising approach to enhance agricultural crop efficiency, concurrently promoting environmentally sustainable practices through reducing fertilizer usage. This study investigated the impact of EF-ANBs on the germination and overall growth of agricultural crops in soil. Results indicate a substantial enhancement in both germination rates and plant growth upon the application of EF-ANBs. Notably, the introduction of ANBs led to a significant enhancement in the germination rate of lettuce and basil, increasing from approximately 20% to 96% and from 16% to 53%, respectively over two days. Moreover, the presence of EF-ANBs facilitates superior hypocotyl elongation, exhibiting a 2.8- and a 1.6-fold increase in the elongation of lettuce and basil, respectively, over a six-day observation period. The enriched oxygen levels within the air nanobubbles expedite aerobic respiration, amplifying electron leakage from the electron transport chain (ETC) and resulting in heightened reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, playing a pivotal role in stimulating growth signaling. Furthermore, the application of EF-ANBs in irrigation surpasses the impact of traditional fertilizers, demonstrating a robust catalytic effect on the shoot, stem, and root length, as well as the leaf count of lettuce plants. Considering these parameters, a single fertilizer treatment (at various concentrations) during EF-ANBs administration, demonstrates superior plant growth compared to regular water combined with fertilizer. The findings underscore the synergistic interaction between aerobic respiration and the generation of ROS in promoting plant growth, particularly in the context of reduced fertilizer levels facilitated by the presence of EF-ANBs. This promising correlation holds significant potential in establishing more sustainability for ever-increasing environmentally conscious agriculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marziyeh Jannesari
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Anna Caslin
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Niall J English
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8, Dublin, Ireland.
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2
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Kirk L, Compton JE, Neale A, Sabo RD, Christensen J. Our national nutrient reduction needs: Applying a conservation prioritization framework to US agricultural lands. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 351:119758. [PMID: 38086118 PMCID: PMC10851882 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Targeted conservation approaches seek to focus resources on areas where they can deliver the greatest benefits and are recognized as key to reducing nonpoint source nutrients from agricultural landscapes into sensitive receiving waters. Moreover, there is growing recognition of the importance and complementarity of in-field and edge-of-field conservation for reaching nutrient reduction goals. Here we provide a generic prioritization that can help with spatial targeting and applied it across the conterminous US (CONUS). The prioritization begins with identifying areas with high agricultural nutrient surplus, i.e., where the most nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) inputs are left on the landscape after crop harvest. Subwatersheds with high surplus included 52% and 50% of CONUS subwatersheds for N and P, respectively, and were located predominantly in the Midwest for N, in the South for P, and in California for both N and P. Then we identified the most suitable conservation strategies using a hierarchy of metrics including nutrient use efficiency (proportion of new nutrient inputs removed by crop harvest), tile drainage, existing buffers for agricultural run-off, and wetland restoration potential. In-field nutrient input reduction emerged as a priority because nutrient use efficiency fell below a high but achievable goal of 0.7 (30% of nutrients applied are not utilized) in 45% and 44% of CONUS subwatersheds for N and P, respectively. In many parts of the southern and western US, in-field conservation (i.e., reducing inputs + preventing nutrients from leaving fields) alone was likely the optimal strategy as agriculture was already well-buffered. However, stacking in-field conservation with additional edge-of-field buffering would be important to conservation strategies in 35% and 29% of CONUS subwatersheds for N and P, respectively. Nutrient use efficiencies were often high enough in the Midwest that proposed strategies focused more on preventing nutrients from leaving fields, managing tile effluent, and buffering agricultural fields. Almost all major river basins would benefit from a variety of nutrient reduction conservation strategies, underscoring the potential of targeted approaches to help limit excess nutrients in surface and ground waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Kirk
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education - US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 109 T.W. Alexander Drive, Durham, NC, 27709, USA.
| | - Jana E Compton
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR, 97330, USA
| | - Anne Neale
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Public Health and Environmental Systems Division, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Robert D Sabo
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Health and Environmental Effects Division, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jay Christensen
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Watershed and Ecosystem Characterization Division, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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3
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Bian Z, Tian H, Pan S, Shi H, Lu C, Anderson C, Cai WJ, Hopkinson CS, Justic D, Kalin L, Lohrenz S, McNulty S, Pan N, Sun G, Wang Z, Yao Y, You Y. Soil legacy nutrients contribute to the decreasing stoichiometric ratio of N and P loading from the Mississippi River Basin. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:7145-7158. [PMID: 37815418 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Human-induced nitrogen-phosphorus (N, P) imbalance in terrestrial ecosystems can lead to disproportionate N and P loading to aquatic ecosystems, subsequently shifting the elemental ratio in estuaries and coastal oceans and impacting both the structure and functioning of aquatic ecosystems. The N:P ratio of nutrient loading to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River Basin increased before the late 1980s driven by the enhanced usage of N fertilizer over P fertilizer, whereafter the N:P loading ratio started to decrease although the N:P ratio of fertilizer application did not exhibit a similar trend. Here, we hypothesize that different release rates of soil legacy nutrients might contribute to the decreasing N:P loading ratio. Our study used a data-model integration framework to evaluate N and P dynamics and the potential for long-term accumulation or release of internal soil nutrient legacy stores to alter the ratio of N and P transported down the rivers. We show that the longer residence time of P in terrestrial ecosystems results in a much slower release of P to coastal oceans than N. If contemporary nutrient sources were reduced or suspended, P loading sustained by soil legacy P would decrease much slower than that of N, causing a decrease in the N and P loading ratio. The longer residence time of P in terrestrial ecosystems and the increasingly important role of soil legacy nutrients as a loading source may explain the decreasing N:P loading ratio in the Mississippi River Basin. Our study underscores a promising prospect for N loading control and the urgency to integrate soil P legacy into sustainable nutrient management strategies for aquatic ecosystem health and water security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Bian
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- School of Geography Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hanqin Tian
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shufen Pan
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Department of Engineering and Environmental Studies Program, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hao Shi
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chaoqun Lu
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Christopher Anderson
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Wei-Jun Cai
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | | | - Dubravko Justic
- College of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Latif Kalin
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Steven Lohrenz
- School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Steven McNulty
- Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, Southern Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Naiqing Pan
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ge Sun
- Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, Southern Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zhuonan Wang
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Yuanzhi Yao
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongfa You
- College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
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Feng W, Lu H, Kang J, Yan P, Yao T, Guan Y, Jiang C, He M, Xue Y, Yu Q, Yan Y. Optimized multilateral crop trade patterns can effectively mitigate phosphorus imbalance among the involved countries. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 870:161841. [PMID: 36720395 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus imbalance for cropland can greatly influence environmental quality and productivity of agricultural systems. Resolving cropland phosphorus imbalance may be possible with more efficient multilateral crop trade within the involved trading countries; however, the driving mechanisms are unclear. This study calculates phosphorus budgets in China and five central Asian countries and proposes two optimal multilateral crop trade models to mitigate the phosphorus imbalance. Results show that the current trading pattern between China and Central Asia is causing a phosphorus imbalance intensification. Phosphorus surpluses in China and Uzbekistan are 41.7 and 8.9 kg/ha, while Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan exhibit phosphorus deficits with the negative value of -0.7, -1.2, -0.8, and -0.8 kg/ha, respectively. However, under the optimal multilateral crop trade patterns, phosphorus budget of China and Central Asia will become balanced. Phosphorus imbalance intensification for China is reduced to -2525 and -2472 kt under the single- and bilevel-objective-based crop trades. In Kyrgyzstan, it will drop 61.5 % and 50.0 % and change to 321 and 417 kt under the two optimal crop trades. Moreover, changes of phosphorus imbalance mitigations for other central Asian countries range from 11.9 % to 28.2 %. This provides a scientific basis when establishing policies for strengthening optimal multilateral crop trading across the world to promote global phosphorus management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Feng
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwei Lu
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Jiajie Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Pengdong Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianci Yao
- Guangzhou Institute of Geography, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanlong Guan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunfang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mengxi He
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Engineering Simulation and Safety, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuxuan Xue
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Yan
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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5
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Ruffatto K, Emaminejad SA, Juneja A, Kurambhatti C, Margenot A, Singh V, Cusick RD. Mapping the National Phosphorus Recovery Potential from Centralized Wastewater and Corn Ethanol Infrastructure. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:8691-8701. [PMID: 35617125 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic discharge of excess phosphorus (P) to water bodies and increasingly stringent discharge limits have fostered interest in quantifying opportunities for P recovery and reuse. To date, geospatial estimates of P recovery potential in the United States (US) have used human and livestock population data, which do not capture the engineering constraints of P removal from centralized water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) and corn ethanol biorefineries where P is concentrated in coproduct animal feeds. Here, renewable P (rP) estimates from plant-wide process models were used to create a geospatial inventory of recovery potential for centralized WRRFs and biorefineries, revealing that individual corn ethanol biorefineries can generate on average 3 orders of magnitude more rP than WRRFs per site, and all corn ethanol biorefineries can generate nearly double the total rP of WRRFs across the US. The Midwestern states that make up the Corn Belt have the largest potential for P recovery and reuse from both corn biorefineries and WRRFs with a high degree of co-location with agricultural P consumption, indicating the untapped potential for a circular P economy in this globally significant grain-producing region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Ruffatto
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Seyed Aryan Emaminejad
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Ankita Juneja
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1304 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Chinmay Kurambhatti
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1304 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Andrew Margenot
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S. Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Vijay Singh
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1304 W. Pennsylvania Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Roland D Cusick
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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6
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Sabo RD, Sullivan B, Wu C, Trentacoste E, Zhang Q, Shenk GW, Bhatt G, Linker LC. Major point and nonpoint sources of nutrient pollution to surface water have declined throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 4:1-11. [PMID: 37089436 PMCID: PMC10116850 DOI: 10.1088/2515-7620/ac5db6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding drivers of water quality in local watersheds is the first step for implementing targeted restoration practices. Nutrient inventories can inform water quality management decisions by identifying shifts in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) balances over space and time while also keeping track of the likely urban and agricultural point and nonpoint sources of pollution. The Chesapeake Bay Program's Chesapeake Assessment Scenario Tool (CAST) provides N and P balance data for counties throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and these data were leveraged to create a detailed nutrient inventory for all the counties in the watershed from 1985-2019. This study focuses on three primary watershed nutrient balance components-agricultural surplus, atmospheric deposition, and point source loads-which are thought to be the leading anthropogenic drivers of nutrient loading trends across the watershed. All inputs, outputs, and derived metrics (n=53) like agricultural surplus and nutrient use efficiency, were subjected to short- and long-term trend analyses to discern how sources of pollution to surface water have changed over time. Across the watershed from 1985-2019, downward trends in atmospheric deposition were ubiquitous. Though there are varying effects, long-term declines in agricultural surplus were observed, likely because nutrients are being managed more efficiently. Multiple counties' point source loads declined, primarily associated with upgrades at major cities that discharge treated wastewater directly to tidal waters. Despite all of these positive developments, recent increases in agricultural surpluses from 2009-2019 highlight that water quality gains may soon be reversed in many agricultural areas of the basin. Besides tracking progress and jurisdictional influence on pollution sources, the nutrient inventory can be used for retrospective water quality analysis to highlight drivers of past improvement/degradation of water quality trends and for decision makers to develop and track their near- and long-term watershed restoration strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Sabo
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Breck Sullivan
- U.S. Geological Survey, Chesapeake Research Consortium, Chesapeake Bay Program Office, Annapolis, MD, United States of America
| | - Cuiyin Wu
- ERT, Inc., Laurel, MD, United States of America
| | - Emily Trentacoste
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Immediate Office of the Assistant Administrator, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Qian Zhang
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Chesapeake Bay Program Office, Annapolis, MD, United States of America
| | - Gary W Shenk
- U.S. Geological Survey, Chesapeake Bay Program Office, Annapolis, MD, United States of America
| | - Gopal Bhatt
- Pennsylvania State University, Chesapeake Bay Program Office, Annapolis, MD, United States of America
| | - Lewis C Linker
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Immediate Office of the Assistant Administrator, Washington, DC, United States of America
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Wang Y, Wang S, Sun J, Dai H, Zhang B, Xiang W, Hu Z, Li P, Yang J, Zhang W. Nanobubbles promote nutrient utilization and plant growth in rice by upregulating nutrient uptake genes and stimulating growth hormone production. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 800:149627. [PMID: 34426308 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Excessive application of chemical fertilizers can lead to serious environmental problems. In this study, we explored the use of nanobubble water for irrigation of crop rice as a means of reducing fertilizer use. The effect of nanobubbles on plant growth and nutrient uptake was evaluated in the laboratory, while crop yield and the efficiency of fertilizer use were evaluated in a field study. The laboratory experiments indicated that nanobubbles significantly improve plant height and root length in rice seedlings. Nanobubble treatment stimulated synthesis of the growth hormone gibberellin and upregulated the plant nutrient absorption genes OsBT, PiT-1 and SKOR, resulting in increased nutrient uptake and utilization by the roots. The field experiments verified the laboratory observations, showing that nanobubble treatment significantly increases rice yield by almost 8% when using similar levels of fertilizer as controls. Moreover, the same yield as controls was achieved with approximately 25% less fertilizer. As well as their impact on growth hormones and nutrient absorption genes, nanobubbles, due to hydrophobic and surface charge properties, enhance the release and absorption of soil nutrients, thereby reducing fertilizer demand. Overall, this study highlights a new and sustainable water irrigation strategy for enhancing crop yield and reducing chemical fertilizer waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Research Center for Ecological Science and Technology, Fudan Zhangjiang Institute, 351 Guoshoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China; Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China.
| | - Shuo Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jingjing Sun
- Shanghai Jincui Agriculture Company, Jinyang Road, Yangwan Village, Shanghai 201718, China
| | - Hengren Dai
- Shanghai Jincui Agriculture Company, Jinyang Road, Yangwan Village, Shanghai 201718, China
| | - Beijun Zhang
- Shanghai Jincui Agriculture Company, Jinyang Road, Yangwan Village, Shanghai 201718, China
| | - Weidong Xiang
- Research Center for Ecological Science and Technology, Fudan Zhangjiang Institute, 351 Guoshoujing Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zixin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China; Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, 825 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Pan Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Jinshui Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 2005 Songhu Road, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, United States
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8
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Lin J, Compton JE, Hill RA, Herlihy A, Sabo RD, Brooks JR, Weber M, Pickard B, Paulsen S, Stoddard JL. Context is Everything: Interacting Inputs and Landscape Characteristics Control Stream Nitrogen. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:7890-7899. [PMID: 34060819 PMCID: PMC8673309 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
To understand the environmental and anthropogenic drivers of stream nitrogen (N) concentrations across the conterminous US, we combined summer low-flow data from 4997 streams with watershed information across three survey periods (2000-2014) of the US EPA's National Rivers and Streams Assessment. Watershed N inputs explained 51% of the variation in log-transformed stream total N (TN) concentrations. Both N source and input rates influenced stream NO3/TN ratios and N concentrations. Streams dominated by oxidized N forms (NO3/TN ratio > 0.50) were more strongly responsive to the N input rate compared to streams dominated by other N forms. NO3 proportional contribution increased with N inputs, supporting N saturation-enhanced NO3 export to aquatic ecosystems. By combining information about N inputs with climatic and landscape factors, random forest models of stream N concentrations explained 70, 58, and 60% of the spatial variation in stream concentrations of TN, dissolved inorganic N, and total organic N, respectively. The strength and direction of relationships between watershed drivers and stream N concentrations and forms varied with N input intensity. Model results for high N input watersheds not only indicated potential contributions from contaminated groundwater to high stream N concentrations but also the mitigating role of wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Lin
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Corvallis, OR 97333
| | - Jana E. Compton
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333
| | - Ryan A. Hill
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333
| | - Alan Herlihy
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333
- Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Corvallis, OR 97333
| | - Robert D. Sabo
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, HEEAD, Washington, DC 20004
| | - J. Renée Brooks
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333
| | - Marc Weber
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333
| | | | - Steve Paulsen
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333
| | - John L. Stoddard
- US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, Corvallis, OR 97333
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9
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Sabo RD, Clark CM, Compton JE. Considerations when using nutrient inventories to prioritize water quality improvement efforts across the US. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 3:1-13. [PMID: 36457483 PMCID: PMC9709726 DOI: 10.1088/2515-7620/abf296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing water quality degradation tied to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution results in significant economic damages by diminishing the recreational value of surface water and compromising fisheries. Progress in decreasing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to surface water over the past two decades has been slow. Limited resources need to be leveraged efficiently and effectively to prioritize watersheds for restoration. Leveraging recent nitrogen and phosphorus inventories for the years 2002, 2007, and 2012, we extracted relevant flux and demand terms to help identify US subbasins that are likely contributing a disproportionate amount of point and non-point source nutrient pollution to surface water by exploring the mean spatial distribution of terrestrial anthropogenic surplus, agricultural surplus, agricultural nutrient use efficiency, and point source loads. A small proportion of the landscape, <25% of subbasin area of the United States, contains 50% of anthropogenic and agriculture nitrogen and phosphorus surplus while only 2% of landscape contributes >50% of point source loads into surface water. Point source loads are mainly concentrated in urban areas across the country with point source loading rates often exceeding >10.0 kg N ha-1 yr-1 and >1.0 kg P ha-1 yr-1. However, the ability for future upgrades to wastewater treatment plant infrastructure alone is unlikely to drive further improvement in water quality, outside of local water ways, since point source loads only account for ~4% of anthropogenic N and P surplus. As such, further progress in boosting nutrient use efficiency in agricultural production, usually lowest in areas of intensive livestock production, would likely contribute to the biggest gains to water quality restoration goals. This analysis and the corresponding database integrate multiple streams of information to highlight areas where N and P are being managed inefficiently to give decision makers a succinct platform to identify likely areas and sources of water quality degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Sabo
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Christopher M Clark
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Jana E Compton
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
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10
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Sabo RD, Clark CM, Gibbs DA, Metson GS, Todd MJ, LeDuc SD, Greiner D, Fry MM, Polinsky R, Yang Q, Tian H, Compton JE. Phosphorus Inventory for the Conterminous United States (2002-2012). JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. BIOGEOSCIENCES 2021; 126:1-21. [PMID: 37089664 PMCID: PMC10116864 DOI: 10.1029/2020jg005684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Published reports suggest efforts designed to prevent the occurrence of harmful algal blooms and hypoxia by reducing non-point and point source phosphorus (P) pollution are not delivering water quality improvements in many areas. Part of the uncertainty in evaluating watershed responses to management practices is the lack of standardized estimates of phosphorus inputs and outputs. To assess P trends across the conterminous United States, we compiled an inventory using publicly available datasets of agricultural P fluxes, atmospheric P deposition, human P demand and waste, and point source discharges for 2002, 2007, and 2012 at the scale of the 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code subbasin (~1,800 km2). Estimates of agricultural legacy P surplus accumulated from 1945 to 2001 were also developed. Fertilizer and manure inputs were found to exceed crop removal rates by up to 50% in many agricultural regions. This excess in inputs has led to the continued accumulation of legacy P in agricultural lands. Atmospheric P deposition increased throughout the Rockies, potentially contributing to reported increases in surface water P concentrations in undisturbed watersheds. In some urban areas, P fluxes associated with human waste and non-farm fertilizer use has declined despite population growth, likely due, in part, to various sales bans on P-containing detergents and fertilizers. Although regions and individual subbasins have different contemporary and legacy P sources, a standardized method of accounting for large and small fluxes and ready to use inventory numbers provide essential infromation to coordinate targeted interventions to reduce P concentrations in the nation's waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Sabo
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Christopher M Clark
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Geneviève S Metson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - M Jason Todd
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Stephen D LeDuc
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Diana Greiner
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. EPA, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Meridith M Fry
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Robyn Polinsky
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. EPA, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Qichun Yang
- Pacific Northwest National Lab, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Hanqin Tian
- International Center for Climate and Global Change Research, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Jana E Compton
- Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Liao R, Hu J, Li Y, Li S. Phosphorus transport in riverbed sediments and related adsorption and desorption characteristics in the Beiyun River, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 266:115153. [PMID: 32663633 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Riverbed sediments are the interface layer in riverine ecosystems connecting the overlying medium of water and the vadose zone. The transport behavior of phosphorus (P), which has been recognized as the primary cause of freshwater eutrophication, in riverbed sediments remains unclear. Understanding the impact of riverbed sediments on P transport is a necessary prerequisite for the development of appropriate strategies to reduce potential groundwater pollution. In this study, riverbed sediments were collected from the upstream, midstream, and downstream sections of the Beiyun River, China, and packed into vertical soil columns to perform leaching experiments to quantify P transport characteristics. In addition, the impact mechanisms were further explored by conducting laboratory batch tests of P adsorption and desorption. The results demonstrated that approximately 80% of P can be adsorbed by riverbed sediments in soil column leaching experiment, and a tailing phenomenon was observed in its desorption. The hydraulic conductivity properties of riverbed sediments were evaluated by the advection-dispersion equation, showing a gradually decreasing adsorption capacity for P from upstream to downstream sections, which was supported by the results obtained from adsorption-desorption thermodynamic and kinetic batch tests. The estimated annual leaching masses of P increased from 60.72 g/(m2 a) in the upstream section to 132.31 g/(m2 a) in the downstream section. The role of riverbed sediments as a source or sink of P is possibly determined by their coarse sand particles content, and the mean equilibrium P concentration (EPC0). The competitive relationship between P and other forms of nutrients also has an important influence on its source-sink role. These findings suggest that the prevention of the potential P leaching is most needed in the downstream sections of Beiyun River, and corresponding control strategies should be developed to avoid groundwater pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renkuan Liao
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Jieyun Hu
- College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Yunkai Li
- College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Shuqin Li
- College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, PR China.
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Metson GS, Lin J, Harrison JA, Compton JE. Where Have All the Nutrients Gone? Long-Term Decoupling of Inputs and Outputs in the Willamette River Watershed, Oregon, United States. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. BIOGEOSCIENCES 2020; 125:1-16. [PMID: 36158138 PMCID: PMC9504559 DOI: 10.1029/2020jg005792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Better documentation and understanding of long-term temporal dynamics of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in watersheds is necessary to support effective water quality management, in part because studies have identified time lags between terrestrial nutrient balances and water quality. We present annual time series data from 1969 to 2012 for terrestrial N and P sources and monthly data from 1972 to 2013 for river N and P for the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, United States. Inputs to the watershed increased by factors of 3 for N and 1.2 for P. Synthetic fertilizer inputs increased in total and relative importance over time, while sewage inputs decreased. For N, increased fertilizer application was not matched by a proportionate increase in crop harvest; N use efficiency decreased from 69% to 38%. P use efficiency increased from 52% to 67%. As nutrient inputs to terrestrial systems increased, river concentrations and loads of total N, total P, and dissolved inorganic P decreased, and annual nutrient loads were strongly related to discharge. The N:P ratio of both sewage and fertilizer doubled over time but there was no similar trend in riverine export; river N:P concentrations declined dramatically during storms. River nutrient export over time was related to hydrology and waste discharge, with relatively little influence of watershed balances, suggesting that accumulation within soils or groundwater over time is mediating watershed export. Simply managing yearly nutrient balances is unlikely to improve water quality; rather, many factors must be considered, including soil and groundwater storage capacity, and gaseous loss pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve S Metson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- National Research Council, National Academies of Science, Washington, DC, USA
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, USA
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - Jiajia Lin
- National Research Council, National Academies of Science, Washington, DC, USA
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - John A Harrison
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, USA
| | - Jana E Compton
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Swaney DP, Howarth RW. County, subregional and regional phosphorus data derived from the net anthropogenic nitrogen/phosphorus inputs (NANI/NAPI) toolbox. Data Brief 2019; 25:104265. [PMID: 31453283 PMCID: PMC6700556 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The data presented here represent estimates of the phosphorus content of crop production, phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) and agricultural phosphorus inputs associated with it across the contiguous United States. Net Anthropogenic Phosphorus Input (NAPI) estimates and related data are also provided. Data are presented at county, sub-regional and regional scales. Here, subregions refer to multi-county areas delineated with the goal of obtaining more uniform reporting areas than individual counties. Regions refer to the USDA Farm Resource Regions. The data are reported for 6 agricultural census years, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007 and 2012. Estimates of the variables were derived originally from USDA agricultural census data, US population census data, and other sources, using version 3.1 of the NANI/NAPI calculator toolbox (Hong et al., 2011).
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