Balaji Seshadri

Uses and management of poultry litter

The poultry industry is one of the largest and fastest growing agro-based industries in the world. This can be attributed to an increasing demand for poultry meat and egg products. However, a major problem facing the poultry industry is the large-scale accumulation of wastes including manure and litter which may pose disposal and pollution problems unless environmentally and economically sustainable management technologies are evolved. Most of the litter produced by the poultry industry is currently applied to agricultural land as a source of nutrients and soil amendment. However environmental pollution, resulting from nutrient and contaminant leaching can occur when poultry litter is applied under soil and climatic conditions that do not favour agronomic utilisation of the manure-borne nutrients. This review examines the composition of poultry litter in relation to nutrient content and environmental contaminants, its value as a nutrient source, soil amendment, animal feed and fuel source, and cost-effective innovative technologies for improving its value. Poultry litter provides a major source of nitrogen, phosphorus and trace elements for crop production and is effective in improving physical and biological fertility, indicating that land application remains as the main option for the utilisation of this valuable resource. The alternative use of poultry litter; as an animal feed and fuel source, is limited by contaminants, and high moisture content, respectively. The review proposes best management practices to mitigate environmental consequences associated with air and water quality parameters that are impacted by land application in order to maintain the continued productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the poultry industry.

Remediation of arsenic-contaminated water using agricultural wastes as biosorbents

ABSTRACT Arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater reservoirs is a global environmental and health issue given to its toxic and carcinogenic nature. Over 170 million people have been affected by As due to the ingestion of As-contaminated groundwater. Conventional methods such as reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and electrodialysis are commonly used for the remediation of As-contaminated water; however, the high cost and sludge production put limitations on their application to remove As from water. This review critically addresses the use of various agricultural waste materials (e.g., sugarcane bagasse, peels of various fruits, wheat straw) as biosorbents, thereby offering an eco-friendly and low-cost solution for the removal of As from contaminated water supplies. The effect of solution chemistry such as solution pH, cations, anions, organic ligands, and various other factors (e.g., temperature, contact time, sorbent dose) on As biosorption, and safe disposal methods for As-loaded biosorbents to reduce secondary As contamination are also discussed.

Landfills as a biorefinery to produce biomass and capture biogas.

While landfilling provides a simple and economic means of waste disposal, it causes environmental impacts including leachate generation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With the introduction of gas recovery systems, landfills provide a potential source of methane (CH4) as a fuel source. Increasingly revegetation is practiced on traditionally managed landfill sites to mitigate environmental degradation, which also provides a source of biomass for energy production. Combustion of landfill gas for energy production contributes to GHG emission reduction mainly by preventing the release of CH4 into the atmosphere. Biomass from landfill sites can be converted to bioenergy through various processes including pyrolysis, liquefaction and gasification. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the role of landfills as a biorefinery site by focusing on the potential volumes of CH4 and biomass produced from landfills, the various methods of biomass energy conversion, and the opportunities and limitations of energy capture from landfills.

The role of coal combustion products in managing the bioavailability of nutrients and heavy metals in soils.

Coal provides the primary source of energy for many countries including Asia, South America, North America and Europe, and large quantities of waste products are produced during the combustion of coal in coal-fired power stations. This review paper gives an overview of the various types of coal combustion products (CCPs) and their utilization in various sectors, with a particular emphasis on the role of CCPs in managing the bioavailability of nutrients and heavy metals in relation to enhancing soil chemical fertility and mitigating metal contaminated soils. Currently, CCPs are used extensively in agricultural and construction industries. In agricultural industries, they are used primarily as an amendment to improve the physical and chemical properties of soil, as a source of liming material to ameliorate soil acidity and as a nutrient source to supply calcium and sulphur. In the construction industry, they are used mainly as a source of concrete, roofing material and road surface sealing. Increasingly, CCPs are used in the remediation of contaminated environments including control of acid mine drainage, mitigating phosphorus leaching in farm lands and immobilization of toxic metals in mine sites and agricultural soils.

Rhizosphere-induced heavy metal(loid) transformation in relation to bioavailability and remediation

Soil is the sink and source of heavy metals (both geogenic and anthropogenic) and plants are the ecosystem regulators, balancing the chemistry of life on earth. However, roots are the only connection between soil and plants, which are the real engineers of ecosystem dynamics responsible for environmental balance and stability. The plant-soil interface termed as ‘rhizosphere’ is a typical zone of soil where the physical, chemical and biological characteristics are different from bulk soil (outside the rhizosphere region). This is mainly controlled by physiological response from plants to the environmental changes through exudation of chemicals from root region and the cascade of chemical (changes in pH and redox potential, release of anions and nutrient transformation) and biological (microbial association) events that follow. The other adaptive mechanisms include root length and area as affected by temperature, moisture and nutrient content of the soil. In the recent years, advanced technologies have lead to significant findings at the micro-level in rhizosphere research, targeting the role of root-soil interface towards nutrient availability and agricultural productivity. However, with increasing human activities (including agriculture), undesirable quantites of heavy metals are being added to the environment thereby resulting in soil contamination. This review will discuss in detail on the processes involved in the (im)mobilisation of heavy metals in and around the root region as affected by chemical (pH and root exudates) and biological (microorganisms) components.

Bioavailability and ecotoxicity of arsenic species in solution culture and soil system: implications to remediation

In this work, bioavailability and ecotoxicity of arsenite (As(III)) and arsenate (As(V)) species were compared between solution culture and soil system. Firstly, the adsorption of As(III) and As(V) was compared using a number of non-allophanic and allophanic soils. Secondly, the bioavailability and ecotoxicity were examined using germination, phytoavailability, earthworm, and soil microbial activity tests. Both As-spiked soils and As-contaminated sheep dip soils were used to test bioavailability and ecotoxicity. The sheep dip soil which contained predominantly As(V) species was subject to flooding to reduce As(V) to As(III) and then used along with the control treatment soil to compare the bioavailability between As species. Adsorption of As(V) was much higher than that of As(III), and the difference in adsorption between these two species was more pronounced in the allophanic than non-allophanic soils. In the solution culture, there was no significant difference in bioavailability and ecotoxicity, as measured by germination and phytoavailability tests, between these two As species. Whereas in the As-spiked soils, the bioavailability and ecotoxicity were higher for As(III) than As(V), and the difference was more pronounced in the allophanic than non-allophanic soils. Bioavailability of As increased with the flooding of the sheep dip soils which may be attributed to the reduction of As(V) to As(III) species. The results in this study have demonstrated that while in solution, the bioavailability and ecotoxicity do not vary between As(III) and As(V), in soils, the latter species is less bioavailable than the former species because As(V) is more strongly retained than As(III). Since the bioavailability and ecotoxicity of As depend on the nature of As species present in the environment, risk-based remediation approach should aim at controlling the dynamics of As transformation.

Potential value of phosphate compounds in enhancing immobilization and reducing bioavailability of mixed heavy metal contaminants in shooting range soil

Shooting range soils contain mixed heavy metal contaminants including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and zinc (Zn). Phosphate (P) compounds have been used to immobilize these metals, particularly Pb, thereby reducing their bioavailability. However, research on immobilization of Pbs co-contaminants showed the relative importance of soluble and insoluble P compounds, which is critical in evaluating the overall success of in situ stabilization practice in the sustainable remediation of mixed heavy metal contaminated soils. Soluble synthetic P fertilizer (diammonium phosphate; DAP) and reactive (Sechura; SPR) and unreactive (Christmas Island; CPR) natural phosphate rocks (PR) were tested for Cd, Pb and Zn immobilization and later their mobility and bioavailability in a shooting range soil. The addition of P compounds resulted in the immobilization of Cd, Pb and Zn by 1.56-76.2%, 3.21-83.56%, and 2.31-74.6%, respectively. The reactive SPR significantly reduced Cd, Pb and Zn leaching while soluble DAP increased their leachate concentrations. The SPR reduced the bioaccumulation of Cd, Pb and Zn in earthworms by 7.13-23.4% and 14.3-54.6% in comparison with earthworms in the DAP and control treatment, respectively. Bioaccessible Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations as determined using a simplified bioaccessibility extraction test showed higher long-term stability of P-immobilized Pb and Zn than Cd. The differential effect of P-induced immobilization between P compounds and metals is due to the variation in the solubility characteristics of P compounds and nature of metal phosphate compounds formed. Therefore, Pb and Zn immobilization by P compounds is an effective long-term remediation strategy for mixed heavy metal contaminated soils.

Chemodynamics of chromium reduction in soils: Implications to bioavailability

Chromium toxicity in soils can be mitigated by reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) which is influenced by the presence of free Cr(VI) species in soil solution, and the supply of protons and electrons. In this study, the effects of Cr(VI) adsorption (i.e. availability of free Cr(VI) species in soil solution), soil pH (i.e. supply of protons) and three electron donor carbon sources [black carbon (BC), chicken manure biochar (CMB) and cow manure (CM)] on the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in soils were investigated. The results indicated that the rate of Cr(VI) reduction decreased with an increase in Cr(VI) adsorption and soil pH, which is attributed to decreased supply of free Cr(VI) ions and protons, respectively. Among the three different amendments tested, BC showed the highest rate of Cr(VI) reduction followed by CM and CMB. Furthermore, addition of BC, CM and CMB decreased the bioavailability of Cr(VI) in contaminated soils. The high efficiency of BC on Cr(VI) reduction was due to the electron donors functional groups such as phenolic, hydroxyl, carbonyl and amides. The study demonstrated that free form of Cr(VI) ions in soil solution and carbon amendments enriched with acidic functional groups favored the reduction of Cr(VI), thereby mitigating its bioavailability and toxicity in contaminated soils.

Impact of wastewater derived dissolved organic carbon on reduction, mobility, and bioavailability of As(V) and Cr(VI) in contaminated soils.

In this work, the effects of various wastewater sources (storm water, sewage effluent, piggery effluent, and dairy effluent) on the reduction, and subsequent mobility and bioavailability of arsenate [As(V)] and chromate [Cr(VI)] were compared using both spiked and field contaminated soils. Wastewater addition to soil can increase the supply of carbon, nutrients, and stimulation of microorganisms which are considered to be important factors enhancing the reduction of metal(loid)s including As and Cr. The wastewater-induced mobility and bioavailability of As(V) and Cr(VI) were examined using leaching, earthworm, and soil microbial activity tests. The rate of reduction of As(V) was much less than that of Cr(VI) both in the presence and absence of wastewater addition. Wastewater addition increased the reduction of both As(V) and Cr(VI) compared to the control (Milli-Q water) and the effect was more pronounced in the case of Cr(VI). The leaching experiment indicated that Cr(VI) was more mobile than As(V). Wastewater addition increased the mobility and bioavailability of As(V), but had an opposite effect on Cr(VI). The difference in the mobility and bioavailability of Cr(VI) and As(V) between wastewater sources can be attributed to the difference in their dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content. The DOC provides carbon as an electron donor for the reduction of As(V) and Cr(VI) and also serves as a complexing agent thereby impacting their mobility and bioavailability. The DOC-induced reduction increased both the mobility and bioavailability of As, but it caused an opposite effect in the case of Cr.

Differential effect of coal combustion products on the bioavailability of phosphorus between inorganic and organic nutrient sources

In farming systems, all the applied phosphorus (P) is not available to plants because they are either adsorbed in soil or lost to the environment through leaching or runoff. The effect of coal combustion products (CCPs) for enhancing the bioavailability of applied phosphorus (P) in soil was examined separately for inorganic (KH2PO4 - PP) and organic (poultry manure - PM) P treatments, where fluidised bed combustion (FBC) ash emerged as the most effective amendment. Greenhouse study was conducted by growing mustard plants on FBC amended soils under leaching and non-leaching setups. The FBC increased the biomass yield for organic P treatments in the first crop and increased for both inorganic and organic P in the second cropping. The increase in cumulative yield was highest in leached PP and unleached PM treatments. Field experiment assessed the effectiveness of FBC on inorganic (single super phosphate - SSP) and organic P (biosolids - BS) uptake by mustard and sunflower plants. In the first cropping, the yield was higher in crops treated with SSP alone. In the second crop, yields were higher in the presence than absence of FBC, as reflected by the high relative agronomic effectiveness (RAE) exhibited by BS+FBC (462%) combination. Overall, FBC used in these experiments enhanced bioavailability of P in soil through adsorption and mineralisation of inorganic and organic P, respectively as evident from phosphatase activity and Olsen P relationship. Hence the differential effect of CCPs has not only decreased the loss of applied P (from inorganic and organic sources) to the environment, but also enhanced the P bioavailability in the soil. Among the three CCPs used in the preliminary experiments, FBC proved to perform better than the other two and hence can be recommended for agricultural and environmental applications targeting P issues.