Biosolids‐Amended Soils: Part II. Chemical Lability as a Measure of Contaminant Bioaccessability

Abstract

Biosolids recycling by amending agricultural soils has increased significantly over the last few decades. The presence of contaminants in small, bioavailable quantities has generated concerns about health threats resulting from accumulation of potential toxins in the food chain. In this study, land application of biosolids was evaluated for environmental risk. Chemical lability tests for metals were used for the test soils and included analyses for water soluble, exchangeable, and metals extractable by the physiologically based extraction test. Chemical extractions detected slight increases in labile metal concentrations for many of the treated soils, particularly those receiving long‐term applications of 5 years or more. Significantly higher metal concentrations were observed in the soils that had been exposed to biosolids before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Washington, D.C.) 503 Rule (U.S. EPA, 2004) was implemented.

Insolubility of Cr2O3in Bioaccessibility Tests Points to Requirement for a New Human Oral Reference Dose for Trivalent Chromium

“…The low Cr 2 O 3 bioaccessibility is substantially lower than the bioaccessibility of chromium in soil reported by others, although at generally <10% (range of 0-21%) (Schwab et al 2006;Madrid et al 2008;Broadway et al 2010), chromium soil bioaccessibility is lower than that of some other elements. The soils and marsh sediments from the brownfield site in the present study had chromium bioaccessibility values <9% (Table 2), which is similar to literature findings.…”

Bioinformatics Relevance in Biotechnology

“…A molecule is said to be bioavailable when "it is available to cross an organism's cellular membrane from the environment, if the organism has access to the chemical" [1]. In present day studies the presence of contaminants in small, bioavailable quantities has generated concerns about health threats resulting from accumulation of potential toxins in the food chain [2]. and also in mining industries, where bioaccessibility tests have not yet been conducted on those materials, which is essential for better health risk estimates [3].…”

Biosolids and Sludge Management

“…This study suggests that land-applied biosolids do not pose a threat to human and animal health or the environment from a radioactivity standpoint. Schwab et al (2006) revealed slight increases in metal concentrations for many of the biosolids-treated soils, particularly those receiving long-term applications of 5 years or more. Higher metal concentrations were found in the soils that received biosolids prior to the USEPA 503…”