Elsevier

Geoderma

Volumes 173–174, March 2012, Pages 224-230
Geoderma

Cadmium bioavailability in surface soils receiving long-term applications of inorganic fertilizers and pig manure

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2011.12.003Get rights and content

Abstract

Long-term field experiments were established in 1990 at two sites, one in northeast (17 years) and the other in south China (16 years) to better understand the effects of pig manure and inorganic fertilizers on heavy metal accumulation in soil. Experimental treatments were NPK and SNPK (Straw + NPK) fertilizers and two application rates of pig manure plus NPK at the site in northeast China and NK, NP, NK and PK fertilizers and pig manure with and without PK in the south. Unamended control plots were included at both sites. Both application rates of pig manure with NPK in the northeast for 17 years increased concentrations of aqua regia extractable Cd in the topsoil by about 17.0- and 18.9-fold but repeated applications of straw for 17 years did not result in a marked accumulation of Cd in the surface soil. Similar results were found in the southern plots treated with pig manure (with or without NPK). The distribution patterns of DTPA-extractable Cd in the northeast (BSES) were similar to that of aqua regia-Cd. HCl-extractable Cd in the topsoil treated with pig manure (with or without NPK) in the south exceeded that in the control soil by about 4.5- and 5.4-fold (RSES). Sequential extraction results show that in the northeast pig manure from intensively managed pig farms led to accumulation of Cd in both exchangeable and reducible soil fractions.

Highlights

► Routine annual field applications of pig manure led to marked accumulation of Cd. ► The Cd in pig manures was from feed additives at intensively managed pig farms. ► Long-term field trials at two contrasting Chinese agricultural soils confirmed this.

Introduction

Atmospheric deposition, sewage sludges, animal manure, agrochemicals and inorganic fertilizers can all be major sources of heavy metal inputs to agricultural soils (Nicholson et al., 1998). Cadmium is a potentially toxic metal found in chemical fertilizers and high concentrations, for example in high Cd phosphorus fertilizers, may limit their suitability for application to arable land. Cd can also be applied in manure. Large quantities of animal manure are applied annually to many Chinese soils, especially those used for vegetable production (Tan et al., 2008). Although application of composted manure can offer the potential to recycle plant nutrients and reduce the use of mineral fertilizers in crop production, they often contain potentially toxic elements such as Cd because of the widespread use of metals in animal feed additives (Nicholson et al., 1999). Application of fresh manure can increase heavy metal solubility because of the presence of soluble compounds which form complexes with metals (Almas et al., 1999, Shuman, 1999). It has been estimated that worldwide inputs of most trace elements into soils from agricultural and animal wastes are greater than those from fertilizers or sewage sludges (Dudka and Miller, 1999).

The presence of heavy metals in manure is a potential source of adverse effects on animal and human health by transmission through the food chain from soils, groundwaters and plants (Senesi et al., 1999). Consequently, accurate analysis of the concentrations of Cd in manure-treated soils is very important for routine monitoring and risk assessment for protection of the environment (Guerra-Rodriguez et al., 2006). A number of authors have documented chemical fractions and bioavailability of Cd and other trace metals in contaminated soils from anthropogenic sources (Chaudri et al., 2001, Jordao et al., 2003, Li et al., 2006, Sebastiani et al., 2004). Numerous studies have been conducted on the bioavailability of Cd and other metals added to soils through the application of biosolids (Bhattacharyya et al., 2003, Kidd et al., 2007, Kirkham, 2006, Zubillaga and Lavado, 2002).

Long-term field experiments provide direct observations of changes in aqua regia extractable and available Cd over the decades and are useful for predictions of future metal accumulation and soil–environment interactions (Richter et al., 2007). Long-term field experiments focusing on effects of fertilization on soil quality, fertility and productivity have been carried out under various soil types and cropping systems (Blair et al., 2006a, Blair et al., 2006b, Jagadamma et al., 2008, Kundu et al., 2007, Suman et al., 2009). Several Chinese long-term plot experiments have also been reported (Gong et al., 2009, Li and Zhang, 2007, Li et al., 2010, Yan et al., 2007, Zhong and Cai, 2007). Most of the latter have included treatments with mineral fertilizers and organic manure but their heavy metal concentrations have not been examined in detail.

Animal manure can contain notable amounts of heavy metals and soils to which this manure is applied can have higher concentrations of Cd than control areas (Gupta and Charles, 1999). Information on the bioavailability of Cd from manure such as pig manure is therefore needed to control land application programs to minimize soil and crop contamination. The aim of the present study was to determine the long-term effects of fertilizers and pig manure on soil aqua regia extractable and bioavailable Cd in a black soil (Typic Hapli-udic Isohumosols) in northeast China and a red soil (Typic Hapli-udic Ferrosols) in south China. The metals present in animal manure are largely derived from animal feedstuffs and the study also sought to assess the concentrations of heavy metals in livestock (pig) feedstuffs used on the farms on which the manure was produced.

Section snippets

Site descriptions and experimental design

The study was conducted using soil samples from two long-term experimental stations that were originally established to monitor the cycling of major nutrients in cropping systems (BSES, Zea mays L.: Jidan 101; RSES, Triticum aestivum L.: Xiangmai 4, and Zea mays L.: Yedan 13) on arable land.

BSES, northeast China

Soil aqua regia extractable Cd at BSES (Fig. 1-I) varied little from year to year. A small increase in aqua regia extractable Cd in the plots receiving inorganic N, P, and K fertilizers occurred compared to the unamended control plots. Application of organic manure resulted in further increases in soil aqua regia extractable Cd concentration. Annual applications of manure together with N, P and K fertilizer (Table 2) for 17 years increased the aqua regia extractable concentration of Cd in

Discussion

A previous study of Cd availability under long-term application of N, P and K fertilizers and pig manure (Tan et al., 2008) showed significantly increasing concentrations of Cd in black soil with time. Moreover, application of pig manure significantly increased the rate of accumulation of Cd in the soil. It was suggested that Cd-containing feed additives might be an important source of Cd in pig manure. These conclusions are in accordance with our findings. Long-term application of manure was

Conclusions

At two experimental sites on contrasting black and red soil types in northeast and south China which had received regular applications of mineral fertilizers and pig manure for 17 or 16 years, respectively, only the soils treated with manure from large scale intensive pig farms contained elevated amounts of Cd compared with unamended controls or plots receiving mineral fertilizers. Similarly, long-term application of pig manure has markedly affected concentrations of DTPA-extractable Cd in

Acknowledgments

We thank the Program of Innovative Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Project KSCX2-YW-G-053), the Major State Basic Research and Development Program of the People's Republic of China (Project 2005CB121104) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Projects 40871155, 41071216 and 40821140539) for grant-aided support.

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