Evaluation of antibiotic mobility in soil associated with swine-slurry soil amendment under cropping conditions

Interest in identifying pools of antibacterial-resistance genes has grown over the last decade, with veterinary antibiotics (VAs) receiving particular attention. In this paper, a mesoscale study aimed at evaluating the vertical transport of common VAs—namely, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and lincosamides in agricultural soil subjected to drip irrigation—was performed under greenhouse conditions. Accordingly, leachates of cropped and uncropped soil, amended with swine-slurry leading to 19–38 μg kg^?1 (dry mass) antibiotics in the soil, were analyzed over the course of the productive cycle of a lettuce (42 days) with three sampling campaigns (N?=?24). High lincomycin (LCM) concentrations (30–39 μg L^?1) were detected in the leachates collected from the swine-slurry-amended soil. The highest LCM mass recovered in the leachates (30.1?±?1.63 %) was obtained from cropped experimental units. In addition, the LCM leaching constant and its leaching potential as obtained from the first-order model were higher in the leachates from the cropped experimental units. Lower concentrations of sulfadimethoxine were also detected in leachates and in soil. Enrofloxacin and oxytetracycline occurred only in soil, which is consistent with high soil interaction.     

Use of bone meal amendments to immobilise Pb, Zn and Cd in soil: A leaching column study

The aim of this study is to test the stabilisation of metals in contaminated soils via the formation of low-solubility metal phosphates. Bone apatite, in the form of commercially available bone meal, was tested as a phosphate source on a mine waste contaminated made-ground with high levels of Pb, Zn and Cd. Triplicate leaching columns were set up at bone meal to soil ratios of 1:25 and 1:10, in addition to unamended controls, and were run for 18 months. The columns were irrigated daily with a synthetic rain solution at pH of 2, 3, and 4.4. After 100 days, the leachate Pb, Zn and Cd concentrations of all amended columns were significantly reduced. For 1:10 treatments, release of these metals was suppressed throughout the trial. For 1:25 treatments, Zn and Cd concentrations in the leachates began to increase after 300 days. DTPA and water extractions showed that Pb and Cd were more strongly held in the amended soils. This study concludes that the complexity of soil processes and the small quantities of metals sequestered precluded determination of a metal immobilisation mechanism.     

17 β-estradiol mineralization in human waste products and soil in the presence and the absence of antimicrobials

Natural steroidal estrogens, such as 17 β-estradiol (E2), as well as antimicrobials such as doxycycline and norfloxacin, are excreted by humans and hence detected in sewage sludge and biosolid. The disposal of human waste products on agricultural land results in estrogens and antibiotics being detected as mixtures in soils. The objective of this study was to examine microbial respiration and E2 mineralization in sewage sludge, biosolid, and soil in the presence and the absence of doxycycline and norfloxacin. The antimicrobials were applied to the media either alone or in combination at total rates of 4 and 40 mg kg^?1, with the 4 mg kg^?1 rate being an environmentally relevant concentration. The calculated time that half of the applied E2 was mineralized ranged from 294 to 418 days in sewage sludge, from 721 to 869 days in soil, and from 2,258 to 14,146 days in biosolid. E2 mineralization followed first-order and the presence of antimicrobials had no significant effect on mineralization half-lives, except for some antimicrobial applications to the human waste products. At 189 day, total E2 mineralization was significantly greater in sewage sludge (38 ±0.7%) > soil (23 ±0.7%) > biosolid (3 ±0.7%), while total respiration was significantly greater in biosolid (1,258 mg CO₂) > sewage sludge (253 mg CO₂) ≥ soil (131 mg CO₂). Strong sorption of E2 to the organic fraction in biosolid may have resulted in reduced E2 mineralization despite the high microbial activity in this media. Total E2 mineralization at 189 day was not significantly influenced by the presence of doxycycline and/or norfloxacin in the media. Antimicrobial additions also did not significantly influence total respiration in media, except that total CO₂ respiration at 189 day was significantly greater for biosolid with 40 mg kg^?1 doxycycline added, relative to biosolid without antimicrobials. We conclude that it is unlikely for doxycycline and norfloxacin, or their mixtures, to have a significant effect on E2 mineralization in human waste products and soil. However, the potential for E2 to be persistent in biosolids, with and without the presence of antimicrobials, is posing a challenge for biosolid disposal to agricultural lands.     

林可霉素菌渣与牛粪联合堆肥实验研究

抗生素菌渣因含有抗生素残留而成为一种较难处理的废弃物,不合理的处理方法极易造成环境污染和生态危害,同时也会造成资源浪费.为了探讨林可霉素菌渣堆肥化处理的可行性,设计了林可霉素菌渣与牛粪的联合堆肥实验.4个堆肥处理的林可霉素初始含量分别为1.35 mg/g(干重)、1.89 mg/g(干重)、3.52 mg/g(干重)和...     

Impact of soil management practices on yield,fruit quality,and antioxidant contents of pepper at four stages of fruit development

Peppers, a significant component of the human diet in many regions of the world, provide vitamins A (β-carotene) and C, and are also a source of many other antioxidants such as capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and phenols. Enhancing the concentration of antioxidants in plants grown in soil amended with recycled waste has not been completely investigated. Changes in pepper antioxidant content in relation to soil amendments and fruit development were investigated. The main objectives of this investigation were to: (i) quantify concentrations of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, β-carotene, ascorbic acid, phenols, and soluble sugars in the fruits of Capsicum annuum L. (cv. Xcatic) grown under four soil management practices: yard waste (YW), sewage sludge (SS), chicken manure (CM), and no-much (NM) bare soil and (ii) monitor antioxidant concentrations in fruits of plants grown under these practices and during fruit ripening from green into red mature fruits. Total marketable pepper yield was increased by 34% and 15% in SS and CM treatments, respectively, compared to NM bare soil; whereas, the number of culls (fruits that fail to meet the requirements of foregoing grades) was lower in YW compared to SS and CM treatments. Regardless of fruit color, pepper fruits from YW amended soil contained the greatest concentrations of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin. When different colored pepper fruits (green, yellow, orange, and red) were analyzed, orange and red contained the greatest β-carotene and sugar contents; whereas, green fruits contained the greatest concentrations of total phenols and ascorbic acid.     

Hydrothermal treatment for inactivating some hygienic microbial indicators from food waste–amended animal feed

To achieve the hygienic safety of food waste used as animal feed, a hydrothermal treatment process of 60–110 °C for 10–60 min was applied on the separated food waste from a university canteen. Based on the microbial analysis of raw waste, the inactivation of hygienic indicators of Staphylococcus aureus (SA), total coliform (TC), total aerobic plate counts (TPC), and molds and yeast (MY) were analyzed during the hydrothermal process. Results showed that indicators' concentrations were substantially reduced after hydrothermal treatment, with a greater reduction observed when the waste was treated with a higher temperature and pressure and a longer ramping time. The 110 °C hydrothermal treatment for 60 min was sufficient to disinfect food waste as animal feed from the viewpoint of hygienic safety. Results obtained so far indicate that hydrothermal treatment can significantly decrease microbial indicators' concentrations but does not lead to complete sterilization, because MY survived even after 60 min treatment at 110 °C. The information from the present study will contribute to the microbial risk control of food waste–amended animal feed, to cope with legislation on food or feed safety.

Implications: Reduction of microbial indicators at ramping time and holding time during the hydrothermal process showed that hydrothermal treatment is an effective method to achieve hygienic feed from food waste to a certain extent, but the conditions researched in this study were not enough for the complete sterilization of food waste, because of the different heat resistance of bacteria and spores.     

Assessment of soils contamination with veterinary antibiotic residues in Northern Poland using developed MAE-SPE-LC/MS/MS methods

Among the wide range of compounds reaching the soil are the veterinary antimicrobials. Since no regulations regarding acceptable levels of drug concentrations in the environment exist, monitoring tests, particularly concerning soils, are carried out very rarely. This study presents a preliminary assessment of the contamination of agricultural soils in Northern Poland with seven antimicrobial veterinary medicines which has never been carried out before. Veterinary drugs were detected in 54% of the examined soil samples; the most commonly detected drugs were sulfonamides and trimethoprim. The highest indicated concentrations refer to enrofloxacin (57.0 μg kg^?1) and trimethoprim (47.8 μg kg^?1). The presence of these target drugs in the soil environment confirms the need for further monitoring studies. The analytical methods developed in this study are an excellent tool to achieve this goal and allow an estimation of the risk connected with the presence of veterinary antimicrobials in soils.

     

Remediation of metal contaminated soil with mineral-amended composts

This study examined the use of two composts derived from green waste and sewage sludge, amended with minerals (clinoptilolite or bentonite), for the remediation of metal-contaminated brownfield sites to transform them into greenspace. Soils contaminated with high or low levels of metals were mixed with the mineral-enhanced composts at different ratios and assessed by leaching tests, biomass production and metal accumulation of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The results showed that the green waste compost reduced the leaching of Cd and Zn up to 48% whereas the composted sewage sludge doubled the leachate concentration of Zn. However, the same soil amended with composted sewage sludge showed an efficient reduction in plant concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb or Zn by up to 80%. The results suggest that metal immobilisation and bioavailability are governed by the formation of complexes between the metals and organic matter. The amendment with minerals had only limited effects.     

Napropamide residues in runoff and infiltration water from pepper production

A field study was conducted on a Lowell silty loam soil of 2.7% organic matter at the Kentucky State University Research Farm, Franklin County, Kentucky. Eighteen universal soil loss equation (USLE) standard plots (22 x 3.7 m each) were established on a 10% slope. Three soil management practices were used: (i) class-A biosolids (sewage sludge), (ii) yard waste compost, each mixed with native soil at a rate of 50 ton acre(-1) on a dry-weight basis, and (iii) a no-mulch (NM) treatment (rototilled bare soil), used for comparison purposes. Devrinol 50-DF "napropamide" [N,N-diethyl-2-(1-naphthyloxy) propionamide] was applied as a preemergent herbicide, incorporated into the soil surface, and the plots were planted with 60-day-old sweet bell pepper seedlings. Napropamide residues one hour following spraying averaged 0.8, 0.4, and 0.3 microg g(-1) dry soil in sewage sludge, yard waste compost, and no-mulch treatments, respectively. Surface runoff water, runoff sediment, and napropamide residues in runoff were significantly reduced by the compost and biosolid treatments. Yard waste compost treatments increased water infiltration and napropamide residues in the vadose zone compared to sewage sludge and NM treatments. Total pepper yields from yard waste compost amended soils (9187 lbs acre(-1)) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than yield from either the soil amended with class-A biosolids (6984 lbs acre(-1)) or the no-mulch soil (7162 lbs acre(-1)).     

Metal accumulation in poplar plant grown with industrial wastes

In this study the effects of different levels of industrial wastes on growth traits and metal accumulation in aerial portions were determined for Populusxeuramericana clone I-214. The experiment started in April 2003. Scions of Populusxeuramericana clone I-214, were grown outdoor near Pisa (Italy), in lisimeters filled with soil naturally present in the land around the experimental site, were daily drip irrigated, hand weeded, monthly fertilized, pruned for a unique shoot and cultivated with four increasing treatments: soil non-amended, soil amended with 4.8 kgm(-2), with 9.6 kgm(-2) and with 19.2 kgm(-2) of fresh tannery waste. The climatic parameters were daily recorded throughout the whole experiment. Growth relieves were performed during the growing season. After six months since the plantation of the scions, aerial portions of every plant were harvested for biomass and metal content analyses. Data demonstrated that the waste exerted beneficial effects on poplars mainly through a general increase of growth traits and that the nutrients relocation is the mechanisms involved in modulating growth rate. The concentration and the amount of the mineral elements analysed (N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, S, B, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cr) changed determinately among treatments, organs and position. We concluded that phytoremediation strategies of tannery wastes might be possible and sustainable for polar plantations in soil amended with non-hazardous levels of industrial waste, which maintain total heavy metals concentration close to background values.     

2-Undecanone and 2-tridecanone in field-grown onion

A field study was conducted to investigate the impact of soil amendments on concentrations of two volatile organic compounds, 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone, in onion bulbs. The soil in five plots was mixed with sewage sludge, five plots were mixed with yard waste compost, five plots were mixed with laying hen manure each at 15 t acre^?1, and five unamended plots that never received soil amendments were used for comparison purposes. Plots (n = 20) were planted with onion, Allium cepa L. var. Super Star-F1 bulbs. Gas chromatographic/mass spetrometric (GC/MS) analyses of mature onion bulbs crude extracts revealed the presence of two major fragment ions that correspond to 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone. Soil amended with yard waste compost enhanced 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone production by 31 and 59%, respectively. Soil amended with chicken manure enhanced 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone production by 28 and 43%, respectively. Concentrations of 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone were lowest in onion bulbs of plants grown in sewage sludge and unamended soil, respectively. The increased concentrations of 2-undecanone and 2-tridecanone in onion bulbs may provide a protective character against insect and spider mite attack in field grown onions.     

Heavy metal immobilization by chemical amendments in a polluted soil and influence on white lupin growth

The effects of chemical amendments (zeolite, compost and calcium hydroxide) on the solubility of Pb, Cd and Zn in a contaminated soil were determined. The polluted soil was from the Southwest Sardinia, Italy. It showed very high total concentrations of Pb (19663 mgkg(-1) d.m.), Cd (196 mgkg(-1) d.m.) and Zn (14667 mgkg(-1) d.m.). The growth and uptake of heavy metals by white lupin (Lupinus albus L., cv. Multitalia) in amended soils were also studied in a pot experiment under greenhouse conditions. Results showed that the amendments increased the residual fraction of heavy metals in the soils, and decreased the heavy metals uptake by white lupin compared with the unamended control. Among the three amendments, compost and Ca(OH)2 were the most efficient at reducing Pb and Zn uptake, while zeolite was the most efficient at reducing Cd uptake by the plants. White lupin growth was better in amended soils than in unamended control. The above ground biomass increased with a factor 1.8 (soil amended with zeolite), 3.6 (soil amended with compost) and 3.1 (soil amended with Ca(OH)2) with respect to unamended soil. The roots biomass increased with a factor 1.4 (soil amended with zeolite), 5.6 (soil amended with compost) and 4.8 (soil amended with Ca(OH)2). Results obtained suggest that the soil chemical treatment improved the performance of crops by reducing bioavailability of metals in the soils. However it would be therefore interesting to find a suitable mixture of these amendments to contemporarily immobilize the three main pollutants in the polluted soils.     

Anaerobic microbial dechlorination: an approach to on-site treatment of toxaphene-contaminated soil

Enhanced microbial degradation of toxaphene by natural microorganisms occurred in soil and sediment amended with organic matter kept under anaerobic (flooded) conditions. Laboratory experiments yielded a dissipation half-life of approximately 3 and 1 week for soil and sediment, respectively, containing 10 ppm of technical toxaphene and a 1% alfalfa meal amendment. Dissipation was accompanied by an increase in early eluting gas chromatographic peaks and a decrease in later eluting peaks, indicating that dechlorination had occurred. Enhanced anaerobic dissipation also took place in soil containing 500 ppm of toxaphene, although at a lesser rate than at 10 ppm, and when cotton gin waste was used as amendment in place of alfalfa meal. Sediment in a toxaphene-contaminated pesticide waste disposal ditch was amended with 10% steer manure and flooded to ascertain field utility of the technique for on-site decontamination. Toxaphene residues were reduced from 63 to 23 ppm in 120 days, and some degradation activity still occurred up to 8 months after this single treatment.     

Distribution and fractionation of phosphorus, cadmium, nickel, and lead in calcareous soils amended with composts

Composts improve organic carbon content and nutrients of calcareous soils but the accumulation and distribution of phosphorus and heavy metals among various fractions in soil may vary under the south Florida conditions. The accumulation of P, Cd, Ni, and Pb with depth and the distribution of water soluble, exchangeable, carbonate, Fe-Mn oxides, organic and residual forms of each element were investigated in soils amended with municipal solid waste (MSW) compost, co-compost and biosolids compost and inorganic fertilizer (as control). Total concentrations of P, Cd, Ni, and Pb were higher in the 0-22 cm soil layers and decreased considerably in the rock layers. These elements were in the decreasing order of P > Pb > Ni > Cd. Amounts of water soluble and exchangeable forms of P, Cd, Ni and Pb were negligible at 0-22 cm soil depths except for Cd in the 10-22 cm depth. Amending calcareous soil with either organic or inorganic amendments rendered phosphorus, nickle and lead in the residual form followed by Fe-Mn oxides form in the 0-10 and 10-22 cm soil layers. Cadmium was predominantly in the Fe-Mn oxides fraction followed by the residual and carbonate forms in both soil layers. A significant positive correlation was found between various organic carbon fractions and organic forms of P, Cd and Pb in the surface soil layer. Soil amended with MSW compost had higher concentration of Cd in the organic fraction whereas, co-compost and MSW compost amended soil had higher concentrations of organic Ni fraction in the 0-10 cm soil layer.     

Napropamide Residues in Runoff and Infiltration Water from Pepper Production

Abstract

A field study was conducted on a Lowell silty loam soil of 2.7% organic matter at the Kentucky State University Research Farm, Franklin County, Kentucky. Eighteen universal soil loss equation (USLE) standard plots (22 × 3.7 m each) were established on a 10% slope. Three soil management practices were used: (i) class-A biosolids (sewage sludge), (ii) yard waste compost, each mixed with native soil at a rate of 50 ton acre^?1 on a dry-weight basis, and (iii) a no-mulch (NM) treatment (rototilled bare soil), used for comparison purposes. Devrinol 50-DF “napropamide” [N,N-diethyl-2-(1-naphthyloxy) propionamide]was applied as a preemergent herbicide, incorporated into the soil surface, and the plots were planted with 60-day-old sweet bell pepper seedlings. Napropamide residues one hour following spraying averaged 0.8, 0.4, and 0.3 μ g g^{? 1} dry soil in sewage sludge, yard waste compost, and no-mulch treatments, respectively. Surface runoff water, runoff sediment, and napropamide residues in runoff were significantly reduced by the compost and biosolid treatments. Yard waste compost treatments increased water infiltration and napropamide residues in the vadose zone compared to sewage sludge and NM treatments. Total pepper yields from yard waste compost amended soils (9187 lbs acre^?1) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than yield from either the soil amended with class-A biosolids (6984 lbs acre^?1) or the no-mulch soil (7162 lbs acre ^?1).     

Determination of chemical availability of cadmium and zinc in soils using inert soil moisture samplers

A rapid method for extracting soil solutions using porous plastic soil-moisture samplers was combined with a cation resin equilibration based speciation technique to look at the chemical availability of metals in soil. Industrially polluted, metal sulphate amended and sewage sludge treated soils were used in our study. Cadmium sulphate amended and industrially contaminated soils all had > 65% of the total soil solution Cd present as free Cd2+. However, increasing total soil Cd concentrations by adding CdSO4 resulted in smaller total soil solution Cd. Consequently, the free Cd2+ concentrations in soil solutions extracted from these soils were smaller than in the same soil contaminated by sewage sludge addition. Amendment with ZnSO4 gave much greater concentrations of free Zn2+ in soil solutions compared with the same soil after long-term Zn contamination via sewage sludge additions. Our results demonstrate the difficulty in comparing total soil solution and free metal ion concentrations for soils from different areas with different physiochemical properties and sources of contamination. However, when comparing the same Woburn soil, Cd was much less available as Cd2+ in soil solution from the CdSO4 amended soils compared with soil contaminated by about 36 years of sewage sludge additions. In contrast, much more Zn was available in soil solution as free Zn2+ in the ZnSO4 amended soils compared with the sewage sludge treated soils.     

Reduction of toxicity of antimicrobial compounds by degradation processes using activated sludge,gamma radiation,and UV

The occurrence and persistence of pharmacologically active compounds in the environment has been an increasingly important issue. The objectives of this study were to investigate the decomposition of aqueous antimicrobial compounds using activated sludge, γ-irradiation, and UV treatment, and to evaluate the toxicity towards green algae, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, before and after treatment. Tetracycline (TCN), lincomycin (LMC) and sulfamethazine (SMZ) were used as target compounds. Gamma (γ)-irradiation showed the highest removal efficiency for all target compounds, while UV and activated sludge treatment showed compound-dependent removal efficiencies. TCN and SMZ were well degraded by all three treatment methods. However, LMC showed extremely low removal efficiency for UV and activated sludge treatments. Overall, the algal toxicity after degradation processes was significantly decreased, and was closely correlated to removal efficiency. However, in the case of γ-irradiated TCN, UV and activated sludge treated LMC as well as sludge treated SMZ, the observed toxicity was higher than expected, which indicates the substantial generation of byproducts or transformed compounds of a greater toxicity in the treated sample. Consequently, γ-radiation treatment could be an effective method for removal of recalcitrant compounds such as antibiotics.     

Mercury emission and plant uptake of trace elements during early stage of soil amendment using flue gas desulfurization materials

A pilot-scale field study was carried out to investigate the distribution of Hg and other selected elements (i.e., As, B, and Se), i.e., emission to ambient air, uptake by surface vegetation, and/or rainfall infiltration, after flue gas desulfurization (FGD) material is applied to soil. Three FGD materials collected from two power plants were used. Our results show Hg released into the air and uptake in grass from all FGD material-treated soils were all higher (P < 0.1) than the amounts observed from untreated soil. Hg in the soil amended with the FGD material collected from a natural oxidation wet scrubber (i.e., SNO) was more readily released to air compared to the other two FGD materials collected from the synthetic gypsum dewatering vacuum belt (i.e., AFO-gypsum) and the waste water treatment plant (i.e., AFO-CPS) of a forced oxidation FGD system. No Hg was detected in the leachates collected during the only 3-hour, 1-inch rainfall event that occurred throughout the 4-week testing period. For every kilogram of FGD material applied to soil, AFO-CPS released the highest amount of Hg, B, and Se, followed by SNO, and AFO gypsum. Based on the same energy production rate, the land application of SNO FGD material from Plant S released higher amounts of Hg and B into ambient air and/or grass than the amounts released when AFO-gypsum from Plant A was used. Using FGD material with lower concentration levels of Hg and other elements of concern does not necessary post a lower environmental risk. In addition, this study demonstrates that considering only the amounts of trace elements uptake in surface vegetation may under estimate the overall release of the trace elements from FGD material-amended soils. It also shows, under the same soil amendment conditions, the mobility of trace elements varies when FGD materials produced from different processes are used.     

EPA SITE Demonstration of the BioTrol Soil Washing Process

A pilot-scale soil washing process, patented by BioTrol, Inc., was demonstrated on soil contaminated by wood treating waste, primarily pentachlorophenol (PCP) and creosote-derived polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Although soil washing was the main object of this demonstration, the treatment train that was evaluated included two other BioTrol technologies for treatment of waste streams from the soil washer. The three technologies were: ? The BioTrol Soil Washer (BSW)—a volume reduction process, which uses water to separate contaminated soil fractions from the bulk of the soil.

? The BioTrol Aqueous Treatment System (BATS)—a biological water treatment process.

? The Slurry Bioreactor (SBR)—a BioTrol biological slurry treatment process conducted in an EIMCO BIOLIFT^tm reactor.

The sandy soil at the site, consisting of less than 10 percent of fines, was well suited for treatment by soil washing. The soil washer was evaluated in two tests on soil samples containing 130 ppm and 680 ppm of PCP, respectively.

The BSW successfully separated the feed soil (dry weight basis) into 83 percent of washed soil, 10 percent of woody residues, and 7 percent of fines. The washed soil retained about 10 percent of the feed soil contamination while 90 percent of the feed soil contamination was contained within the woody residues, fines, and process water.

The soil washer achieved up to 89 percent removal of PCP and 88 percent of total PAHs, based on the difference between their levels in the as-is (wet) feed soil and the washed soil. PCP concentrations of 14 ppm and 87ppm in the washed soil were achieved from PCP concentrations of 130 ppm and 680ppm in the feed soil. Concentrations of total PAHs were reduced from 247 ppm to 42 ppm and 404 ppm to 48 ppm, respectively, in the two tests.

The BATS degraded up to 94 percent of PCP in the process water from soil washing. PAH removal could not be determined due to low influent concentrations.

The SBR achieved over 90 percent removals of PCP and 70 to 90 percent removals of PAHs from the slurry of contaminated fines from soil washing. However, steady state operation was not achieved during the single test and the results were variable.

Cost of a commercial-scale soil washing, assuming use of all three technologies, was estimated to be $168 per ton of soil treated. Incineration of woody material accounts for 76 percent of the cost.     

The dissipation and transport of veterinary antibiotics in a sandy loam soil

The environmental fate of the antibiotics sulfachloropyridazine and oxytetracycline was investigated in a sandy loam soil. Liquid pig manure was fortified with the compounds and then applied to soil plots to investigate leaching, dissipation and surface run-off under field conditions. Additionally, as the macrolide antibiotic tylosin had been administered to the pigs from which the slurry had been sourced, this was also analysed for in the samples collected. Sulfachloropyridazine dissipated rapidly with DT(50) and DT(90) values of 3.5 and 18.9 days but oxytetracycline was more persistent with DT(50) and DT(90) values of 21.7 and 98.3 days. Both sulfachloropyridazine and oxytetracyline were detected in surface run-off samples at maximum concentrations of 25.9 and 0.9microg/l respectively but only sulfachloropyridazine was detected in soil water samples at a maximum concentration of 0.78microg/l at 40cm depth 20 days after treatment. Tylosin was not detected in any soil or water samples. The results indicated that tylosin, when applied in slurry, posed very little risk of accumulating in soil or contaminating ground or surface water. However, tylosin may pose a risk if used to treat animals on pasture and risks arising from transformation products of tylosin, formed during slurry storage, cannot be ruled out. Oxytetracycline posed a very low risk of ground or surface water contamination but had the potential to persist in soils and sulfachloropyridazine posed a moderate risk of contaminating ground or surface water but had low potential to accumulate in soils. These findings were consistent with the sorption and persistence characteristics of the compounds and support a number of broad-scale monitoring studies that have measured these antibiotic classes in the environment.