No abstract

Due to the frequency of petroleum spill damage to turfgrass areas, a field study was conducted on ‘Tifgreen’ bermudagrass (Cynodon L. spp.) to determine the injury symptoms and subsequent recovery rates from petroleum spill damage. Five petroleum products commonly used in turfgrass maintenance equipment were applied as spill treatments to the turf growing on Lufkin fine sandy loam (fine, montmorillonitic, thermic, Vertic Albaqualf). Injury symptoms of the turf were documented following the three replicate spray applications of gasoline, motor oil, hydraulic fluid, and brake fluid, and following direct spreading of grease over 1 m2 plots. Calcined clay fines, activated charcoal, and detergent were evaluated as potential corrective treatments. Each corrective treatment was applied within 20 minutes of each spill in three replications. The injury symptom varied among the petroleum spill treatments. Detergent proved effective in enhancing bermudagrass recovery (3 to 4 weeks) from motor oil, hydraulic fluid, and brake fluid damage. None of the corrective treatments were effective on either the gasoline or grease‐damaged turf. The bermudagrass recovered rapidly (3 to 4 weeks) from gasoline spills without corrective procedures. More than 10 weeks were required for recovery from grease spills.

Recovery of wetland function is the primary goal of wetland creation and restoration. Denitrification is a wetland function and part of the nitrogen (N) biogeochemical cycle in which nitrate (N0 3 ") and nitrite (NO,") forms ofN are converted to gaseous forms and lost to the atmosphere. Measurement of denitrification rate may therefore be an important tool for evaluating wetland function. This study examines denitrification rates and associated soil variables on wetlands created on lignite mine spoil in East Texas. Wetlands created on oxidized and reduced mine spoil were selected as study sites. Soil cores were removed from recently-created (age 4-8 years), older-created (age 10 years) and reference (natural) wetlands. Denitrification was quantified using an acetylene inhibition/gas chromatography method. Soil texture, pH, total N, and organic matter content were also measured. Soil pH range from 4.5 to 7.8 and varied by age and spoil type (a:;; 0.05). Total N ranged from 342 to 1564 mg kg · 1 and varied only by spoil type. Organic matter content varied by spoil type with values ranging from 1.2 % to 3.0 %. Denitrification rate did not differ among wetlands and ranged from 0.2 kg N ha · 1 yr · 1 to 105 kg N ha · 1 yr ·

The removal of air dried soil (dairy products contaminated with E. coli) from the surface of disks of several possible dairy equipment construction materials was determined by both radioactive tracer techniques and bacteriological methods. Both methods showed that cleaning the disks with any of the four types of cleaning compounds effected essentially complete removal of the contaminating soil from the surface of the molded plastics and various finishes of stainless steel which were tested.