No abstract

A public participatory geographical information systems (PPGIS) demographic, environmental, socioeconomic, health status portal was developed for the Stambaugh-Elwood (SE) community in Columbus, OH. We hypothesized that soil at SE residences would have metal concentrations above natural background levels. Three aims were developed that allowed testing of this hypothesis. Aim 1 focused on establishing partnerships between academia, state agencies and communities to assist in the development of a community voice. Aim 2 was to design and conduct soil sampling for residents of the SE community. Aim 3 was to utilize our interactive, customized portal as a risk communication tool by allowing residents to educate themselves as to the potential risks from industrial sources in close proximity to their community. Multiple comparisons of means were used to determine differences in soil element concentration by sampling location at p < 0.05. The results demonstrated that eight metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mo, Se, Tl, Zn) occurred at statistically-significantly greater levels than natural background levels, but most were below risk-based residential soil screening levels. Results were conveyed to residents via an educational, risk-communication informational card. This study demonstrates that community-led coalitions in collaboration with academic teams and state agencies can effectively address environmental concerns.

A validated method is needed to measure reductions of in vitro bioaccessible (IVBA) Pb in urban soil remediated with amendments. This study evaluated the effect of in vitro extraction solution pH and glycine buffer on bioaccessible Pb in P-treated soils. Two Pb-contaminated soils (790-1300 mg Pb kg), one from a garden and one from a city lot in Cleveland, OH, were incubated in a bench scale experiment for 1 yr. Six phosphate amendments, including bone meal, fish bone, poultry litter, monoammonium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, and triple superphosphate, were added to containers at two application rates. Lead IVBA was assessed using USEPA Method 1340 and three modified versions of this method. Modifications included using solutions with pH 1.5 and 2.5 as well as using solutions with and without 0.4 mol L glycine. Soil amendments were ineffective in reducing IVBA Pb in these soils as measured by pH 1.5 with glycine buffer. The greatest reductions in IVBA Pb, from 5 to 26%, were found using pH 2.5 extractions. Lead mineral results showed several soil amendments promoted Pb phosphate formation, an indicator of remediation success. A significant negative linear relationship between reduction in IVBA Pb and Pb-phosphate formation was found only for pH 2.5 without glycine extraction solution. A modified USEPA Method 1340 without glycine and using pH 2.5 has the potential to predict P soil treatment efficacy and reductions in bioavailable Pb.

Harvesting fertilized rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop has been suggested as a method to increase producer revenue and biofuel feedstock production, but drainage N loss impacts are currently unknown. Using the tested Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) across several N rates, spring application of 120 kg N ha -1 prior to winter rye harvest reduced drainage N loss by 54% compared with no cover crop and by 18% compared with planted rye that was neither fertilized nor harvested. Estimates of producer revenue and net energy were also positive, with 8.3 Mg ha -1 of harvested rye biomass. If confirmed by field studies, these results suggest that double-cropping fertilized rye is a promising strategy to increase producer revenue, increase net energy production, and reduce drainage N loss. Core Ideas• Fertilizing winter rye increased estimated revenue and harvestable biomass.• Fertilizing winter rye increased net energy production.• Harvesting fertilized winter rye reduced simulated drainage N loss.• Rye revenue in response to fertilizer rate plateaued at approximately 120 kg N ha −1 .• Field studies are needed to evaluate fertilized/ harvested rye cover crop.Abbreviations: CC, cover crop; CCH, unfertilized harvested cover crop; CCH_L_x, late harvest of fertilized cover crop; DM, dry matter; NCC, no cover crop.

Monitoring soil health indicators (SHI) will help ensure that corn (Zea mays L.) stover harvest is sustainable. This study examines SHI changes after 5 yr of growing continuous corn with either chisel plow or no-tillage practices and harvesting 0, ~35, or ~60% of the stover. Two no-tillage treatments with a cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop and stover harvest rates of ~35 or ~60% were evaluated. All eight treatments were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design at an 11-ha site in Boone county, IA. Soil samples were collected following grain and stover harvest from 0-to 5-and 5-to 15-cm depth increments. Particulate organic matter c (POM-c) decreased when stover was removed or the soil was chisel plowed. no-till with 0% stover removal had 10 mg g -1 POM-c in the 0-to 5-cm soil layer, which was 1.9-fold higher than in other treatments. Potentially mineralizable n (PMn) was greater under cover crop treatments. Average PMn values were 56.9 and 45.5 µg g -1 PMn for no-till with cereal rye at 0-to 5-and 5-to 15-cm depths, respectively, compared with 17.5 and -3.7 µg g -1 PMn for the same no-till treatments without cereal rye. Other soil properties did not respond to increasing levels of stover removal. At this location and at the studied removal rates, 5 yr of harvesting corn stover did not decrease soil health, but POM-c data suggest that changes may be occurring. Long-term monitoring should continue to assess corn stover harvest sustainability.Abbreviations: C0, chisel plow with no stover removal; MBC, microbial biomass C; NT0, no-till with no stover removal; NT35, no-till with moderate stover removal; NT60, no-till with high stover removal; NTR35, no-till with moderate stover removal and rye cover crop; NTR60, no-till with high stover removal and rye cover crop; PMN, potentially mineralizable N; POM-C, particulate organic matter C; POM-N, particulate organic matter N; SHI, soil health indicators; SMAF, Soil Management Assessment Framework; SOC, soil organic C. C orn residues protect soils from the erosive forces of water and wind, maintain soil organic C (SOC) stocks, cycle essential plant nutrients, replenish the C that creates and sustains aggregation, and provide food and energy for the microbial community Ruis et al., 2017;Wilhelm et al., 2007Wilhelm et al., , 2010. Removing an excessive amount of corn stover, defined as the harvested portion to distinguish it from residues left in the field, can result in soil degradation (Blanco-Canqui et al., 2014;Halvorson and Stewart, 2015;Moebius-Clune et al., 2008). However, without stover harvest, producers can encounter residue management problems with subsequent crops and therefore often increase their tillage intensity to reduce surface residues (Al-Kaisi et al., 2015;Sindelar et al., 2013;Swan et al., 1987).A review of stover harvest literature suggests that 40% removal by mass (i.e., 60% remaining in the field) was an upper limit for maintaining SOC and preventing erosion (Ruis et al., 2017;Wilhelm et al., 2010). Johnson et al. (2014) co...