A study on temporal trends and estimates of fate of Bisphenol A in agricultural soils after sewage sludge amendment.

Zhang, Zulin; Le Velly, Morgane; Rhind, Stewart M.; Kyle, Carol E.; Hough, Rupert L.; Duff, Elizabeth I.; McKenzie, Craig

Abstract

Temporal concentration trends of BPA in soils were investigated following sewage sludge application to pasture (study 1: short term sludge application; study 2: long term multiple applications over 13years). The background levels of BPA in control soils were similar, ranging between 0.67-10.57ngg-1 (mean: 3.02ngg-1) and 0.51-6.58ngg-1 (mean: 3.22ngg-1) for studies 1 and 2, respectively. Concentrations in both treated and control plots increased over the earlier sampling times of the study to a maximum and then decreased over later sampling times, suggesting other sources of BPA to both the treated and control soils over the study period. In study 1 there was a significant treatment effect of sludge application in the autumn (p=0.002) although no significant difference was observed between treatment and control soils in the spring. In study 2 treated soils contained considerably higher BPA concentrations than controls ranging between 12.89-167.9ngg-1 (mean: 63.15ngg-1). This and earlier studies indicate the long-term accumulation of multiple contaminants by multiple sewage sludge applications over a prolonged period although the effects of the presence of such contaminant mixtures have not yet been elucidated. Fugacity modelling was undertaken to estimate partitioning of Bisphenol A (soil plus sewage: pore water: soil air partitioning) and potential uptake into a range of food crops. While Bisphenol A sorbs strongly to the sewage-amended soil, 4% by mass was predicted to enter soil pore water resulting in significant uptake by crops particularly leafy vegetables (3.12-75.5ngg-1), but also for root crops (1.28-31.0ngg-1) with much lower uptake into cereal grains (0.62-15.0ngg-1). This work forms part of a larger programme of research aimed at assessing the risks associated with the long-term application of sewage sludge to agricultural soils.

Citation

ZHANG, Z., LE VELLY, M., RHIND, S.M., KYLE, C.E., HOUGH, R.L., DUFF, E.I. and MCKENZIE, C. 2015. A study on temporal trends and estimates of fate of Bisphenol A in agricultural soils after sewage sludge amendment. Science of the total environment [online], 515-516, pages 1-11. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.053

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 18, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Feb 13, 2015
• Publication Date: May 15, 2015
• Deposit Date: Nov 17, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 14, 2016
• Journal: Science of the total environment
• Print ISSN: 0048-9697
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-1026
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 515-516
• Pages: 1-11
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.053
• Keywords: Bisphenol A; Sewage sludge; Soil; Temporal trend; Modelling; Risk assessment
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1352
• Contract Date: Nov 17, 2015