Phosphorous and nitrogen fertilizers are added to agricultural land in large quantities.  Surface and sub-surface waters from agricultural land both contain excess nitrate and phosphate.  Down stream from the source of run-off, excess nutrients require municiple water bodies to engage in costly water treatment efforts.  If untreated these nutrients lead to envirnomental harm in the form of algal blooms that remove oxygen from water bodies. The concentration of nitrate and total nitrogen in agricultural run-off behaves predictably.  After a rain event the nitrate concentration spikes then exponentially decays. Phosphate and total phosphorous behaves unpredictably. Some rain events will lead to spikes in phosphate concentrations and some do not.  In some cases spikes in concentration can occur several days after rain events. Understanding chemical changes that occur with phosphorous may help in mitigation efforts. Phosphorous X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) experiments on surface vs sub-surface soils indicate changes in phosphorous speciation occur in the soil.  Phosphorous is interacting with elements in the soil in a manner that interrupts transport through the soil.

Phosphorous chemistry affecting nutrient runoff in agriculture

2019 Fall National Meeting

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