PAM Research

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General PAM Information:

• PAM in Furrow Irrigation, an Erosion Control Breakthrough
• PAM Publication List This list includes references to work in the literature as well as work conducted at NWISRL.
• Anionic Polyacrylamide (PAM) Erosion Control from USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service - National Conservation Practice Standard (13KB PDF file)
• RegNet Environmental Services Information on PAM-related environmental regulations and PAM/AMD questions.
• PAM Overview An overview of PAM information in a PowerPoint presentation file.

  Other NWISRL PAM links

• PAM Primer
• Poster: "Runoff Weed Seed, Sediment, Infiltration and Weed Establishment as Affected by PAM in Furrow-Irrigated Corn" by R.E. Sojka, D.W. Morishita, J.A. Foerster and M.J. Wille
• Slideshow: "The Influence of Polyacrylamide (PAM) Application to Soil on Movement of Microorganisms in Water" by R.E. Sojka and J.A. Entry
• Some images of PAM applicators.
• "Potential Use of Polyacrylamide (PAM) in Australian Agriculture to Improve Off- and On-site Environmental Impacts and Infiltration Management." by R.E. Sojka and A. Surapaneni
• The PAMphlet / El PAMfleto(en Espa?ol)
• Practical Tips for PAM in Furrow Irrigation
• PAM Station Notes Page
• 1996 PAM Conference Slide Set
• 1996 PAM Conference Abstracts with links to complete articles in PDF format.
• Using PAM with Sprinkler Irrigation
• Water and erosion management with multiple applications of polyacrylamide in furrow irrigation
• Poster:Scanning Electron Micrographs of Polyacrylamide-Treated Soil in Irrigation Furrows
• Poster:Polyacrylamide Removes Microorganisms and Nutrients from Surface Water
• Poster:Use of PAM to Control Erosion From Raised Beds Under Sprinkler Irrigation

  ARS PAM links

• Forum- The Power of Polyacrylamides
• PAM Protects Against Pollutants and Pathogens
• PAM Keeps Soil In Its Place

  Other non-NWISRL PAM links

• PAM and Herbicides The influence of polyacrylamide on the movement of soil-applied herbicides in furrow-irrigated dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). "Using polyacrylamide (PAM) in surface irrigation can reduce soil erosion from furrow irrigated fields by 94% and increase infiltration by 15%. However, little is known how PAM may influence the movement of soil-applied herbicides. If this technology is to develop to its full potential, it is necessary to understand the influence that it may have on the movement of soil-applied herbicides both within the field and from the field." more
• PAM, Weed Seed, and Herbicides Scientists Examine Impacts Of Erosion-Stopping Soil Polymers "UI weed scientists Don Morishita and Pam Hutchinson and USDA soil scientist Bob Sojka will examine the effects of PAM on weed control in dry bean plots. The scientists estimate that PAM slashes erosion by 94 percent, but questions remain about just how it interacts with herbicides and weed seeds." more
• The use of PAM -- a linear polyacrylamide for use in irrigation water
• Learning About Polymers - The Macrogalleria is "A cyberwonderland of polymer fun where you can learn all kinds of nifty stuff about polymers and polymer science "

  PAM Information from other states / countries

• Alabama NRCS PAM Guidelines Erosion Control Using Anionic Polyacrylamide (PAM). (PDF file). "The product is typically used to minimize or control irrigation induced soil erosion and to reduce wind and/or precipitation induced erosion on disturbed areas such as construction sites where the timely establishment of vegetation may not be feasible." more (PDF file)
• Arizona PAM Research Soil Amendment Study on Long and Short Staple Cotton, Safford Agricultural Center, 2000. (PDF file). "Two soil amendments were applied to cotton beds prior to planting at rates of 5, 10, 15 and 20 pounds per acre, incorporated and planted to short staple (DP 655BR) or long staple (HTO) cotton." more (PDF file)
• Australian PAM Research "Potential Use of Polyacrylamide (PAM) in Australian Agriculture to Improve Off- and On-site Environmental Impacts and Infiltration Management." by R.E. Sojka and A. Surapaneni
• California PAM Review Polyacrylamide (PAM)--Effective Erosion Fighter and Infiltration Enhancer But Not a Conserver of Water "Since 1995, linear PAM polymer granules have been used commercially as effective erosion-fighting weapons. It can enhance infiltration in many soils." more
• Georgia Department of Transportation - Qualified Products List 84
  Anionic Polyacrylamide (PAM) (PDF file). "The following is a list of Anionic Polyacrylamide (PAM) for the use of sediment and erosion control at construction sites." more (PDF file)
• Idaho Conway Gulch Project: Conway Gulch Polyacrylamide Demonstration complete report in PDF format. "The demonstration was designed to show water quality improvements that could be made if PAM was used on a watershed-wide basis as a Best Management Practice." complete report in PDF format.
• Nebraska PAM Research Polyacrylamide(PAM) - A Method to Control Irrigation Induced Soil Erosion "Objective: Evaluate polyacrylamide for reducing soil erosion in furrow irrigation." more
• Oregon PAM Research Benefits and Costs of Applying Polyacrylamide (PAM) in Irrigated Furrows. "PAM is highly effective in reducing soil erosion off of fields and can increase water infiltration into irrigated furrows." more
• Texas PAM Research Gypsum and Polyacrylamide Soil Amendments Used With High Sodium Wastewater. "The present study tested the hypothesis that gypsum applied after disking and anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) applied in solution reduce crust formation and improve the infiltration rate of water into soil irrigated with water high in salt and sodium." more
• Washington State University PAM Application Fact Sheet " Application of Polyacrylamide Dry Granules for Surface Irrigation Erosion Control " (PDF file).
  Also available as " Aplicaci?n de Poliacrilamida en Gr?nulos Secos Para el Control de la Erosi?n del Suelo Bajo Riego en Hileras " (en Espa?ol)
• Integration of Surface Irrigation Techniques to Reduce Sediment Loading in the Yakima River Basin " (PDF file) as Presented in Tashkent, Uzbekistan - October 13 to 18, 2002
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Construction Site Uses of PAM - Interim Technical Standard: Sediment Control: Water Applicationof Anionic Polyacrylamide, Code 1051 (401kB PDF file). This standard is interim and will be revisited in 18 months [from Dec. 2002]. Contact the Technical Standards Coordinator at the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association (WLWCA) office at (608) 833-1833.
• Wisconsin: Department of Natural Resources - Conservation Practice Standard: Erosion Control: Land Applicationof Anionic Polyacrylamide, Code 1050 For questions contact Dr. Aicardo Roa: <ROA@CO.DANE.WI.US>.
• Video of Military Using PAM for Dust Abatement at a helicopter landing site. This is a 1.2MB Windows Media Video (.wmv) file that requires Internet Explorer with Windows Media Player to view it. It may not work in Netscape nor older versions of Internet Explorer. Download Video. This video is from Dr. Aicardo Roa roa@co.dane.wi.us.
• Wisconsin: Construction Site Uses of PAM Polyacrylamide as a Soil Stabilizer for Erosion Control (PDF file). "This report investigates the effectiveness of using a polyacrylamide soil stabilizer. A non-toxic chain string of organic molecules, as a soil stabilizer for controlling soil erosion on Wisconsin DOT construction projects." more (PDF file)
• Learning About Polymers A general search for the subject of polyacrylamide "in the chemical world" at the ChemIndustry.com website. more

  Cross-linked PAM information

  The focus of the NWISRL research for the past decade has been mainly on water soluble PAM's for erosion control and infiltration management. We have gotten many questions about crosslinked PAM's, which are a different class of compounds. They are not water soluble but instead are "super water absorbant" or "gel-forming" compounds and are not used for erosion control. We add this information for your convenience. For a bit more clarification see " The PAMphlet " on the main PAM page of the NWISRL website.
• Landscaping Uses of Cross-linked Polyacrylamide in the Western United States. "Xeriscape-related applications for cross-linked polyacrylamide, a water-absorbing polymer with a proven lifespan of six years and the capability of absorbing up to 400 times its weight in deionized water." more
• Polyacrylamide Gel and Compost. "Polyacrylamide gel, a modern garden product that absorbs water and releases it slowly to plants' roots." more
• Influence of Polyacrylamide on Physical Properties of a Peat-perlite Mix and on the Growth of Argyranthemum coronopifolium.
• Cross Linked PAM Report Polyacrylamide found to reduce soil erosion in furrows by up to 99 percent. "...PAM alone or in combination with HYDROGEL, a cross-linked polyacrylamide, has substantially increased yields in corn, onions, tomatoes, and peppers." more
• Jellyfish Contact Lenses Slices of jellyfish infused with your cornea! "Soft contact lenses are made of crosslinked polyacrylamide, which actually absorbs water, (will not dissolve) so it's a good material for contact lenses. OK, so if you take your soft contact lens and play with it, you'll notice that this polyacrylamide feels very similar to jellyfish flesh." more

  Acrylamide information

• Department of Food Safety, Cluster on Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments (FOS/SDE). Acrylamide Links "List of links to an acrylamide Frequently Asked Questions and more information on acrylamide." more
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Chemical Contaminants: Acrylamide in Food and FDA ANSWERS QUESTIONS ABOUT ACRYLAMIDE
• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet. NCI Fact Sheet - Acrylamide in Foods
• World Health Organization - Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality: Water Treatment Chemicals and Construction Materials. (PDF file)
• RegNet Environmental Services Information on PAM-related environmental regulations and PAM/AMD questions.
• CBC Corporate Radio-Canada: What is acrylamide anyway?
• FoodHACCP Newsletter: Acrylamide and Food: Questions and Answers