Accumulation of lead and arsenic by peanut grown on lead and arsenic contaminated soils amended with broiler litter ash or superphosphate

Authors: Codling, Eton

Submitted to: Journal of Plant Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2018
Publication Date: 4/23/2018
Citation: Codling, E.E. 2018. Accumulation of lead and arsenic by peanut grown on lead and arsenic contaminated soils amended with broiler litter ash or superphosphate. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 41(12):1615-1623. https://doi.org/10.1080/1904167.2018.1459696.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1904167.2018.1459696

Interpretive Summary: Lead and arsenic are toxic metals that can be harmful to humans when inhaled or ingested via the consumption of drinking water or of crops grown on lead and arsenic contaminated soils. Lead and arsenic in the environment comes from industrial activities and the use of arsenical herbicides and insecticides in agriculture. Phosphorus has been shown to be very effective in reducing lead solubility in soils. Broiler litter ash is a high phosphorus byproduct resulting from the incineration of broiler litter (wood shavings, straw, and chicken droppings) for the generation of electricity. Peanut is an important agricultural crop grown in the United States and the United States is one of the major producers and exporters of peanut. There are concern that land with history of lead and arsenic use may be use for peanut production. Objective of this study was to investigate the accumulation of lead and arsenic in peanut grown on lead and arsenic-contaminated soils amended with broiler litter ash and superphosphate. An urban soil high in lead and an orchard soils high in lead and arsenic were amended with three rate of phosphorus as broiler litter ash or superphosphate. Arsenic concentration was highest in peanut kernel grown on the orchard soil compare to those grown on the urban soil. Kernel lead concentration was below the instrument detection limit in all cases. Land with a history of lead arsenate application should be tested for arsenic before it is used for peanut production.

Technical Abstract: Lead and arsenic are toxic metals that can be harmful to humans when inhaled or ingested via the consumption of drinking water or of crops grown on lead and arsenic contaminated soils. Lead and arsenic in the environment comes from industrial activities and the use of arsenical herbicides and insecticides in agriculture. Phosphorus has been shown to be very effective in reducing lead solubility in soils. Broiler litter ash is a high phosphorus byproduct resulting from the incineration of broiler litter (wood shavings, straw, and chicken droppings) for the generation of electricity. Peanut is an important agricultural crop grown in the United States and the United States is one of the major producers and exporters of peanut. There are concern that land with history of lead and arsenic use may be use for peanut production. Objective of this study was to investigate the accumulation of lead and arsenic in peanut grown on lead and arsenic-contaminated soils amended with broiler litter ash and superphosphate. An urban soil and an orchard soil with lead concentrations of 1120 and 272 mg kg 1, respectively, and arsenic concentrations of 6.9 and 90 mg kg 1, respectively, were amended with three rates (0, 56, and 112 kg ha 1) of phosphorus supplied as broiler litter ash or superphosphate and planted with peanuts. At harvest, peanut kernel arsenic concentration was 2.9 mg kg 1 in plants grown on the orchard soil and 0.003 mg kg 1 in those grown on the urban soil. Kernel arsenic was not significantly affected by phosphorus source and was not significantly different between the normal and high phosphorus rates. Kernel lead concentration was below the instrument detection limit in all cases. Land with a history of lead arsenate application should be tested for arsenic before it is used for peanut production.