Environmental Impact of Exceptional Quality Biosolids Use in Urban Agriculture

Urban Farm DB summary

The impacts of exceptional quality (EQ) biosolids and inorganic fertilizer applied for rehabilitating anthropogenic soils on potential nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) water quality impairment risk were compared. After two years, reclamation rates of biosolids resulted in soil P saturation ratios greater than the recommended 30% but lower than the 65% limit. While nitrate N (NO3–N) posed the greatest nutrient leaching risk, lysimeter-collected mass loading of NO3–N from reclamation rates was not greater than for the inorganic fertilizer.