Phosphorus adsorption on sandy mine tailings: a comparison of treatments with fertilizers, wood ash, and compost

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dc.contributor.authorOrndorff, Zenah W.en
dc.contributor.departmentCrop and Soil Environmental Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-14T21:42:52Zen
dc.date.adate2009-08-14en
dc.date.available2014-03-14T21:42:52Zen
dc.date.issued1995en
dc.date.rdate2009-08-14en
dc.date.sdate2009-08-14en
dc.description.abstractApproximately 378 million metric tons of soil in the Upper Coastal Plain of Virginia and North Carolina may be processed during proposed titanium mining.. This area is prime agricultural land, and with proper management productivity can be maintained with treated mine tailings. Since P is usually a limiting plant nutrient, proper P fertilization is essential for continued agricultural productivity. Seven different soil systems including unamended tailings (UT), a series of 5 treatments with fertilizers, wood ash, and increasing rates of compost (treatments 1, 3, 6, 8, and 9), and natural soil (NS) were evaluated and compared with regards to P status. Comparisons were based on standard Langmuir adsorption isotherms, Mehlich III extractable-P, and selected chemical and physical properties including pH, cation exchange capacity, compost rate, and specific surface area. Phosphorus adsorption decreased in the order UT, 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, and NS. Decrease in P adsorption was due primarily to increasing organic matter which both physically blocks P adsorption sites, and competes for these sites. Previous addition of large amounts of P fertilizer caused a decrease in P adsorption by occupying some adsorption sites. Wood ash increased pH, which decreased anion exchange capacity and thereby decreased P adsorption. Treatment 9 (12% compost) most closely resembled the natural soil in terms of P status. Agriculturally, economically, and environmentally, the tailings may be suitably managed with high compost rates, an initial heavy application of P fertilizer, and lighter yearly supplements of P fertilizer.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.extentviii, 69 leavesen
dc.format.mediumBTDen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.otheretd-08142009-040609en
dc.identifier.sourceurlhttp://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-08142009-040609/en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/44247en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.relation.haspartLD5655.V855_1995.O764.pdfen
dc.relation.isformatofOCLC# 34371562en
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectLangmuir isothermen
dc.subjecttitaniumen
dc.subject.lccLD5655.V855 1995.O764en
dc.titlePhosphorus adsorption on sandy mine tailings: a comparison of treatments with fertilizers, wood ash, and composten
dc.typeThesisen
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineCrop and Soil Environmental Sciencesen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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