Influence of polyacrylamide application to soil on movement of microorganisms in runoff water

La Influencia de la Aplicacion del Poliacrilamido al Suelo en el Movimiento de Microorganismos en el Agua de Deslave

Sojka, R.E. and Entry, J.A. (2000) Influence of polyacrylamide application to soil on movement of microorganisms in runoff water. Environmental Pollution. 108:405-412.

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Abstract

Polyacrylamide (PAM) use in irrigation for erosion control has increased water infiltration and reduced soil erosion. This has
improved runoff water quality via lower concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous, and pesticides, and decreased biological oxygen
demand. Since non-toxic high molecular weight anionic PAMs removed clay size sediment particles in flowing water, we hypothesized
that PAM would effectively remove or immobilize microorganisms in flowing water. In an agricultural field, we determined
the efficacy of PAM-treatment of furrow irrigation water to remove several categories of microorganisms in the inflow and runoff.
Treatments were: (I) PAM application and a control; (2) three flow rates; (3) two distances from the inflow point; and (4) three
times during each irrigation. After water traveled 1 m at 7.5 and 15.5 1 min-1 , PAM-treatment reduced total bacterial and microbial
biomass and total fungal biomass relative to the control treatment. After water traveled 40 m at 7.5, 15.5, and 22.5 1 min-1
PAM-treatment reduced algae, the numbers active and total bacteria, active and total fungal length, and total bacterial biomass,
total fungal and microbial biomass relative to the control treatment. Although specific organisms were not identified or monitored
in this study, the results clearly have implications for controlling the spread of soil-borne plant pathogens and other classes of
harmful organisms within and among fields via irrigation water and in re-utilized return flows. Beyond furrow-irrigated agriculture,
new methods to manage overland transmission of harmful microorganisms could potentially help control transport of pathogens
from animal waste in runoff and groundwater.

Item Type:	Article
NWISRL Publication Number:	1010
Subjects:	Irrigation > Furrow irrigation > Runoff losses Polyacrylamide (PAM) > Water-soluble PAM (WSPAM) > Application Strategies Polyacrylamide (PAM) > Water-soluble PAM (WSPAM) > Runoff Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Dan Stieneke
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:50
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2016 17:30
Item ID:	99
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/99