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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbus, Ohio » Soil Drainage Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #263074

Title: Use of industrial byproducts to filter PO43- and pesticides in golf green drainage water

Author
item Agrawal, Sheela
item King, Kevin
item MOORE, JAMES - Us Golf Course Association
item Levison, Philip
item MCDONALD, JON - Kristar Enterprises, Inc

Submitted to: Ohio Academy of Science Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/12/2011
Publication Date: 5/10/2011
Citation: Agrawal, S.G., King, K.W., Moore, J.F., Levison, P.W., Mcdonald, J. 2011. Use of industrial byproducts to filter PO43- and pesticides in golf green drainage water [abstract]. Ohio Academy of Science Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Golf courses are vulnerable to phosphate (PO43-) and pesticide loss by infiltration because of the sandy, porous grass rooting media used and presence of subsurface tile drainage. In this study, a blend of industrial byproducts, including granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS), cement kiln dust (CKD), silica sand, coconut shell activated carbon (CS AC), and zeolite, was used to capture PO43-, chlorothalonil, mefenoxam, and propiconazole in putting green drainage water. Two, six-hour storm events were simulated by repeated irrigation of the golf green immediately following a PO43- and pesticide application. Drainage flows ranged from 0.0034 L/s to 0.6433 L/s throughout the course of the simulations. A significant decrease in chlorothalonil load for the experimental run was observed compared to the control (N = 6, p < 0.05). The median decrease in chlorothalonil was 69.35%, while that of the control was 0%. The highest reduction of chlorothalonil was 96.46% and occurred at time = 45 min (2700 s), and a flow of 843.16 L/s. In general, percent reductions in chlorothalonil were very high (> 80%) near peak flows. In contrast, the filter material did not remove significant quantities of PO43-, mefenoxam, nor propiconazole (N = 6, p > 0.05). High flow rates, minimal contact time with filter media, pesticide chemistry, preferential flow, and sorption, ion exchange, and precipitation kinetics may all have influenced the filter contaminant removal efficiency. More research is needed to determine the optimal blend and configuration for the filter media to remove significant amounts of all contaminants investigated.