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A Protocol for Collecting and Constructing Soil Core Lysimeters
Published on: June 6, 2016
Leachate migration from spent mushroom substrate through intact and repacked subsurface soil columns
1Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901, USA. mguo@desu.edu
Waste Management (New York, N.Y.)
|November 29, 2005
Summary
Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) leachate moves rapidly through soil via preferential flow, potentially impacting groundwater. Management strategies should control leachate runoff to protect water resources.
Area of Science:
- Soil Science
- Environmental Science
- Agrochemistry
Background:
- Field weathering of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) generates leachate rich in dissolved organic matter (DOM) and salts.
- Leachate percolation into soils poses a risk to groundwater quality.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the movement and retention of SMS leachate solutes in subsurface soil.
- Understand the impact of leachate on soil chemistry and water transport.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory experiments using intact and repacked soil columns (Bt1 soil).
- Passive loading of SMS leachate and monitoring of effluent chemical composition.
- Analysis of solute transport, sorption, and biodegradation.
Main Results:
- Preferential flow dominated in intact cores; matrix flow in repacked columns.
- DOM and phosphate were sorbed; Cl-, SO4(2-), Na+, and NH4+ were eluted.
- Leachate K+ displaced native cations; DOM biodegradation affected soil Mn and Fe.
- Gypsum and CaCO3 precipitation reduced leachate movement.
Conclusions:
- SMS leachate initially migrates rapidly via preferential flow, then slower matrix flow.
- Solutes can reach deeper soil layers through preferential channels.
- Protecting water resources requires controlled SMS weathering and leachate management.
