Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026
08:49
Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff
Published on: May 15, 2017
Assessing long-term environmental risks of trace elements in phosphate fertilizers
Weiping Chen1, Andrew C Chang, Laosheng Wu
1Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA. chenweip@yahoo.com.cn
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
|February 14, 2007
Summary
Fertilizer use can lead to arsenic and cadmium accumulation in soils. While normal farming doesn't significantly alter arsenic levels, cadmium-containing fertilizers pose a food chain risk, with current regulations potentially insufficient.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Soil Science
- Agricultural Science
Background:
- Growing concern exists regarding arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) accumulation in agricultural soils from fertilizer applications.
- Trace element contamination in soils poses risks to food safety and environmental health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and utilize a generalized trace element mass balance model for evaluating the long-term fate and transport of As and Cd in cropland soils.
- To assess the effectiveness of current fertilizer regulations in preventing soil accumulation of these heavy metals.
Main Methods:
- Development of a generalized trace element mass balance model.
- Simulation of As and Cd fate and transport under normal cropping practices and with Cd-containing phosphorus (P) fertilizers.
- Sensitivity analyses to identify key factors influencing trace element behavior (e.g., solid-solution partitioning, plant uptake).
Main Results:
- Normal cropping practices showed minimal impact on total soil As content.
- Application of Cd-containing P fertilizers can lead to significant Cd accumulation in soils over time, increasing food chain transfer risks.
- Current state regulations for As and Cd in fertilizers may not be sufficiently stringent to prevent Cd accumulation.
Conclusions:
- Cd accumulation from P fertilizers is a significant long-term risk in agricultural soils.
- Existing fertilizer regulations require re-evaluation to ensure adequate protection against Cd buildup.
- Model parameter variability, particularly solid-solution partitioning and plant uptake, introduces uncertainty in assessing trace element fate.
Related Concept Videos
01:21The Phosphorus Cycle
Unlike carbon, water, and nitrogen, phosphorus is not present in the atmosphere as a gas. Instead, most phosphorus in the ecosystem exists as compounds, such as phosphate ions (PO43-), found in soil, water, sediment and rocks. Phosphorus is often a limiting nutrient (i.e., in short supply). Consequently, phosphorus is added to most agricultural fertilizers, which can cause environmental problems related to runoff in aquatic ecosystems.
01:23Toxicity Testing in Animals
Toxicity tests in animals are grounded on two main assumptions: first, the effects observed in laboratory animals can be extrapolated to humans, especially when adjusted for body surface area; second, high-dose exposure in animals is essential to identify potential human hazards from lower doses. This is based on the quantal dose-response concept, which faces the challenge of extrapolating results from relatively few test animals to much larger human populations. For example, a 0.01% incidence...