SGER: Nitrogen Oxide Flux from Sludge-Amended Soil

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9727886 Peirce This is an award to support the exploratory phase of a research project to determine the impact that land application of sludge has on ozone pollution in the lower levels of the troposphere. The investigator will conduct laboratory experiments to determine the flux of reactive nitrogen oxide from agricultural soils in the absence of nitrogen amendments, in soils that have been amended with sludge and soils fertilized chemically. Soils to be investigated will be obtained from agricultural land comparable to that currently being used for land application of sludge. Sludge will be obtained from the Chapel Hill, North Carolina wastewater treatment plant. Results of laboratory experiments will be compared with those from field studies to determine the scope of additional research needed to relate existing knowledge of the flux of reactive nitrogen oxide from natural and chemically fertilized soils to soils that are used for sludge management. The proposal leading to this award was submitted under Special Guidelines for Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGER) in NSF 95-27, Grant Proposal Guide. Conditions relating to production, transport and emission of nitrogen oxide from natural and chemically fertilized soils are currently well defined. Recent emphasis on aggressive use of land for sludge management suggests determining whether this knowledge is sufficient to establish nitrogen oxide emission characteristics from these soils and their role in contributing to emission and formation of atmospheric ozone. Results of this project are expected to be used in determining the need further research to guide engineering design of land application systems for management of sludges and conditions under which air pollution from this source can be minimized or eliminated. ***