Effect of soil properties on microcystin mobility and bioavailability in land-applied drinking water treatment residuals.

Drinking water treatment residual (DWTR) demonstrates significant potential as a soil amendment in agricultural applications, particularly for the capacity to adsorb dissolved phosphorus from runoff water and reduce heavy metal bioavailability. However, in regions affected by cyanobacterial bloom problems, DWTR may accumulate substantial microcystin (MC) during water treatment processes. Thus, the land application of the DWTR raises concerns regarding potential MC release into agricultural soils and subsequent bioaccumulation in crops. In this study, a column and field experiment were conducted to determine the potential fate and transport of MC in soil systems and crop uptake patterns. Results demonstrated that soil physicochemical properties, including cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic carbon (OC) content, oxalate-extractable Fe (Fe), oxalate-extractable Al (Al), silt and clay content, significantly inhibited MC leaching, while elevated sand content corresponded with enhanced MC mobility. Field investigation revealed predominant MC accumulation within the 0-5 cm soil layer, while MC was not detected (<0.14 μg kg) in soybean (Glycine max L.) foliar tissues or grains. These findings suggest that DWTR application, when implemented within established agricultural parameters, presents minimal risk to human health through dietary exposure pathways. This study provides valuable insights regarding the agronomic utilization of DWTR in agricultural systems while maintaining environmental and public health safety standards.