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In Your Back yard (April 2008)
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Research
- 26 Peer reviewed scientific papers supporting the position that phosphorus from fertilizer can runoff into surface water bodies.
Prepared by Jerry Spetzman Minnesota Department of Agriculture
with additions by Christine Smith Maine Department of Environmental Protection
1. Effects of Lawn Fertilizer on Nutrient Concentrations in Runoff from Lakeshore Lawns, Lauderdale Lakes, Wisconsin, USGS Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4130, Herbert S. Garn, July 2002.
http://wi.water.usgs.gov/pubs/wrir-02-4130/wrir-02-4130.pdf
"Runoff from lawn sites with nonphosphorus fertilizer applications had a median total phosphorus concentration that was similar to that of unfertilized sites, an indication that nonphosphorus fertilizer use may be an effective, low-cost practice for reducing phosphorus in runoff."
2. Fertility Levels of Minnesota Lawn and Garden Soils, Agricultural Experiment Station University of Minnesota, John Grava, William Fenster. 1979
"A relatively high phosphorus buildup in Minnesota garden and lawn soils is indicated by the summary data reported in Tables 6 and 9." "There is a need for a popularly available nitrogen-potassium fertilizer containing no phosphorus to meet the requirements of many lawns and gardens."
3. Sources of Pollutants in Wisconsin Stormwater, Water Science Technology 28: 241-259, R.T. Bannerman, 1993.
"Lawns and driveways contribute large phosphorus loads in the residential land use."
4. Relationship between Phosphorus Levels in Three Ultisols and Phosphorus Concentrations in Runoff, Journal of Environmental Quality 28:170-175, D.H.Pote, 1999.
"Soils that contain high phosphorus can become a primary source of dissolved reactive phosphorus in runoff, and thus contribute to accelerated eutrophication of surface waters."
5. The Impact of Soil and Fertilizer Phosphorus on the Environment, Advances in Agronomy, Volume 41, A.N. Sharpley, 1987.
"In any discussion of the impact of soil and fertilizer phosphorus on the environment, the detrimental effects must be considered along with the benefits."
6. Phosphorus Leaching from Soils Containing Different Phosphorus Concentrations in the Broadbalk Experiment, Journal of Environmental Quality 24: 904-910, G. Heckrath, 1995.
"The results suggest enhanced phosphorus losses through subsurface runoff on heavy soils, once a certain plow layer concentration of Olsen-P is exceeded."
7. Sources of Phosphorus in Stormwater and Street Dirt from Two Urban Residential Basins in Madison, Wisconsin, 1994-95, US Geological Survey, R.J. Waschbusch, 1999.
http://wi.water.usgs.gov/pubs/WRIR-99-4021/index.html
"Lawns and streets are the largest sources of total and dissolved phosphorus in the basins. Their combined contribution was approximately 80 percent, with lawns contributing more than the streets."
8. Nutrients and Sediment in Runoff from Creeping Bentgrass and Perennial Ryegrass Turfs, Journal of Environmental Quality 26:1248-1254, Douglas Linde, 1997
"On golf fairways, off-site movement of nutrients may happen if runoff occurs soon after granular fertilizer is applied to a nearly saturated soil."
9. Determining Environmentally Sound Soil Phosphorus Levels, Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 51(2): 160-166, Andrew Sharpley 1996.
"The concentration of phosphorus in runoff is related to the amount of phosphorus in the surface layer of soil, which reacts with rainfall-runoff. This relationship can be used as the theoretical basis to establish critical soil test phosphorus levels, above which phosphorus enrichment of runoff becomes unacceptable."
10. Depth of Surface Soil-runoff Interaction as Affected by Rainfall, Soil Slope, and Management, Soil Science Society of America Journal 49: 1010-1015, A.N Sharpley, 1985.
"Phosphorus and other adsorbed chemicals, such as pesticides, are released from a thin layer of surface soil that interacts with rainfall and runoff."
11. Response of Turf and Quality of Water Runoff to Manure and Fertilizer, Soil & Crop Sciences Department and Agricultural Engineering Department, Texas A & M University, J.E. Gandreau.
"Unused nutrients near the soil surface could be transported in surface runoff and be detrimental to water quality." "Total dissolved phosphorus losses in runoff above those of the control were 1.4 times greater for fertilizer than for manure when both were applied in two applications at equal phosphorus rates. Under the relatively large phosphorus rates on steep slopes of turfgrass, phosphorus and nitrogen losses in runoff during natural rain events were no greater for composted manure than for fertilizer sources of phosphorus."
12. An integrated approach for modeling and managing golf course water quality and ecosystem diversity, Ecological Modeling 133: 259-267, K.R.Mankin, 2000.
"Sustainable water quality management must include proper soil and water conservation, irrigation scheduling, and fertilizer and pesticide management."
13. Surface Runoff Losses of Phosphorus and other Nutrient Elements from Fertilized Grassland, Norwegian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 3: 47-55, Gotfred Uhlen, 1988.
"Phosphorus addition in fertilizer increased runoff losses from grassland."
14. Bioavailable phosphorus dynamics in agricultural soils and effects on water quality, Geoderma 67: 1-15, Andrew Sharpley, 1995.
"The transport of bioavailable phosphorus (i.e. algal available) in agricultural runoff can accelerate freshwater eutrophication."
15. Modeling the Impacts of Management Practices on Agricultural Phosphorus Losses to Surface Waters of Finland, Water Science Technology 12: 265-272, S. Rekolainen, 1999.
"The reduction in grassland fertilization rapidly decreased loss of dissolved phosphorus in northern Finland."
16. Loading Rates of Nutrients Discharging from a Golf Course and a Neighboring Forested Basin, Water Science Technology 39: 99-107, Takao Kunimatsu,, 1999.
"These results indicated the importance of controlling the phosphorus loading for the management of golf courses."
17. Influence of Buffers on Pesticide and Nutrient Runoff from Bermudagrass Turf, Journal of Environmental Quality 26: 1589-1598, J.T. Cole, 1997.
"Buffers were effective in reducing pesticide and nutrient runoff due in part to dilution."
18. The Transport of Bioavailable Phosphorus in Agricultural Runoff, Journal of Environmental Quality 21: 30-35, Andrew Sharpley, 1992.
"Phosphorus bioavailability is a dynamic function of physiochemical processes controlling erosion, particle size enrichment, phosphorus desorption-dissolution reactions, and plant residue breakdown, in addition to soil and fertilizer phosphorus management."
19. Best Management Practices to Reduce Pesticide and Nutrient Runoff from Turf, American Chemical Society, Chapter 16, J.H. Baird, 2000.
"Surface runoff is a primary means for potential loss of pesticides and nutrients from turf."
20. Soil Test Calibration for Establishment of Turfgrass Monostands, Soil Science Society of America Journal 47: 1161-1166, J.R. Turner, 1983.
"Differences (in turf growth) due to phosphorus tended to diminish with time, indicating that where rapid establishment is not critical, 60kg/ha of phosphorus in this soil may be sufficient to obtain satisfactory stands of the species investigated."
21. Turfgrass, Number 32 in the series AGRONOMY, S.H. Mickelson, 1992
"No added phosphorus is needed for establishment of turf-grass on soil with initial phosphorus levels this high."
22. Agricultural Phosphorus and Eutrophication: A Symposium Overview, Journal of Environmental Quality 27: 251-257, T.C. Daniel, 1998.
"Phosphorus in runoff from agricultural land is an important component of nonpoint-source pollution and can accelerate eutrophication of lakes and streams. Long-term land application of phosphorus as fertilizer and animal wastes has resulted in elevated levels of soil phosphorus in many locations in the USA. Problems with soils high in phosphorus are often aggravated by the proximity of many of these areas to phosphorus sensitive water bodies."
23. Agricultural Phosphorus and Eutrophication, USDA, Agricultural Research Service - 149, A.N. Sharpley, 1999.
"Several myths about phosphorus still exist:
— Soils are infinite sinks for phosphorus.
— Phosphorus does not move through the soil.
— Erosion control will stop phosphorus losses in runoff.
— We don't know enough."
24. Phosphorus Export from a Low-density Residential Watershed and an Adjacent Forested Watershed. Lake and Reservoir Management, Volume II, J. Dennis, 1986.
"Total phosphorus export can be 5 to 10 times greater in a low-density residential watershed than a naturally forested watershed."
25. Nutrient Movement from Septic Tanks and Lawn Fertilization. Tech. Bull. 73-5 Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, Michigan, B. Ellis and K. Childs 1973.
"The movement of phosphorus and nitrogen does occur in various soil types depending upon the amount of fertilizer added. These nutrients also moved into the groundwater from septic systems."
26. Sources of Contamination in an Urban Basin in Marquette, Michigan and an Analysis of Concentrations, Loads and Data Quality. US Geological Survey Water- Resources report 97-4242, J Steuer, W. Selbig, N. Hornewer and J. Prey, 1997
"Residential lawns generated the greatest concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus."
The following research has not yet been published in a peer reviewed scientific journal:
1. Contributions of Nitrogen and Phosphorus to Surface and Groundwater from a Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn, Wayne Kussow, University of Wisconsin Department of Soil Science, 2000.
"These conclusions should by no means serve as a green light to indiscriminately and irresponsibly apply fertilizer on home lawns. It is irresponsible to apply more nitrogen than required to maintain an attractive lawn and to apply phosphate and potash when they are not needed."
2. Suburban Lawn Runoff Water Quality in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, 1996 and 1997, John Barten, Suburban Hennepin Regional Park District, 1997.
"The lawn runoff data collected in 1996 and 1997 indicate that the application of phosphorus fertilizer to lawns with very high levels of fertility (approximately 70 percent of suburban TCMA lawns) significantly increases the amount of phosphorus transported into the storm water system by rainfall runoff."
3. Phosphorus Doesn't Migrate in Ground Water? Better Think Again! USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, 2003.
http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/phosphorous_migration.html
"Contrary to what groundwater scientists have thought, phosphorus does migrate in ground water. This research raises concerns that land disposal of wastewater through infiltration basins and septic leaching fields can lead to discharge of phosphate-enriched ground water to sensitive lakes and streams."
4. Phosphorus runoff from study watersheds MI University of Minnesotta Duluth, G. Host, 2001
http://www.lakeaccess.org/lakedata/lawnfertilizer/recentresults.htm
