2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) This cooperative research proposal will investigate two key issues that are fundamental to the use of spent foundry sands (SFS) in manufactured topsoil blends. The first issue relates to fate and transport in the soil environment of metal and organic contaminants that may be present in SFS. The second issue relates to nutrient dynamics in blended topsoils that contain SFS. Specific project objectives will be to: · Determine the extent to which various contaminants and plant macronutrients could be leached from a blended topsoil material containing SFS, and identify soil characteristics and processes that control solubility and leaching. · Determine the extent of plant uptake of SFS contaminants and supply of plant available nutrients in a blended topsoil environment. · Compare quality characteristics and plant growth performance of commercially available topsoils and SFS-containing synthetic topsoil blends, and · Provide demonstration sites of beneficial utilization of SFS and technology and outcome transfer to the foundry industry, landscaping/turf/manufactured soil industries, and environmental regulatory agencies. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Laboratory characterization, greenhouse column experiments, and field plot experiments will be used to achieve the above objectives. The project will utilize SFS representative of the three main categories of binder systems for core molds: PUNB/PUCB, PNB/FNB, and Shell. During year one of the project SFS, composts, and subsoil materials that will become components of manufactured topsoils will be characterized in the laboratory, and mineralization experiments of SFS-compost blends will be conducted. These materials will then be combined in various treatment combinations and placed in columns for plant growth and leaching experiments. Results of these experiments will provide data for conducting environmental risk assessment of SFS used in soil environments, for prediction of nutrient availability and loss from SFS-containing synthetic soil blends, and for validation of the by-product blend model developed at Ohio State University. 3.Progress Report This report documents research that is being conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between ARS and The Pennsylvania State University and is associated with the in-house project 1265-12000-035-00D, “Benefits and Risks of Using Waste Foundry Sand for Agricultural and Horticultural Applications”. Grass growth on all experiment plots containing foundry sand continues to be good. Plots have been mowed and fertilized to maintain home lawn turf. Grass yield was determined on alternate mowings and clipping samples were collected for tissue analysis. During the spring of 2007 yield measurements and clipping samples were collected 3 times at each location. Composite samples of the three sampling dates will be analyzed for nutrient and trace element content. Leachate samples will continue to be collected and analyzed from all experiment plots until August 2007, when the project expires. To date we have collected a total of 414 leachate samples. All data will be analyzed and a final project report will be prepared. Plans are being made to hold a workshop on use of spent foundry sand for blended topsoils. The workshop will be held in State College on September 27, 2007. The target audience will be Pennsylvania foundry industry, landscaping, nursery and composting industry, and Department of Environmental Protection representatives. ADODR monitoring of the project is accomplished through conference calls and regular e-mails.