Freshwater Science: Impacts of Applying Drinking Water Residuals with Algal Toxins to Ohio Soils

Webinar: December 17, 2024 Water treatment residuals — the solids left behind from treating water — contain high-quality lime materials that soften water, and farmers often apply them to land to obtain optimum soil pH for crop production. However, the harmful algal bloom toxin microcystin, removed from water when treated for consumption, may be present in this useful material. Several studies have shown that microcystin, when applied to land, can be absorbed by vegetable crops, such as lettuce and carrots, and move through soil into groundwater, potentially threatening well water safety. Dr. Nicholas Basta of The Ohio State University studied whether applying lime residual containing microcystin to farmland could threaten crop quality or ground water. Researchers examined how the toxin moves through soil in both a laboratory bench study and on actual farmland applied with residuals in Celina, Ohio. Register Today

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