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Contaminants in Liquid Organic Fertilizers Used for Agriculture in Japan

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Abstract

To provide an overview of anthropogenic contaminants in liquid organic fertilizers (LOFs), products from four biogas plants in Kyushu, Japan, were analyzed for a wide range of contaminants, including copper, cadmium, tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT), perfluorooctane sulfonate, 952 semi-volatile organic compounds, and 89 antibiotics. The highest concentrations of copper (31.1 mg/L) and cadmium (0.08 mg/L) were found in LOFs from the Hita biogas plant. Only ofloxacin and sulfapyridine were detected in total 89 antibiotics screened. TBT, DBT, and perfluorooctane sulfonate were present at low concentrations in the LOFs from all four locations. Among the 952 semi-volatile organic compounds, 78 compounds were detected in at least one sample and were present at concentrations between 1.2 and 139.6 mg/L. On the basis of comparisons with previous studies and quality standards for the use of organic fertilizers, the concentrations of contaminants in the studied LOFs indicate that they might be safe for agricultural purposes.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development Scholarship program and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Grant No. 26310311). We are grateful to staff at the four biogas plants for their assistance with sample collection. We thanks to Center for Advanced Instrumental and Educational Supports, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University for technical advice for LCMS-IT-TOF analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

    Dao M. Hai, Xuchun Qiu, Hai Xu, Masato Honda, Yohei Shimasaki & Yuji Oshima

  2. Department of Coastal Aquaculture, College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Can Tho University, Campus II, 3/2 Street, Can Tho, Vietnam

    Dao M. Hai

  3. School of Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Xuefu Rd. 301, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China

    Hai Xu

  4. Laboratory of Environmental Economics, Division of International Agricultural Resource Economics and Business Administration, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Hakozaki 6-10-1, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

    Mitsuyasu Yabe

  5. Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, The University of Kitakyushu, 1-1 Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, 808-0135, Japan

    Kiwao Kadokami

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  1. Dao M. Hai
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  2. Xuchun Qiu
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  3. Hai Xu
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  4. Masato Honda
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  5. Mitsuyasu Yabe
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  6. Kiwao Kadokami
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  7. Yohei Shimasaki
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  8. Yuji Oshima
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Correspondence to Yuji Oshima.

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Hai, D.M., Qiu, X., Xu, H. et al. Contaminants in Liquid Organic Fertilizers Used for Agriculture in Japan. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 99, 131–137 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2081-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-017-2081-y

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