ROOT-ZONE WATER-QUALITY AS AFFECTED BY INCORPORATION OF SHREDDED NEWSPRINT

Experiments to examine the effects on root-zone water quality by deep trenching disposal of municipal shredded newsprint in agricultural pro duction soils were conducted in Alabama, USA. Three treatments were ex amined during the study. In two treatments, a 25:1 carbon/nitrogen (C: N) ratio was examined by mixing poultry litter or liquid ammonium nitr ate (NH4NO3) with the shredded newsprint. The third treatment examined cellulose (125:1 C:N) only. The water quality data from two depths (0 .6 and 1.2 m) adjacent to the trenches (within 5 cm) and from a no tre nch area (> 1.5 m from the trenches) suggest that there is no leaching of P and K. Nitrogen, as measured by total Kjeldahl (TKN) and nitrate (NO3-), showed mobility next to the trenches. Nitrate movement below the 1.2 m depth occurred using cellulose only. The poultry litter/cell ulose mixture showed little NO3--N vertical movement and the NH4NO3/ce llulose mixture showed some NO3--N movement next to the trenches.