Kaitlyn Bensen's Graduate Defense Seminar

A Graduate Defense Seminar will be presented by Kaitlyn Bensen, MS Candidate in Soil Science, on Thursday, April 6, at 2:00 p.m. She will present Assessment of Soil Quality Parameters of Long-term Biosolides Amended Urban Soils and Dredge Blends in 370 Kottman Hall.

The overall objective of this study was to use a soil quality assessment to evaluate long term soil restoration and development of soil dredge blends for restoration.

Part 1 of this study compared soil quality of an urban site treated with biosolids or compost. Multiple parameters were compared over years of sampling to conclude that biosolids-based treatments lead to overall greater soil quality than compost treatments. In Part 2, soil quality parameters were used to assess dredge as a main ingredient in manufactured soil blends. With Ohio regulation changing how dredge must be disposed of, research into the beneficial reuse of soil-like dredge material is vital.

Blends were designed incorporating dredge materials, composts and clay followed by a bioassay growing rye grass. Interesting findings from this study include that the smaller size fraction dredge materials believed to be unsuitable for reuse resulted in greater soil quality for multiple parameters.

Advisor: Nicholas Basta