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Copper (Cu) products, including copper oxide nanoparticles (nCuO), are critically important agricultural fungicides and algaecides. Foliar application onto crops and subsequent aerosol drift of these Cu products, especially nCuO, on to soil may alter nutrient cycling and microbial communities in both managed and unmanaged environments. We measured the influence of land use on soil microbial biomass and respiration in response to the addition of nCuO to an alluvial soil. Different land uses included grassland, forest and both organic and conventional managed row crops. Soil samples were amended with 1000 mg Cu per kg soil as CuCl2, 16 nm CuO (16nCuO), 42 nm CuO (42nCuO), and larger than nanoparticle sized bulk CuO (bCuO). Copper availability immediately increased in all soils following Cu addition in the order of CuCl2 > 16nCuO > 42nCuO > bCuO. After 70 days Cu availability was diminished across land uses and lowest in soils treated with bCuO. Using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, we determined that the relatively high availability of Cu after treatment with nanoparticle sized CuO was due to the dissolution of CuO particles and subsequent adsorption by soil materials. Respiration, an indicator of microbial activity, was suppressed by Cu additions, especially CuCl2. Copper effects on soil microbial biomass were sensitive to land use. In agricultural soils, microbial biomass was unaltered by Cu form, regardless of concentration, whereas in unmanaged soils, it decreased following exposure to CuCl2 and 42nCuO. Our results suggest that land use history has little impact on Cu chemical fate in soils, but strongly modulates microbial response to Cu exposure. These results are especially important for organic agricultural systems where copper fungicides are widely used but may suppress microbial mineralization of nutrients from soil organic matter.

Copper (Cu) products, including copper oxide nanoparticles (nCuO), are critically important agricultural fungicides and algaecides. Foliar application onto crops and subsequent aerosol drift of these Cu products, especially nCuO, on to soil may alter nutrient cycling and microbial communities in both managed and unmanaged environments. We measured the influence of land use on soil microbial biomass and respiration in response to the addition of nCuO to an alluvial soil. Different land uses included grassland, forest and both organic and conventional managed row crops. Soil samples were amended with 1000 mg Cu per kg soil as CuCl2, 16 nm CuO (16nCuO), 42 nm CuO (42nCuO), and larger than nanoparticle sized bulk CuO (bCuO). Copper availability immediately increased in all soils following Cu addition in the order of CuCl2 > 16nCuO > 42nCuO > bCuO. After 70 days Cu availability was diminished across land uses and lowest in soils treated with bCuO. Using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, we determined that the relatively high availability of Cu after treatment with nanoparticle sized CuO was due to the dissolution of CuO particles and subsequent adsorption by soil materials. Respiration, an indicator of microbial activity, was suppressed by Cu additions, especially CuCl2. Copper effects on soil microbial biomass were sensitive to land use. In agricultural soils, microbial biomass was unaltered by Cu form, regardless of concentration, whereas in unmanaged soils, it decreased following exposure to CuCl2 and 42nCuO. Our results suggest that land use history has little impact on Cu chemical fate in soils, but strongly modulates microbial response to Cu exposure. These results are especially important for organic agricultural systems where copper fungicides are widely used but may suppress microbial mineralization of nutrients from soil organic matter.

A systematic study of ion-beam mixing of tracer impurities in thin metal films at low temperatures has been conducted. We have investigated the dependence of ion mixing on two matrix properties: atomic mass and cohesive energy. We have also studied the dependence of ion mixing on tracer impurity properties: its heat of mixing with the matrix and its thermal diffusivity in the matrix. The matrices investigated were thin films of C, Al, Ti, Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, Ru, Ag, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, and Au. The tracer impurities, Al, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Y, Nb, Mo, Ru, Ag, In, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au, and Bi, were deposited as ≤15 Å layers near the midplanes of the specimens. All the tracer and matrix elements, except C, were deposited sequentially, without breaking vacuum. The samples were irradiated with 300–1000-keV Kr ions to doses 1015–1016 ions/cm2 at temperatures of 6 and/or 77 K. Most samples were analyzed at the irradiation temperature by He backscattering. A strong correlation between ion mixing and the matrix properties, atomic mass, and cohesive energy, was observed. A correlation between ion mixing and tracer impurity diffusion was also observed but not between ion mixing and the heat of mixing or relative mass of the impurity with the matrix. The results are interpreted within the framework of a thermal spike model of cascade diffusion.

A systematic study of ion-beam mixing of tracer impurities in thin metal films at low temperatures has been conducted. We have investigated the dependence of ion mixing on two matrix properties: atomic mass and cohesive energy. We have also studied the dependence of ion mixing on tracer impurity properties: its heat of mixing with the matrix and its thermal diffusivity in the matrix. The matrices investigated were thin films of C, Al, Ti, Fe, Ni, Cu, Mo, Ru, Ag, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, and Au. The tracer impurities, Al, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Y, Nb, Mo, Ru, Ag, In, Sb, Hf, Ta, W, Pt, Au, and Bi, were deposited as ≤15 Å layers near the midplanes of the specimens. All the tracer and matrix elements, except C, were deposited sequentially, without breaking vacuum. The samples were irradiated with 300–1000-keV Kr ions to doses 1015–1016 ions/cm2 at temperatures of 6 and/or 77 K. Most samples were analyzed at the irradiation temperature by He backscattering. A strong correlation between ion mixing and the matrix properties, atomic mass, and cohesive energy, was observed. A correlation between ion mixing and tracer impurity diffusion was also observed but not between ion mixing and the heat of mixing or relative mass of the impurity with the matrix. The results are interpreted within the framework of a thermal spike model of cascade diffusion.