XV. PAM for Construction Sites and Other Disturbed Lands XVI. Canal and Pond Sealing

Anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) has been sold since 1995 to reduce irrigation-induced erosion and enhance infiltration. Its soil stabilizing and flocculating properties improve runoff water quality by reducing sediments, N, dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and total P, chemical oxygen demand (COD), pesticides, weed seeds, and microorganisms in runoff. PAM used for erosion control is a large (12-15 Mg mol-1) water-soluble (non-cross-linked) anionic molecule, containing <0.05 % acrylamide monomer. In a series of field studies, PAM eliminated 80-99 % (94 % avg.) of sediment in runoff from furrow irrigation, with a 15-50 % infiltration increase compared to controls on medium to fine-textured soils. Similar but less dramatic results occur with sprinkler irrigation. In sandy soils infiltration is often unchange