On the contribution of background sources to the heavy metal content of municipal sewage sludge

2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Koch ◽  
W. Rotard
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Metal Content ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Faecal Excretion ◽  
Soil Application ◽  
Metal Load

The role of human excretion, drinking water, and deposition as a source of heavy metals to municipal sewage was investigated and compared with common levels in sludge for soil application. These sources contributed more than half of the copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and lead (Pb) content of municipal sewage sludge for soil application, while other sources dominated the fluxes of chromium (Cr) and cadmium (Cd). Drinking water was an important source for Cu and Zn. Deposition contributed about 40% to the Pb flux. Faecal excretion commonly caused less than 10% of the heavy metal load, while urinary excretion was here a negligible heavy metal source.

scholarly journals Evaluating the effects of sewage sludge compost applications on the microbial activity, the nutrient and heavy metal content of a Chernozem soil in a field survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Farsang ◽  
Izabella Babcsányi ◽  
Zsuzsanna Ladányi ◽  
Katalin Perei ◽  
Attila Bodor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Metal Content ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Chernozem Soil ◽  
Heavy Metal Concentrations ◽  
Aerobic And Anaerobic

Abstract Sewage sludge contains organic matter and micro and macronutrients which are potentially useful for agricultural usage. However, it can be harmful when containing undesirable amounts of organic pollutants, heavy metals, or pathogens. Our study focused on examining the changes in the extractable nutrient, organic matter and heavy metal contents of a Chernozem soil and the alteration of the soil biological activity as a consequence of low-dose municipal sewage sludge compost applications (0.5 t/ha). Sampling campaigns were done in 2018 near Újkígyós (SE Hungary) during which composite soil samples (0–30 cm and 30–60 cm) and groundwater samples were collected for assessing changes in the nutrient and heavy metal concentrations as a result of compost amendments’ use. Additionally, upper soil (0–50 cm) and subsoil (50–80 cm) were sampled for assessing biological parameters, considered to be aerobic and anaerobic soil layers, respectively. Soil samples were analyzed for the basic pedological parameters (pH, organic matter, carbonates and texture), nutrients (K2O, P2O5, N-forms and organic matter) and heavy metal concentrations following standard extraction procedures. The microbial properties were characterized by colony-forming units (CFUs) and enzyme activity measurements. The results of the nutrient analyses show significantly increased soil-bound K2O, P2O5 and NO2− + NO3− contents linked to the sewage sludge treatments. However, neither the organic matter nor the heavy metal content varied significantly in the sludge-amended soil compared with a control site. The microbiological analyses revealed that the sewage sludge treatments tended to increase the aerobic CFUs, but not that of the anaerobic microbes. The average catalase enzyme activity in both the aerobic and anaerobic samples and the average dehydrogenase activity only in the aerobic layers showed a slight but not significant increase in the compost-amended soils. Overall, these results convincingly demonstrated that amending soils with low doses of municipal sewage sludge composts (lacking any industrial sources) can be a sustainable fertilizing practice taking advantage of their high N, P and K contents that are slowly converted to their bioavailable forms thus preventing their excessive leaching in the groundwater.

Multielement Relationships Characterizing the Chemical Composition of Municipal Sewage Sludge in Southern Quebec

1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 751-770
Author(s):  
C. Bellehumeur ◽  
L. Vasseur ◽  
C. Ansseau ◽  
B. Marcos
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Metal Content ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
Sludge Disposal ◽  
Forest Lands

Abstract Disposal of sewage sludge on agricultural or forest lands has been shown to be an economical means of sludge disposal which reduces the amount of waste going to landfills and returns nutrients to the soil. The heavy metal content of sludge generally depends on the composition of influents and on the treatment process. The present study considers the sludge chemical composition of 23 municipalities in southern Quebec and the heavy metal concentrations in their respective drinking water supplies. This study attempts to determine the main multielement relationships characterizing sludge composition, and to verify the occurrence of a possible link between chemical element concentration in sludge and in water supplies. The main phenomena influencing the chemical composition of municipal sewage sludge were modeled by using principal component analysis. The analysis shows that Cu concentration in sludges highly correlates with the organic nitrogen, and a series of metals (Cd-Co-Cr-Ni-Pb) are deposited independently of N and P. The activated sludge process removes a greater quantity of N than aerated lagoons, but heavy metals are generally more concentrated in aerated lagoons. The metal level found in water supplies slightly correlates with the metal content of sludge. Treatment plants showing metal contamination problems are found in regions with high natural geo-chemical levels of metals.

scholarly journals The role of sulfate reduction in methanogenic digestion of municipal sewage sludge.

1992 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
KATSUJI UEKI ◽  
ATSUKO UEKI ◽  
KIYOSHI TAKAHASHI ◽  
MASAKAZU IWATSU
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Sulfate Reduction ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge

scholarly journals The effect of cellulose production waste and municipal sewage sludge on biomass and heavy metal uptake by a plant mixture

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (31) ◽  
pp. 31101-31112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Antonkiewicz ◽  
Robert Pełka ◽  
Marta Bik-Małodzińska ◽  
Grażyna Żukowska ◽  
Katarzyna Gleń-Karolczyk
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Metal Uptake ◽  
Production Waste ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Heavy Metal Uptake ◽  
Cellulose Production ◽  
Plant Mixture

scholarly journals Impact of Low-Dose Municipal Sewage Sludge Compost Treatments on the Nutrient and the Heavy Metal Contents in a Chernozem Topsoil Near Újkígyós, Hungary: A 5-Year Comparison

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zsuzsanna Ladányi ◽  
Katalin Csányi ◽  
Andrea Farsang ◽  
Katalin Perei ◽  
Attila Bodor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Low Dose ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Sludge Compost ◽  
Sewage Sludge Compost ◽  
Metal Contents

AbstractAgriculture is one of the major fields, where sewage sludge can be used. Its high nutrient content can contribute to the improvement of important soil properties, such as nutrient content, water balance and soil structure. However, sewage sludge may contain hazardous components, such as pathogens and pollutants. Therefore, it is important to monitor the effects of its field application. In this paper, we assessed the impacts of two low-dose (2.5 m3/ha) municipal sewage sludge compost applications (in 2013 and in 2017) in a 5.6 ha arable land in southeast Hungary (near Újkígyós), located in the Hungarian Great Plain. The nutrient and the heavy metal contents in the upper soil layer (0-30 cm) of the studied Chernozem soils were compared between two sampling campaigns in 2013 (before the compost applications) and in 2018 (after the compost applications). Basic soil properties (pH, salinity, humus content, carbonate content, Arany yarn number) complemented with nutrient content (K2O, P2O5, NO2+ NO3) and heavy metal content (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) analyses were performed. The results show that no significant change can be noticed in the baseline parameters over the 5-year period. The slight increase in the P2O5, NO2+ NO3 content is closely related to the beneficial effects of the sewage sludge deposition. The soil-bound heavy metal load did not increase significantly as a result of the compost treatments, only nickel showed a slight increase in the topsoil. In all cases the heavy metal concentrations did not reach the contamination thresholds set by Hungarian standards. The results provided positive evidences proving that low dose municipal sewage sludge compost disposal on agricultural land is safe, and can be considered as a sustainable soil amendment for agriculture in compliance with legal requirements.

scholarly journals Hemp-Based Phytoaccumulation of Heavy Metals from Municipal Sewage Sludge and Phosphogypsum Under Field Conditions

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 907
Author(s):  
Dariusz Zielonka ◽  
Wiesław Szulc ◽  
Monika Skowrońska ◽  
Beata Rutkowska ◽  
Stefan Russel
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Bioconcentration Factor ◽  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Dose Dependent ◽  
Generative Organs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of three hemp cultivars to accumulate heavy metals under sewage sludge (SS) and phosphogypsum (PG) application. The field study was carried out from 2014 to 2016 on Luvisol (loamy sand) in Poland. The experiment scheme included five treatments—T0: the control without fertilization, T1: 170 kg N (nitrogen) ha−1 from sewage sludge, T2: 170 kg N ha−1 from sewage sludge and 100 kg ha−1 of phosphogypsum, T3: 170 kg N ha−1 from sewage sludge and 500 kg ha−1 of phosphogypsum, and T4: 170 kg N ha−1 from sewage sludge and 1000 kg ha−1 of phosphogypsum. It was found that the application of municipal sewage sludge enriched the soil with the bioavailable forms of heavy metals to the greatest extent and contributed to the highest increase in their contents in vegetative and generative organs of hemp plants. These parameters showed a phosphogypsum dose-dependent decline, which could hinder the phytoextraction process. The greatest extractions of heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) from the soil treated with SS and PG were achieved by the Tygra variety, which had the highest bioconcentration factor (BCF) and biomass yield.

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