Assessing the quality of sewage sludge as an agricultural soil amendment in Mediterranean habitats

Abstract Purpose Municipal sewage sludge generated from three operational wastewater treatment plants, located in the Bekaa valley of Lebanon, was assessed for its potential use as agricultural soil amendment. Methods Sludge samples were taken from three treatment plants located in the villages of Iaat, Ablah and Joub Jannine during the summer season of 2018, from June to September, on a monthly basis. The evaluation was based on characterizing the physicochemical parameters such as the metal content, the pathogenic microorganisms (Salmonella, E.Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Helminth eggs, Ascaris, Acinetobacter) and the phytotoxicity–stability indicators of the sludge samples. Results The obtained results were compared to the Lebanese guidelines for sludge reuse in agriculture. For the physicochemical analysis, all the samples showed a possibility to be used in agriculture due to the high content of minerals and organic matter. Considering the metal content of sludge, Iaat and Ablah sludge were classified as Class A according to the Lebanese guidelines; however, sludge from Joub Janine was classified as B due to its high content of zinc that exceeded the limit of 700 ppm. Helminth eggs and Salmonella were absent in the sludge samples. Pathogenic organisms, mainly E. coli, were detected in Iaat dry sludge, Staphylococcus aureus was present in Joub Jannine sludge and Acinetobacter in Ablah station (> 100 CFU/100 g). Conclusion It is recommended to submit the sludge which did not meet the required criteria, for further treatments, particularly the composting process to reduce the metal content and pathogenic microorganisms for a safer reuse in agriculture.

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Effect of Swine Manure Lagoon Sludge and Municipal Sewage Sludge on Growth, Nitrogen Recovery, and Heavy Metal Content of Fescuegrass

Journal of Environmental Quality ◽

10.2134/jeq1981.00472425001000040009x ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 465-472 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Larry D. King

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metal ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Metal Content ◽

Swine Manure ◽

Heavy Metal Content ◽

Nitrogen Recovery ◽

Municipal Sewage ◽

Municipal Sewage Sludge

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The effect of stabilization on the utilization of municipal sewage sludge as a soil amendment

Waste Management ◽

10.1016/j.wasman.2019.05.032 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 94 ◽

pp. 27-38 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Marko Černe ◽

Igor Palčić ◽

Igor Pasković ◽

Nikola Major ◽

Marija Romić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sewage Sludge ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Municipal Sewage ◽

Municipal Sewage Sludge

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Soil amendment with municipal sewage sludge affects the immune system of earthworms Dendrobaena veneta

Applied Soil Ecology ◽

10.1016/j.apsoil.2012.12.017 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 64 ◽

pp. 237-244 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Agnieszka Rorat ◽

Malgorzata Kacprzak ◽

Franck Vandenbulcke ◽

Barbara Płytycz

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Municipal Sewage ◽

Municipal Sewage Sludge

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

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2001.0074 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 67-74 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

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.

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Hazardous organic matters in municipal sewage sludge in Taiwan

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2001.0582 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 44 (10) ◽

pp. 65-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

H. F. Cheng ◽

S. Y. Chen ◽

J. G. Lin

Keyword(s):

Sewage Sludge ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

Municipal Sewage ◽

Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽

Organic Matters ◽

Endocrine Disrupting ◽

Ethylhexyl Phthalate ◽

Significant Attention

Application of municipal sewage sludge to agricultural land has attracted significant attention in recent years because it conserves abundant nutrients and hydrocarbons that can be used as a soil amendment. The presence of hazardous organic matters (HOMs) in sewage sludge limits the feasibility of reuse of sewage sludge. The purpose of this study was to investigate the types and the concentrations of HOMs in municipal sewage sludge in Taiwan. An efficient SFE/GC/MS method was used to determine HOMs in sludge samples. The results indicated that di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was persistently found in both aerobically and anaerobically digested sludges. 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) was only found in anaerobically digested sludges. Both DEHP and 4-NP have been characterized as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) or environmental endorine disruptors (EEDs). It suggested that sludges containing high levels of DEHP and 4-NP need further treatment and reduction of possible impacts on the environment before their reuse as soil fertilizers.

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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

Arabian Journal of Geosciences ◽

10.1007/s12517-020-06005-2 ◽

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.

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

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrj.1997.041 ◽

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.

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The effect of municipal sewage sludge on properties physicochemical and microbial agricultural soil

Notulae Scientia Biologicae ◽

10.15835/nsb13110804 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 10804

Author(s):

Naima DOUAER ◽

Abdelkader DOUAOUI ◽

Madjid MEHAIGUENE ◽

Mohamed ZOUIDI ◽

Wiem HAMZA

Keyword(s):

Sewage Sludge ◽

Agricultural Soil ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Biological Properties ◽

Municipal Sewage ◽

Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽

Agricultural Field ◽

Mineral Fertilization ◽

Tomato Crop ◽

Physical Chemical

The organic matter content of sludge can improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil ensuring better cultivation and good agricultural productivity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of sewage sludge on the main physicochemical and biological properties of the soil. The sludge was spread in an agricultural field in Ain defla (Algeria) cultivated with a tomato crop (‘Panikra’) in four treatments: (T): soil without sewage sludge and without mineral fertilization, (B): soil with sewage sludge, (E): soil with mineral fertilization, (B + E): soil with sewage sludge and mineral fertilization. For this, several physical, chemical and microbiological properties were analyzed on the residual sludge used and the soils collected in the studied plots. The results show that the sludge used does not exhibit any toxicity and that the treatment with the sewage sludge with the fertilizer used on the agricultural soil forms a better compost for improving the physicochemical quality of the soil compared to the other treatments. The application of sewage sludge also can accelerate microbial activity by increasing the number of bacteria, fungi and azotobacter.

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