Determination of heavy metals in sewage sludge

One of the possibilities of removing heavy metals (HMs) from soil is the use of phytoremediation techniques supported with biosolids, which also allow for their disposal. Therefore, the objective of the research was the determination of the sewage sludge suitability after its application to urban soil in order to increase the phytoremediation efficiency of contaminated soil. A field experiment was established on lawns in Białystok (Poland) in two locations with different traffic. The research plots were fertilized with sludge in doses of 14.5 t DM/ha and 29 t DM/ha. A mixture of lawn grasses was sown on the prepared plots. During two years of experiment soil/plant samples were collected, and pH, organic matter, dehydrogenase and catalase activity (soil), the total content of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Zn, and Hg (soil/plant), and their fractions (soil) were determined. The HMs in soil were present mainly in residual and reducible fractions. Zn had the highest share in acid-soluble fractions (17–45%). The efficiency of urban soil phytoremediation was determined by the calculation of bioconcentration (BCF) and translocation (TF) factors. The highest values for BCF and TF were obtained for Mo (1.97 and 1.99, respectively). In the presented study, sludge amendment caused an immobilization of heavy metals.

Download Full-text

The effect of sewage sludge on the growth and species composition of the sward and the content of heavy metals in plants and urban soil

Annals of Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW Land Reclamation ◽

10.2478/sggw-2014-0009 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 101-114 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Elżbieta Wołejko ◽

Bogumiła Pawluśkiewicz ◽

Urszula Wydro ◽

Tadeusz Łoboda ◽

Andrzej Butarewicz

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Species Composition ◽

Perennial Ryegrass ◽

Urban Soil ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

High Mobility ◽

Grass Species

Abstract The effect of sewage sludge on the growth and species composition of the sward and the content of heavy metals in plants and urban soil. The determination of the sludge fertilising infl uence for the growth and composition of the urban grasslands’ swards and heavy metals concentration in above-ground parts of the plants was the aim of the study. The study was conducted on four research plots along the main roads in Białystok. The plots were seeded with two mixtures of lawn grasses (Eko and Roadside) and three doses of sludge were applied: 0 (control), 7.5 and 15 kg/m2. The study also included the determination of concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in soil and in the above-ground parts of lawn grasses and selected physical and chemical properties of soils fertilized with different doses of sludge. The dose of 7.5 kg/m2 increased the plant dry matter on average by 53%, the dose of 15 kg/m2 - on average by 90%. The largest effect of fertilization was found for lightest soil. Under these conditions, grass dry matter fertilized with 7.5 kg/m2 sludge was almost doubled, and fertilized with the dose of 15 kg/m2 was almost three times larger than in not fertilized areas. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) was the dominant species in the sward. Perennial ryegrass constituted on average 71% of all grass species in the areas fertilized with sewage sludge in the dose of 7.5 kg/m2, while on the areas fertilized with 15 kg/m2 - about 81%, and on not fertilized ones - 50% on average. Bioconcentration factor in the study allowed for estimating the plants ability to collect heavy metals present in the soil. Based on these results, it was found that the rate of bioconcentration of Cd, Cr, Cu and Pb was the highest in August, which may indicate the ease of downloading these metals by plants, particularly high mobility of metals during this period, and lower in October and June

Download Full-text

The effect of ash and compost on the content and bioaccumulation of selected heavy metals

Polish Journal of Chemical Technology ◽

10.2478/pjct-2019-0015 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 20-25

Author(s):

Ewa Możdżer ◽

Krystyna Cybulska ◽

Teresa Krzyśko-Łupicka ◽

Edward Meller

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Coal Ash ◽

Municipal Sewage ◽

Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽

Potato Tubers ◽

Wheat Grains ◽

High Calcium ◽

Test Plants

Abstract Therefore the carried out study aimed at determination of the effect of high-calcium brown coal ash and compost being produced from municipal sewage sludge on the content and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in potato tubers, wheat grains and rapeseeds during a three-year period. Rapeseeds contained most Cd whereas wheat rains less. Potato tubers, wheat grains and rapeseeds contained more Mn, Ni and Zn in the fertilization objects with municipal sewage sludge with or without coal ash and compared to those where calcium carbonate or coal ash had been introduced into the soil at a dose corresponding to 1.5 Mg CaO · ha–1 at the beginning of this study. Differences in the Mn, Ni and Zn contents in test plants between the fertilization objects with sewage sludge of with and without addition of ash were not significant.

Download Full-text

Leachability of Fired Clay Bricks Incorporated with Sewage Sludge by Using Tank Leaching Test

International Journal of Engineering & Technology ◽

10.14419/ijet.v7i4.30.22292 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4.30) ◽

pp. 308

Author(s):

Nurul Salhana Abdul Salim ◽

Aeslina Abdul Kadir ◽

Mohamad Asyraf Kamarudin ◽

Mohd Hafizul Fadzli Zaidi

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Sewage Sludge ◽

Low Cost ◽

Heavy Metal Concentration ◽

Leaching Test ◽

Clay Bricks ◽

Alternative Materials ◽

Standard Limit ◽

Tank Leaching Test

This research was conducted to fully utilize the sludge that rich in dangerous heavy metals and at the same time act as low cost alternative materials in brick manufacturing. Different series of sludge and clay proportioning ratios were studied, which exclusively involved the addition of sludge with ratios of 0, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30% of the total weight of sludge-clay mixture. Each molded brick were oven-dried at 105˚C for 24 hours followed by heating at 1050˚C. The investigation includes determination of heavy metal concentration of the sludge and clay using XRF and heavy metals leachability of the bricks by using Tank Leaching Test according to NEN7345 that has been analyzed by using ICPMS. The leaching behavior of several heavy metals (As, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, V, Ba, and Cr) from incorporated sludge into fired clay bricks shows to be insignificant and far below the USEPA regulations limits which fulfill the general requirement for usage of clay brick in construction and comply with the leaching standard limit. As a conclusion, the utilization of sewage sludge can reduce the disposal to landfill and reduce the leachability of sludge which can effect environment and human.

Download Full-text