Identification of Industrial Sewage Sludge based on Heavy Metal Profiles: A Case Study of Printing and Dyeing Industry
Abstract The illegal disposal of industrial sewage sludge has caused serious environmental pollution. To develop identification techniques of industrial sewage sludge based on the characteristic fingerprints carried by sewage sludge itself is a promising method that is helpful to clarify the responsibility of illegal enterprises. In this study, heavy metal composition and speciation of sewage sludge from industries (including printing and dyeing industry and other industries) and municipal sewage treatment plant located in eastern China were determined and their performance of classification was evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discrimination analysis (LDA). Results showed that heavy metal composition and speciation can be an effective tool for distinguishing sewage sludge between printing and dyeing industry and other industries, with an accuracy rate of 82.9% and 100%, respectively. Antimony (Sb) and zinc (Zn) are two characteristic heavy metals, which can be used to identity sewage sludge in printing and dyeing sub-industries with an accuracy rate of 90%. The combination of these three methods may be a precise and promising tool for identification of sewage sludge between industries and sub-industries. This study developed a potential method for tracing the industrial sources of sewage sludge and establishing the identification database of industrial sewage sludge, and provided technical support for the government to supervise the illegal dumping and disposal of industrial sewage sludge.