scholarly journals Fate of organic pollutants after sewage sludge spreading on agricultural soils: a 30-years field-scale recording

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Patureau ◽  
Mireille Laforie ◽  
Eric Lichtfouse ◽  
Giovanni Caria ◽  
Laurence Denaix ◽  
...  

Toxic organic compounds, such as the surfactants linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) and nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPE), Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and residues derived from plastics (PAE-phthalates) end up in sewage sludge. In order to evaluate and quantify the potential environmental risks associated with the xenobiotic introduction into biological life cycle, the EU BIOWASTE project (QLK5-CT-2002-01138) devotes one task to the study of the fate of xenobiotic in a sandy soil after sludge spreading on a 30-year field-scale record experiment. Experimental maize crop fields from Bordeaux (France) have been amended with 100 tons per hectare each 2 years from 1974 to 1992. From 1992 to 2004, the fields were maintained and cropped with maize. This experiment shows that the concentration fluctuations in the sludge amended soil follow the same pattern of those in the sewage sludge showing that there is a real impact of the present xenobiotics in the sewage sludge on the concentration of the xenobiotics in the soil. Nonetheless, 12 years after the last addition of sewage sludge, the residual concentrations remain from 2 to 10 times higher than the content of the control soil, even though these levels are inferior to the Predicted Non Effect Concentration (PNEC). Only LAS level went back to the level in the control soil. However, only the LAS concentration is above the PNEC during all the experiment due to the very high level of LAS in the sludge (20 g/kg dry weight). These results show that even though this compound is much more degradable than NPE and PAE, it may have a long term effect in soil if high quantities are spread. To conclude, this study underlines the importance to fix maximum level for xenobiotic compounds for sewage sludge spreading on agricultural land, and also the central role of the sewage sludge processes in reducing the xenobiotic concentrations before spreading.

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 828
Author(s):  
Rasmus Nissen ◽  
Gunadhish Khanal ◽  
Lars Elsgaard

Large-scale application of biochar on agricultural land offers the prospect of soil improvement and carbon sequestration for climate-change mitigation. However, negative side-effects on the soil microbial ecosystem are poorly understood, notably in relation to the functions of native microbiomes under realistic routes of biochar exposure. Due to divergent properties, different biochars might interact with soil in complex ways. This might result in decreased or increased ecotoxicity from biochar contaminants, such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Using five biochars produced from straw and wood under contrasting pyrolysis conditions, we traced their ecotoxicological dose-effect using a bioassay for potential ammonia oxidation (PAO), through microorganisms that are sensitive stress indicators. Assays were made after soil/biochar interaction for up to 3 weeks, where straw biochar with the lowest PAH content (<0.5 mg kg−1) showed the most pronounced dose-effects to PAO, corresponding to a 10% effect concentration (EC10) of 4.6% (dry weight biochar/dry weight soil). In comparison, straw biochar with the highest PAH content was least ecotoxic (EC10, 15.2% after 3 weeks) and wood biochars pyrolysed at high temperature (700–725 °C) showed no ecotoxicity to PAO. Interactions between biochars and anionic surfactants, i.e., linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are common soil pollutants, resulted in varying effects on PAO, but the effects were small and of limited ecological importance for soil-amended biochars. In conclusion, the results showed that short-term microbial side-effects of biochar in the soil ecosystem were minor at relevant field application rates (such as <30 Mg ha−1 mixed into a plough layer of 20 cm), and that inherent PAHs in biochar were not a likely source of short-term ecotoxicity. However, there were notable differences in the effects eventually observed at very high biochar rates, stressing that individual biochars need specific ecotoxicological assessment before their safe application at large scale in agricultural soils.


2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
M T Morera ◽  
J. Echeverría ◽  
J. Garrido

The recycling of sewage sludge to agricultural land results in the slow accumulation of potentially toxic heavy metals in soils. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the bioavailability of Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn applied to soils in urban anaerobically stabilized sewage sludge. The soils were Lithic Haplumbrept (Lh), Calcixerollic Xerochrept (Cx1 and Cx2) and Paralithic Xerorthent (Px). Sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L) were grown in the soils following amendment with the sludge. The addition of sewage sludge markedly increased the average dry weight of the plants in the soils that had lower yields without sludge addition (Lh, Cx2, and Px). The acid pH of the Lh soil favoured the bioavailability of Zn from sewage sludge. The bioavailability of Cu was greater in the alkaline soils than in the acidic soil (Lh), which can be attributed to the high organic matter content of the Lh soil which complexes Cu and impairs its uptake by the plants. The concentration of metals in the plants increased with the sewage sludge dose. The effect of the soil type on the metal concentration in plants was greater that the effect of the dose. Key words: Soils, sewage sludge, heavy metals, bioavailability, sunflower


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Navarro Pedreño ◽  
Ignacio Gómez Lucas ◽  
Jose Martín Soriano Disla

The mineralisation of organic matter (OM) when sewage sludge was used as amendment in 70 contrasting agricultural soils from Spain was analysed. Soils received a single dose of sewage sludge (equivalent to 50t dry weight ha<sup>-1</sup>) and the O<sub>2</sub> consumption was continuously monitored for 30 days using a multiple sensor respirometer in a laboratory experiment. The cumulative O<sub>2</sub> consumption and rates after 8 and 30 days of incubation (O<sub>2 cum</sub> 8d, 30d and O<sub>2 rate</sub> 8d, 30d), the respiratory quotient (RQ), the maximum O<sub>2</sub> rates over the incubation period (O<sub>2 max</sub>) and time from the beginning of the incubation when O<sub>2 max</sub> occurred (T<sub>max</sub>), were determined in both amended and non-amended soils. Sewage sludge application resulted in increased values for O<sub>2 max</sub>, O<sub>2 rate</sub> 8d, and O<sub>2 cum</sub> 30d. Differences were minor for T<sub>max</sub>, RQ 8d and O<sub>2 rate</sub> 30d. A considerable amount of the initial OM applied was mineralised during the first 8 days. Organic matter decomposition (as expressed by O<sub>2 cum</sub> 30d) was favoured in soils with high values of pH, carbonates, soil organic carbon and low values of amorphous Mn. Soils with these characteristics may potentially lose soil C after sewage sludge application.


2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 402-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. BÄRLUND ◽  
S. TATTARI ◽  
M. PUUSTINEN

Field-scale modelling is widely used as a means to look into interdependencies of processes and to assess potential effects of agricultural management practices as well as of climate and socio-economic scenarios. Generalisation from field-scale results to cover all agricultural land in a catchment by using typical soilcrop- slope combinations has been restricted by a lack of information for the systematic parameterisation of soils. Data from single experimental fields are seldom representative for the whole respective catchment. In this study typical soil profiles for mineral agricultural soils in Finland are defined. Key parameters describing e.g. the texture and water holding capacity of soils, were generated from existing soil data using expert knowledge and are aimed to be used for field-scale modelling when the target is not to model a particular field but soils of certain type in general. Estimates for water balance and phosphorus losses, obtained with the ICECREAM model by applying these data sets, were realistic and compatible with experimental results measured in Finland.;


1983 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Wong ◽  
J.G. Henry

Abstract Spreading of sewage sludges on agricultural land is an attractive sludge management option because it combines beneficial reuse and disposal at the same time. However, it is important to reduce the metal content in the sludge in order to minimize the health hazard associated with metal uptake by plants and its subsequent accumulation in the food chain. Treatment of sludge with acid for metal removal is not practical because a large amount of acid is required. Typically 0.5 to 0.8 g of H2SO4/g dry weight of sludge will be required to achieve over 70% removal of cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni). Lead (Pb) and copper (Cu) are not significantly removed. A biological process called bacterial leaching, which has been used commercially for extracting copper and uranium from low grade ores, was reviewed and its potential for removing heavy metals from anaerobically digested sewage sludge was investigated. Leaching experiments were conducted and the results showed that about 80 to 90% removal of cadmium, zinc and nickel, and 60 to 70% removal of copper were possible. The acid requirement was significantly reduced because only 0.15 g of H2SO4/g dry weight of sludge was needed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 813-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Cantarero ◽  
Alberto Zafra-Gómez ◽  
Oscar Ballesteros ◽  
Alberto Navalón ◽  
José L. Vílchez ◽  
...  

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