Characterization of Drinking Water Treatment Residuals for Use as a Soil Substitute

Abstract

The beneficial use of drinking water treatment residuals (WTRs) as a potential source of topsoil for land reclamation was evaluated. Seventeen WTRs were characterized for use as soil substitutes by comparing chemical and physical properties and plant nutrients of the WTRs with soil. A tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) bioassay was performed to determine the ability of soil chemical tests to measure WTR phosphorus (P) adequacy. The WTR chemical and physical properties were typically adequate for crop growth. None of the WTRs were considered unsuitable as soil substitutes based on plant nutrients, with the exception of P. Tomato vegetative yield and tissue P were poor either because of phytotoxic nitrite-nitrogen (NO 2 -N) (Ͼ10 mg/kg) generated during the bioassay or because of WTR P deficiency. Limited data suggest that WTRs with NO 2 -N less than 10 mg/kg and Olsen P greater than 50 mg/kg, water soluble P greater than 580 g/L, or Mehlich III P greater than 54 mg/kg support growth but still produce inadequate tissue P in tomatoes. Water Environ. Res., 73, 52 (2001).

Constructive Approaches Toward Water Treatment Works Sludge Management: An International Review of Beneficial Reuses

“…Dayton and Basta (2001) further provided evidence using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) on selected waterworks residual, that the heavy metal levels in the sludge residues were significantly less than the regulatory levels for TCLP and consistent with nonhazardous waste metals. This is in agreement with the result of a similar study on the average level of metals found in waterworks sludge (Elliot and Dempsey, 1991).…”

“…Dayton and Basta (2001) noted that waterworks sludge might be suitable for use as soil substitutes since they predominantly contain humic substances and sediments from the raw water, which makes them similar to fine textured soils. A classification analyses based on British standards BS 3882 revealed that water treatment works sludges could be classified as "economy grade-high clay content" soil indicating their possible use as soil or in soil making materials (Owen, 2002).Such approaches may provide an economical disposal means for the sludge while probably serving to improve certain soil qualities and enhance plant growth.…”

Planejamento e aspectos ambientais envolvidos na disposição final de lodos das estações de tratamento de água da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo

“…A viabilidade desta aplicação é determinada pelas características físicas e químicas dos lodos, notadamente pela existência de nutrientes benéficos às culturas e pela ausência de contaminantes (Dayton et al, 2001).…”

Disposição de resíduo de ETA em sistema de Tratamento aeróbio de esgoto seguido de lagoa sedimentada

“…Existem vários trabalhos na literatura nacional e internacional sobre o tema, tais como disposição em ETEs (Carvalho, 2000;Scalize, 2003;Ferreira Filho e Waelkens, 2009;Scalize e Di Bernardo, 2011;Di Bernardo et al, 2011), fabricação de materiais cerâmicos (Oliveira e Holanda, 2008;Tartari et al, 2011) e de tijolos (Teixeira et al, 2006), recuperação de áreas degradadas (Teixeira et al, 2005(Teixeira et al, e 2007Moreira et al, 2009), aplicações agrícolas (Dayton and Basta, 2001;Botero et at, 2009;Park et al, 2009;OH et al, 2010;Figueiredo Neto et al, 2012) e minimização de RETA (Achon et al, 2008;Ferreira Filho e Waelkens, 2009).…”