Improving Soil Fertility and Nutrient Dynamics with Leachate Attributes from Sewage Sludge by Impoundment and Co‐Composting

Abstract

Co-composting offers a sustainable solution for community level sewage treatment plants (STP) by producing nutrient-optimized compost. Soils in such treatment vicinity are susceptible for receiving significant quantity of wastewater, capable of causing a radical shift in soil structure and nutrient dynamics. Samples of sludge-leachate impounded soil (SLIS) and low fertile soil are collected to select the proportioning of sludge-derived composts (SDC). A series of batch experiments are conducted by mixing predetermined quantity of SDC with field soils on weight basis to identify the best proportioning combination. Based on the in-vessel aerobic cocomposting experiments with reuse of generated leachate (at a rate of 1.0 per week), SDC exhibits good nutrient stability in terms of carbon-nitrogen ratio (8-11) with effective moisture augmentation from leachate (45%-74%) under non-isothermal conditions (between 46±2°C and 32±4°C) within 45 days of incubation. Significant nitrogen transformation is exhibited in SLIS samples due to the temporal variations in sludge decomposition as verified through leaching column experiments. Approximately 30% of nutrient (carbon and nitrogen) leaching is prevented due to the improved moisture retention capacity in presence of compost. An empirical correlation has been derived between various analytical measures of organic matter depicting enhanced decomposition stages of sludge in soil amendments.

Co-occurrence of antibiotic and metal resistance in long-term sewage sludge-amended soils: influence of application rates and pedo-climatic conditions

“…In this regard, the significant dose-dependent increase of heterotrophs up to the highest counts observed in treatments S120 and SL120 has been previously reported for the same field study after the second, third and fourth USS application (Zoghlami et al 2016;Hamdi et al 2019;Hechmi et al 2021). This improvement is related to the biostimulation and bioaugmentation effects of sludge-borne nutrients and microorganisms on amended soils (Hamdi et al 2007;Wang et al 2017;Balaganesh et al 2020;Hechmi et al 2020). In fact, the enhancement of soil fertility with the sludge dose has consistently been observed in both soils during previous sampling campaigns with significantly higher levels in soil SL (Zoghlami et al 2016;Hamdi et al 2019;Hechmi et al 2020Hechmi et al , 2021.…”

Reuse Of Wastewater as non-conventional water: A Way to Reduce Water Scarcity Crisis

“…The application of treated wastewater can promote a diverse and active soil microbial community, supporting nutrient availability and overall soil health. The presence of organic matter in wastewater can help prevent soil erosion by improving soil stability and increasing the binding capacity of soil particles [36]. Organic matter enhances the formation of soil aggregates that resist erosion caused by wind or water.…”

Waste to Wealth: A Futuristic Outlook for Waste Utilization in India

“…India, with its growing population and evolving consumption patterns, produces a significant volume of organic wastes from households, agricultural activities, green spaces, local markets, and the food industry. While mismanaged organic wastes can pose severe environmental challenges including greenhouse gas emissions and groundwater contamination, they also offer substantial opportunities for resource recovery and circular economy principles [1][2][3][4][5]. On the other hand, industrial waste management and utilization play a vital role in achieving sustainable development goals, particularly IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1258/1/012011 2 in rapidly growing economies like India.…”