Municipal Sewage Sludge and Selected Element Applications to Soil: Effect on Soil and Fescue

Abstract

Effects of additions of sewage sludge from a highly industrialized area of Atlanta, Georgia, N‐P‐K inorganic fertilizers, selected heavy metals, and trace elements were made on 3 by 9 m plastic‐divided plots sodded to fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) to evaluate accumulations and movement patterns in the soil. Fescue yields and elemental content were also determined. Soil samples taken 17 weeks after the initial sludge treatment showed only slight increases in Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn content. One year later (72 weeks after the initial treatment), two additional applications of sewage sludge (a total of 16.8 metric tons/ha had increased the levels of these elements in the surface 7.5‐cm soil layer approximately 7, 3, 4, 4, and 5 times, respectively. The Zn content was the highest (88 ppm), followed by Pb (12 ppm), Cu (3.2 ppm), Cr (2.0 ppm), and Cd (1.4 ppm). Adding selected elements to the sewage sludge, even at relatively high levels, resulted in little movement of Zn lower than 30 cm and other heavy metals lower than 15 cm.Forage yields over the 2‐year period were increased, over control plots, approximately 30% by the sewage sludge and 150% by N‐P‐K fertilizer.The sewage sludge additions significantly increased the heavy metal and P contents in fescue, but not of K, Ca, and Mg. The greatest increase was from 33 to 1,419 ppm of Zn as an average of 8 sampling periods. No toxic or detrimental effects on fescue were noted.

Determining Optimal Sawdust I Biosolids Mixtures to Manage Nitrate Leaching in Reclaimed Disturbed Soils

“…Following the first growing season, the 0:1, 0.5:1 and 1:1 S:B treatments all produced plant yields greater than the 2: I S:B and the fertilized control. While the biosolids treatments elevated extractable metal levels in the soil, they were not above acceptable ranges and did not suppress plant growth or pose bioaccumulation threats (Boswell, 1975). The biosolids amendments improved sciil properties though enhanced organic matter levels and associated physical effects by keeping P available throughout the experiment and by keeping the soil pH higher than the fertilized control.…”

Heavy metals in Oxisols amended with biosolids and cropped with maize in a long-term experiment

“…Anderson & Nilson (1972) showed that practically all the Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg, As and Se remained in the upper 0-20 cm of the soil 12 years after adding 84 t ha -1 of sludge. Boswel (1975) found that very little Zn moved deeper than 15 cm in a clay loam soil. The accumulation of Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb in the top layer of the soil can be attributed to the high affinity of the metals to organic matter (McGrath & Lane, 1989).…”

Geochemical Aspects of the Distribution and Forms of Heavy Metals in Soils

“…A discussion of these is outside the scope of this chapter and for detailed information the reader is referred to Chapter 2 and to the following selected publications: Domestic refuse (Purves, 1977) ; domestic coals, coal-burning power stations and fly-ash (Swaine, 1977) ; sewage sludge (Le Riche, 1968;Berrow and Webber, 1972;Berggren and Oden, 1972;Blakeslee, 1973;Nilsson, 1972, 1976;Page, 1974;BoswelL 1975;Dowdy and Larson, 1975;Furr el at., 1976;Berrow and Burridge, 1980); pig slurry (Unwin, 1980); composted town refuse (Purves and Mackenzie, 1973;Gray and Biddlestone, 1980); cadmium in rock phosphate and superphosphate (Williams and David, 1973;Stenstrom and Walter, 1974;Fulkerson. 1975: Commission of the European Communities, 1978): other fertilizers and liming materials (Swaine , 1962).…”