Utilization of Sewage Sludge in Agricultural Soil as Fertilizer in the Republic of Benin (West Africa): What are the Risks of Heavy Metals Contamination and Spreading?

Suanon, Fidèle; Tometin, Lyde; Dimon, Biaou; Agani, Ignace C.; Mama, Daouda; Azandegbe, Eni Coffi

doi:10.3844/ajessp.2016.8.15

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(31 reference statements)

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“…As can be seen, sewage sludge represent a great sink of metallic pollutants which deserves peculiar attention; as its land application would lead to a drastic soil contamination and metals spreading. This was in accordance with a reported from [38] with respect the application of sewage sludge as soil fertilizer and the risk of metals spreading. To be noticed, aside sewage sludge, poultry and livestock manures from concentrated feeding operations can also, contain PTE and their application to agricultural land can lead to environmental problems and concerns over crop safety.…”

Section: Main Sources Of Metals In the Soilsupporting

confidence: 93%

Metal-Contaminated Soil Remediation: Phytoremediation, Chemical Leaching and Electrochemical Remediation

Ifon¹,

Togbé²,

Tometin³

et al. 2019

Metals in Soil - Contamination and Remediation

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Soil contamination has led to serious land tenure problems, reduction in land usability for agricultural production; as a consequence, food insecurity is nowadays a global challenge. Indeed, with rapid population growth across the world, the food demand for consumption has drastically increased and traditional ways of producing food cannot meet with the actual demand. Industrialization has been acknowledged as a way out to sustain humanity with food. Unfortunately, the later has further turn into a threat to the environment. In effect, several potentially toxic elements (PTE) are being released in the environment and soil systems; and arable or agricultural lands are getting restraint, limited and scarce. Nowadays, there is a consensus on remediating contaminated lands with PTE, mainly inorganic contaminants, metals. The state at which a metal is found in the soil greatly influences its bioavailability, interaction with plants and the level at which it will threaten (toxicity) the environment and thus human. It even defines the remediation approaches to be applied for the soil restoration. This chapter will provide an insight on the occurrence of PTE in the soil, bioavailability and remediation approaches namely phytoremediation, chemical leaching and electrochemical remediation; and finally highlight the future research direction on this topic.

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Section: Main Sources Of Metals In the Soilsupporting

confidence: 93%

Metal-Contaminated Soil Remediation: Phytoremediation, Chemical Leaching and Electrochemical Remediation

Ifon¹,

Togbé²,

Tometin³

et al. 2019

Metals in Soil - Contamination and Remediation

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“…In the present study, it was observed that EC levels in sludge-soil mixtures ranging from 521 µS/cm to 630 µS/cm, and the levels fall within the allowable EC range set by the World Health Organisation (Tomno et al, 2020). In contrast to the results, Suanon et al (2016) reported a low mean EC value of 4.7 µS/cm in the sludge they used for their study. Another study by Zoghlami et al (2016) revealed a mean EC value of 1702 µS/cm in the sewage sludge targeted for agricultural use they characterised; the high electric conductivity value observed was attributed to the high content of heavy metals in the sludge.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 54%

A comparison of selected heavy metals in soils mixed with domestic and industrial sludges and assessment of effects of the sludge pollutants on oxidative stress markers of the African kale (Brassica oleracea var acephala) grown using sewage sludge manure

Basopo¹,

Donald²,

Rumbidzai³

2022

Afr. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Sewage sludge is used as fertiliser and contains nutrients required for plant growth. It also contains contaminants that can leach into crops. The effects of sewage sludge on kale plants were investigated. Mixture ratios of 50:50 and 20:80 for soil and sludge were prepared. The soil-sludge blends were analysed for selected metal residues. Kale seedlings of 10-13 cm were planted on the different soilsludge combinations. Leaf lengths were measured 21 days post transplanting for four weeks. After sixty days, the leaves were analysed for metal residue levels and antioxidant enzyme activities. The results showed higher metal concentrations in soil blended with industrial sludge than in soil mixed with domestic sludge. The highest growth of plants was observed after 28 days in plants grown on 50% soil-industrial sludge mixtures. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were higher in plants grown on soil applied with sewage sludge when compared to enzyme activities in plants grown on sludge-free soil. The high levels of metals and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity observed were attributed to the contaminants in the sewage sludge. Preassessment of sewage sludge to be used as soil manure is recommended to safeguard the health of plants and, indirectly, humans who consume the crops.

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“…However, the concentrations of heavy metals in the original sewage sludge varied between WWTPs, although they are generally low when compared to the threshold values established in the European Union [19]. In fact, the amounts of heavy metals in sewage sludge depend on the origin of the wastewater, with other studies reporting concerningly high [27] or acceptably low [21,25] values. The values of Cd in the soil varied significantly with the origin of the sewage sludge, and Cr values varied significantly with both the origin and the treatment of the sludge.…”

Section: Heavy Metals In Plant Tissues and Soilmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The widespread application of sewage sludge in agriculture is hindered by its potential to contain high concentrations of heavy metals [20,[25][26][27], pathogenic microorganisms [22,28], and/or toxic organic compounds [22,29]. These contaminants have the potential to cause harm to soil, the environment, and human health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen-Rich Sewage Sludge Mineralized Quickly, Improving Lettuce Nutrition and Yield, with Reduced Risk of Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil and Plant Tissues

Arrobas,

Meneses,

Gusmão

et al. 2024

Agronomy

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Sewage sludge should primarily find use in agriculture, reducing the quantity directed towards alternative disposal methods like incineration or deposition in municipal landfills. This study evaluated the agronomic value and the risk of soil and plant tissue contamination with heavy metals in sewage sludge obtained from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The experiment was arranged as a 2 × 5 factorial (two sewage sludges, five sanitation treatments), involving lettuce cultivation in pots over two growing cycles. The two sewage sludges were sourced from the WWTPs of Gelfa and Viana do Castelo and underwent five sanitation and stabilization treatments (40% and 20% calcium oxide, 40% and 20% calcium hydroxide, and untreated sewage sludge). The Gelfa sewage sludge, characterized by a higher initial nitrogen (N) concentration, resulted in greater dry-matter yield (DMY) (12.4 and 8.6 g plant−1 for the first and second growing cycles, respectively) compared to that from Viana do Castelo (11.0 and 8.1 g plant−1), with N release likely being a major factor influencing crop productivity. The high N concentration and the low carbon (C)/N ratio of sewage sludge led to rapid mineralization of the organic substrate, which additionally led to a higher release of other important nutrients, such as phosphorus (P) and boron (B), making them available for plant uptake. Alkalizing treatments further stimulated sewage sludge mineralization, increasing soil pH and exchangeable calcium (Ca), thereby enhancing Ca availability for plants, and indicating a preference for use in acidic soils. Cationic micronutrients were minimally affected by the sewage sludge and their treatments. The concentrations of heavy metals in the sewage sludge, soils, and lettuce tissues were all below internationally established threshold limits. This study highlighted the high fertilizing value of these sewage sludges, supplying N, P, and B to plants, while demonstrating a low risk of environmental contamination with heavy metals. Nevertheless, the safe use of sewage sludge by farmers depends on monitoring other risks, such as toxic organic compounds, which were not evaluated in this study.

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Utilization of Sewage Sludge in Agricultural Soil as Fertilizer in the Republic of Benin (West Africa): What are the Risks of Heavy Metals Contamination and Spreading?

Cited by 7 publications

References 27 publications

Metal-Contaminated Soil Remediation: Phytoremediation, Chemical Leaching and Electrochemical Remediation

Metal-Contaminated Soil Remediation: Phytoremediation, Chemical Leaching and Electrochemical Remediation

A comparison of selected heavy metals in soils mixed with domestic and industrial sludges and assessment of effects of the sludge pollutants on oxidative stress markers of the African kale (Brassica oleracea var acephala) grown using sewage sludge manure

Nitrogen-Rich Sewage Sludge Mineralized Quickly, Improving Lettuce Nutrition and Yield, with Reduced Risk of Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil and Plant Tissues

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