Leaching of PCBs and Nutrients from Soil Fertilized with Municipal Sewage Sludge.
Although sewage sludge is a rich source of nutrients for arable farming and soil improvement, it can also be a source of pollutants. The effects of the land application of sludge on the PCB and nutrient content of leachate were investigated using cylindrical 650 mm length columns filled with poor quality soil. Treatments included no fertilization (control), fertilization using a 62.5 t/ha dose (O50) of sewage sludge from the largest Polish Wastewater Treatment Plant, in Lodz, and a 62.5 t/ha dose of sewage sludge mixed with CaO (O50Ca). The leaching of sludge-borne PCBs and nutrients was simulated by the application of distilled water in a quantity reflecting the annual rainfall of 562.5 mm. The obtained results demonstrate that application of sewage sludge and water simulated leaching of the most mobile chemical compounds, nitrate for example, whereas the addition of CaO decreased the average PCB and phosphorus concentrations in comparison to the control and O50 samples.
Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland. m.urbaniak@unesco.lodz.pl.|European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Tylna 3, 90-364, Lodz, Poland. m.urbaniak@unesco.lodz.pl.
Magdalena
M
Urbaniak
European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Tylna 3, 90-364, Lodz, Poland.
Ilona
I
Gągała
Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland.
Mariusz
M
Szewczyk
Department of Applied Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha 12/16, 90-237, Lodz, Poland.
Agnieszka
A
Bednarek
D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005308:Fertilizers / Q000032:analysis*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*
D005308:Fertilizers; D009566:Nitrates; D012722:Sewage; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D010758:Phosphorus; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Leachate; Nutrients; PCBs; Sewage sludge