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Related Experiment Videos

Trace metal leaching through a soil-grassland system after sewage sludge application.

C Keller1, S P McGrath, S J Dunham

  • 1Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), ENAC-ISTE-LPE, Ecublens, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. catherine.keller@epfl.ch

Journal of Environmental Quality
|October 10, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Sewage sludge application to soil may initially increase trace metals in drainage water, but plant toxicity is not observed in the short term. Long-term risks include elevated topsoil trace metal concentrations.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Soil Science
  • Agronomy

Background:

  • Repeated sewage sludge applications can impact soil and water quality.
  • Understanding trace metal behavior after sludge application is crucial for environmental risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess short-term plant toxicity and trace metal leaching to groundwater following sewage sludge application.
  • To quantify element pathways in a soil-meadow system after repeated sludge treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized undisturbed monolith lysimeters over a 37-month period.
  • Applied sewage sludge at two rates (3 x 100 m3 ha-1 and 3 x 400 m3 ha-1) with control plots.
  • Monitored trace and major element concentrations in soil, drainage water, and herbage.

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Main Results:

  • Drainage water exhibited temporary increases in NO3-N and Cl, returning to background levels after several months.
  • Nickel and Copper concentrations in solution remained elevated for over 20 months.
  • Trace metal concentrations in herbage did not reach toxic levels; however, topsoil concentrations increased significantly, posing a long-term risk.

Conclusions:

  • Short-term impacts on plant toxicity are limited, but trace metal leaching and soil accumulation are significant concerns.
  • Particulate matter contributes substantially to trace metal leaching in drainage water.
  • Long-term monitoring is essential to manage potential risks associated with sewage sludge application.