Effects of sewage sludge amendment on heavy metal accumulation and consequent responses of Beta vulgaris plants

Use of sewage sludge, a biological residue produced from sewage treatment processes in agriculture is an alternative disposal technique of waste. To study the usefulness of sewage sludge amendment for palak (Beta vulgaris var. Allgreen H-1), a leafy vegetable and consequent heavy metal contamination, a pot experiment was conducted by mixing sewage sludge at 20% and 40% (w/w) amendment ratios to the agricultural soil. Soil pH decreased whereas electrical conductance, organic carbon, total N, available P and exchangeable Na, K and Ca increased in soil amended with sewage sludge in comparison to unamended soil. Sewage sludge amendment led to significant increase in Pb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Zn and Ni concentrations of soil. Cd concentration in soil was found above the Indian permissible limit in soil at both the amendment ratios.

The increased concentration of heavy metals in soil due to sewage sludge amendment led to increases in heavy metal uptake and shoot and root concentrations of Ni, Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn in plants as compared to those grown on unamended soil. Accumulation was more in roots than shoots for most of the heavy metals. Concentrations of Cd, Ni and Zn were more than the permissible limits of Indian standard in the edible portion of palak grown on different sewage sludge amendments ratios. Sewage sludge amendment in soil decreased root length, leaf area and root biomass of palak at both the amendment ratios, whereas shoot biomass and yield decreased significantly at 40% sludge amendment. Rate of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content decreased whereas lipid peroxidation, peroxidase activity and protein and proline contents, increased in plants grown in sewage sludge-amended soil as compared to those grown in unamended soil.

The study clearly shows that increase in heavy metal concentration in foliage of plants grown in sewage sludge-amended soil caused unfavorable changes in physiological and biochemical characteristics of plants leading to reductions in morphological characteristics, biomass accumulation and yield. The study concludes that sewage sludge amendment in soil for growing palak may not be a good option due to risk of contamination of Cd, Ni and Zn and also due to lowering of yield at higher mixing ratio.     

Effects of sewage sludge blending on the coal combustion: a thermogravimetric assessment

Combustion of urban sewage sludge together with coal in existing infrastructures may be a sustainable management option energetically interesting for these materials, usually considered wastes. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to study the combustion of a semianthracite coal and the modifications undergone when adding a small percentage (2%, 5%, 10%) of sewage sludge. Both Differential Scanning Calorimetric analysis and Differential Thermogravimetry burning profiles showed differences between coal and sewage sludge combustion. However, the effects of adding a percentage of sewage sludge equal or smaller than 10% was hardly noticeable in terms of heat release and weight loss during the coal combustion. This was further proved by non-isothermal kinetic analysis, which was used to evaluate the Arrhenius activation energy corresponding to the co-combustion of the blends. This work shows that thermogravimetric analysis may be used as an easy rapid tool to asses the co-combustion of sewage sludge together with coal.     

Fate of cancerostatic platinum compounds in biological wastewater treatment of hospital effluents

The present work focuses on the fate of two cancerostatic platinum compounds (CPC), cisplatin and carboplatin, as well as of two inorganic platinum compounds, [PtCl₄]²⁻ and [PtCl₆]²⁻ in biological wastewater treatment. Laboratory experiments modelling adsorption of these compounds onto activated sludge showed promising specific adsorption coefficients K_D and K_OC and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. However, the adsorption properties of the investigated substances were differing significantly. Adsorption decreased following the order cisplatin > [PtCl₆]²⁻ > [PtCl₄]²⁻ > carboplatin. Log K_D-values were ranging from 2.5 to 4.3 , log K_OC from 3.0 to 4.7.

A pilot membrane bioreactor system (MBR) was installed in a hospital in Vienna and fed with wastewater from the oncologic in-patient treatment ward to investigate CPC-adsorption in a sewage treatment plant. During three monitoring periods Pt-concentrations were measured in the influent (3–250 μg l⁻¹ Pt) and the effluent (2–150 μg l⁻¹ Pt) of the treatment plant using ICP-MS. The monitoring periods (duration 30 d) revealed elimination efficiencies between 51% and 63% based on averaged weekly input–output budgets. The derived log K_D-values and log K_OC-values ranged from 2.4 to 4.8 and from 2.8 to 5.3, respectively. Species analysis using HPLC-ICP-MS proofed that mainly carboplatin was present as intact drug in the influent and – due to low log K_D – in the effluent of the MBR.     

Dioxin formation in pulp and paper mills of India

Samples of effluents, sludge, pulp, final products (paper) and soil were collected from the identified pulp and paper mills in India. The samples were analysed for 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD) and other dioxin congeners and precursors. Pulp and paper mills using chlorine for the bleaching process showed the presence of 2,3,7,8-TCDD in effluent samples. In the effluent and pulp samples from mills where chlorine dioxide was used as a bleaching agent, the 2,3,7,8-TCDD congener ranged from below the detection limit 0.05 to 0.12 ngL⁻¹/ngg⁻¹. The relative standard deviation of reproducibility and the percent recovery of 2,3,7,8-TCDD were 2.07 and 82.4% in pulp and 2.8 and 92% in effluent, respectively. The 1,3,6,8-TCDD was the only other major dioxin congener found in the treated and untreated effluent and sludge samples. However, dichlorobenzene, trichlorophenyl, and hexachlorobiphenyl were detected in all samples. The formation of dioxins can be minimised by replacing chlorine with chlorine dioxide in bleaching processes in pulp and paper mills.     

城市污泥-磷石膏陶粒的制备条件及性能分析

以城市污水处理厂剩余污泥和磷酸生产废渣磷石膏为原料制备多孔陶粒,考察不同配比、烧结温度及烧结时间对多孔陶粒堆积密度、吸水率及盐酸可溶率的影响。结果表明:在污泥与磷石膏混合比1∶4、烧结温度1 050℃、烧结时间15 min的条件下,可制得堆积密度为685.78 kg/m~3、吸水率27.34%、盐酸可溶率11.38%的陶粒,该陶粒内部含有丰富的膨胀气孔,可用作水处理滤料或建材骨料。     

17 β-estradiol mineralization in human waste products and soil in the presence and the absence of antimicrobials

Natural steroidal estrogens, such as 17 β-estradiol (E2), as well as antimicrobials such as doxycycline and norfloxacin, are excreted by humans and hence detected in sewage sludge and biosolid. The disposal of human waste products on agricultural land results in estrogens and antibiotics being detected as mixtures in soils. The objective of this study was to examine microbial respiration and E2 mineralization in sewage sludge, biosolid, and soil in the presence and the absence of doxycycline and norfloxacin. The antimicrobials were applied to the media either alone or in combination at total rates of 4 and 40 mg kg^?1, with the 4 mg kg^?1 rate being an environmentally relevant concentration. The calculated time that half of the applied E2 was mineralized ranged from 294 to 418 days in sewage sludge, from 721 to 869 days in soil, and from 2,258 to 14,146 days in biosolid. E2 mineralization followed first-order and the presence of antimicrobials had no significant effect on mineralization half-lives, except for some antimicrobial applications to the human waste products. At 189 day, total E2 mineralization was significantly greater in sewage sludge (38 ±0.7%) > soil (23 ±0.7%) > biosolid (3 ±0.7%), while total respiration was significantly greater in biosolid (1,258 mg CO₂) > sewage sludge (253 mg CO₂) ≥ soil (131 mg CO₂). Strong sorption of E2 to the organic fraction in biosolid may have resulted in reduced E2 mineralization despite the high microbial activity in this media. Total E2 mineralization at 189 day was not significantly influenced by the presence of doxycycline and/or norfloxacin in the media. Antimicrobial additions also did not significantly influence total respiration in media, except that total CO₂ respiration at 189 day was significantly greater for biosolid with 40 mg kg^?1 doxycycline added, relative to biosolid without antimicrobials. We conclude that it is unlikely for doxycycline and norfloxacin, or their mixtures, to have a significant effect on E2 mineralization in human waste products and soil. However, the potential for E2 to be persistent in biosolids, with and without the presence of antimicrobials, is posing a challenge for biosolid disposal to agricultural lands.     

基于效果-效率-适应性的养殖废弃物资源化利用管理模式评价框架构建及初步应用

由于产业发展正处于转型阶段,我国畜禽养殖污染治理中的管理问题比技术问题更加突出,选择适宜的组织管理模式尤其重要。融合了效果分析、效率评价和适应性分析,尝试构建一个养殖废弃物资源化利用管理模式综合评价框架,并选择太湖流域4个不同类型的典型案例进行方法例证。研究表明,传统的养殖企业主导型管理模式应用于小型、分散养殖废弃物资源化利用时面临着经济效率低、适应性差难题;农村废弃物处理中心、种植企业和有机肥企业的参与可以改善小型、分散养殖废弃物资源化利用的经济效率;综合考虑效果、效率与适应性,种植企业、有机肥企业主导型模式的适宜推广范围更广。应根据不同地区种植-养殖产业关系、污染治理需求、经济发展水平与政府投入能力等,灵活组合应用不同管理模式。     

“十二五”畜禽养殖污染减排问题及防治对策

对中国"十二五"前3年畜禽养殖业污染减排实践中存在的问题和面临的困境进行了分析和梳理,针对问题依据各地养殖现状核算了各区域耕地粪污承载负荷。据此提出种养结合是区域适宜的粪污治理思路,为地方政府与环境主管部门推进畜禽养殖污染防治和粪污资源化利用提出了建议。     

城市生活垃圾和污水处理厂剩余污泥混合发酵的原料配比优化研究

以城市生活垃圾和污水处理厂的剩余污泥为混合原料,研究了混合原料的不同配比对厌氧发酵过程及产气的影响。结果表明:城市生活垃圾与剩余污泥以挥发性固体(VS)质量比为2∶1混合后,厌氧发酵效果最好,累计产气量最高,达到8 721mL,发酵后的总固体(TS)、VS、COD去除率分别达43.65%、35.98%、47.88%;各实验组在发酵过程中的pH、氨氮浓度和碱度均在合理范围内,未对厌氧发酵反应造成影响;以适当配比的城市生活垃圾和剩余污泥为混合原料,进行中温联合厌氧发酵是可行的,联合厌氧发酵可以弥补单一原料的缺陷,在一定程度上改善厌氧发酵效果。     

嗜油菌NY3对蜡质油污泥无害化处理

蜡质油污泥(WOS)成分复杂,含大量老化原油、蜡质油、沥青质及其他化学药剂,属危险性固体废弃物,大量排放已成为石化企业可持续发展的障碍.研究利用铜绿假单胞菌NY3处理高浓度WOS的条件,结果表明,WOS∶木屑(m/m)(d =0.30 mm) 7∶1并结合热熔分散为最佳油污泥预处理条件;液相降解体系含油量为24.5 g/L时,6d内,油泥中C20以下的正构烷烃完全被去除,C21～C34和C35～C38大分子量正构烷烃去除率分别在91％ ～99％和78％ ～ 89％之间.添加鼠李糖脂能明显提高长链烃和多环芳烃的降解率.6d内210 mg/L鼠李糖脂使C29 ～ C38的降解率提高17.27％ ～36.65％,芘、菲分别提高13.67％和16.12％.添加葡萄糖和Fe2+的条件下,NY3菌可将油污泥转化成为糖蛋白,产量达28 g/L.