Trace element uptake by field-grown food plants fertilized with wastewater sewage sludge

Journal Article · · Compost Sci.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5023069

McIntyre, D R; Silver, W J; Griggs, K S

Garden vegetables and grains were field-grown in San Ysidro loam amended with lagoon-dried, municipal wastewater sewage sludge at 235 tonnes/ha (84 dry ton/acre). The objective was to stimulate a family garden plot in which the only fertilizer used was several cubic yards of sewage sludge. The garden was sprinkler irrigated and moisture levels were maintained near field capacity. At harvest time, both soil and plants were analyzed for 35 elements by neutron activation, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, or both. Crops grown in an adjacent plot in soil without sewage sludge provided the control data. The sludge-grown plants contained elevated levels of K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd. Low soil concentrations of cadmium appear to be readily taken up and assimilated by plants. In general, concentrations of metals were higher in leaf tissues than in roots; for example, zinc was higher in radish leaves (290 ..mu..g/g Zn) than the edible radish roots (145 ..mu..g/g Zn).

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Livermore
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5023069
• Journal Information: Compost Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Compost Sci.; (United States) Vol. 18; ISSN COMPA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ACTIVATION ANALYSIS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BARYON REACTIONS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL LOCALIZATION
CADMIUM
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
COPPER
CROPS
DATA
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HADRON REACTIONS
INFORMATION
LEAD
LEAVES
MAGNESIUM
METALS
NEUTRON REACTIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON REACTIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANTS
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SLUDGES
SOILS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES
ZINC