Using sludge on land raises more than crops
Applying sludge to croplands has been one solution to the dilemma of accumulating sewage. At the present time, approximately 25 percent of all sludge disposal programs are conducted as land application, specifically land reclamation and agricultural utilization. The application of sludge to croplands is developing from a small and scattered program into a large-scaled program because of the prohibition of ocean dumping of sludge, increased costs for incineration of sludge and its pollution control, and an increasing national production of over 280 million tons/yr of wet sludge. Agricultural utilization of sewage sludge has several notable benefits including the recycling of essential and trace nutrients, improvement of marginal soil with organic matter, increased crop yield, and direct costs comparable to commercial fertilizers. However, cropland utilization of sewage sludge may involve risks if proper management is not followed. Besides the risk of metal contamination of soil and plants which has received considerable notoriety, the overall environmental impact of sludge application programs must also consider the public health hazards of nitrate (Ntheta/sub 3/) pollution and the spread of pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms, and any odor nuisance which may be associated with these programs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5964162
- Journal Information:
- Pollut. Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: Pollut. Eng.; (United States) Vol. XIV:9; ISSN PLENB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
320604* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
553000 -- Agriculture & Food Technology
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
AGRICULTURE
CONTAMINATION
CROPS
FERTILIZATION
FERTILIZERS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
INDUSTRY
LAND USE
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUTRIENTS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RECYCLING
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SLUDGES
SOILS
USES
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES
YIELDS