Revegetation of anthracite refuse banks with municipal sewage effluent and sludge: phase ii. Final report Dec 1975--Mar 1978

Technical Report · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6330080

Sopper, W E; Kardos, L T; Kerr, S N

Heat-dried municipal sludge was applied to a barren burned anthracite refuse bank in 1974. Sludge was applied at rates of 0, 40, 75, and 150 dry metric tons per hectare. Ten species of trees were planted and five species of grasses and legumes were seeded for evaluation. One plot was also irrigated with sewage effluent. The 150-ton-per-hectare sludge application rate produced the best overall herbaceous vegetation growth response. The 40- and 75-ton-per-hectare sludge application rates produced the best tree seedling growth response. Foliar analyses for trace metals indicated no phytotoxity problems. Analyses of leachate water at the 3-foot soil depth indicated that the sludge applications did not impair water quality. Results of the study indicate that treated municipal sludge can be used to revegetate land disturbed by mining activities without adverse effects on the vegetation or water quality.

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Inst. for Research on Land and Water Resources
• OSTI ID: 6330080
• Report Number(s): PB-283394
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010900* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANTHRACITE
BLACK COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GRASS
LAND RECLAMATION
PLANTS
REVEGETATION
SEWAGE
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SPOIL BANKS
TREES
USES
WASTES
WATER QUALITY