Using sewage effluent and liquid digested sludge to establish grasses and legumes on bituminous strip-mine spoils. Research project technical completion rept

Technical Report · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EDT 1974

OSTI ID:7284487

Sopper, W E; Kardos, L T; Edgerton, B R

Six large lysimeters were filled with strip-mine spoil material. The spoil was then seeded with eight grass and eight legume species and then treated with sewage effluent and liquid digested sludge at the following treatment rates: control (no treatment), one-inch effluent plus one-inch sludge combination (1E + 1S), and two-inch effluent plus two-inch sludge combination (2E + 2S). The spoil was irrigated weekly during the period May 24 to September 21, 1972. The results indicated that treatment ameliorated the harsh site conditions and greatly facilitated establishment of the grasses and legumes. The grasses did much better than the legumes in both dry matter production and percent areal cover of the spoil. Highest concentrations of metals and lowest concentrations of nitrogen were found in leachate from the control spoil. Leachate from spoil receiving the 2E + 2S treatment had the lowest concentrations of metals and acidity, and the highest concentrations of nitrogen, more favorable for grass and legume establishment. (GRA)

• Research Organization: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Inst. for Research on Land and Water Resources
• OSTI ID: 7284487
• Report Number(s): PB-232069/5
• 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
AGRICULTURE
BIOMASS
BITUMINOUS COAL
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COAL MINING
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GRASS
GROWTH
LAND RECLAMATION
MINING
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEWAGE
SLUDGES
SPOIL BANKS
SURFACE MINING
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION
WASTES