Bioavailability to plants of sludge-borne toxic organics
Large numbers of man-made organic chemicals occur in sewage sludge and many are thought to represent an environmental hazard. This is particularly true of the compounds classified as priority pollutants (TOs) which typically occur in sludges in the mg/kg concentration range. Concerns about their environmental fate, specifically their bioavailability to food-chain crops, have disrupted land application of sludges. A review of the pertinent literature (especially field studies utilizing sludge-amended soils and confirmational analysis for parent compound) suggest the concern is largely groundless. The vast majority of TOs in sludge occur at low concentrations and when applied to soil are strongly sorbed in the soil-sludge matrix, degraded, or are otherwise lost from the soil during the cropping season. Plant bioconcentration factors for most TOs are less 0.01 DW. Even if taken up by plants the TOs may be metabolized within the plant or accumulate in plant parts that are usually not consumed. In contrast a second general group of man-made organics (aromatic surfactants) exist in sludge at much greater concentrations (g/kg).
- Research Organization:
- Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH (United States). Risk Reduction Engineering Lab.
- OSTI ID:
- 5564098
- Report Number(s):
- PB-92-153931/XAB
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Pub. in Jnl. of Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, v121 p129-155. See also PB86-150208 and PB91-177287. Prepared in cooperation with Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD., and New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces. Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
FOOD CHAINS
CONTAMINATION
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
PLANTS
SEWAGE SLUDGE
GROUND DISPOSAL
SOILS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FIELD TESTS
PESTICIDES
PLANT GROWTH
SURFACTANTS
VOLATILE MATTER
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
GROWTH
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATTER
SEWAGE
SLUDGES
TESTING
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology