Case Study on the Use of Sewage Sludge for the Reclamation of Mining Sites Contaminated with Heavy Metals

The aim of the study was to determine the heavy metal content of soils after sewage sludge application and to calculate the costs associated with fertilising the soil with sewage sludge, which have not been analysed in the available literature so far. The soil for the pot experiments came from villa...

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Main Author: Agnieszka Petryk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Polish Society of Ecological Engineering (PTIE) 2023-09-01
Series:Journal of Ecological Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jeeng.net/Case-Study-on-the-Use-of-Sewage-Sludge-for-the-Reclamation-of-Mining-Sites-Contaminated,169160,0,2.html
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author Agnieszka Petryk
author_facet Agnieszka Petryk
author_sort Agnieszka Petryk
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description The aim of the study was to determine the heavy metal content of soils after sewage sludge application and to calculate the costs associated with fertilising the soil with sewage sludge, which have not been analysed in the available literature so far. The soil for the pot experiments came from villages where the soil was contaminated with heavy metals. Sewage sludge was proposed as a material for the reclamation of land degraded by the mining industry in the aforementioned settlements, and its effect on improving the physical and chemical properties of the soil after application was demonstrated. The cost of applying three doses of municipal sludge to restore areas damaged (degraded) by human activity was estimated. The calculation was carried out on the basis of KNR (National Contractors Estimator) No. 2-21 Tereny Zieleni (Green Areas) and the current prices from Sekocendbud Bulletin 5/2023 (2145), 1st quarter 2023. The cost of fertilising with stabilised sewage sludge for category II land is relatively low. The cost difference between the lowest sludge application of 50 Mg·ha-1 and the highest of 200 Mg·ha-1 is 85%. Therefore, it is cost-effective to apply the highest possible sludge dose per unit area. The study used sewage sludge that was suitable for natural purposes, including agricultural use, and that met the requirements [Journal of Laws 2015, item 257]. In Karniowice, no contamination of the soil with copper, cadmium, zinc and lead was found, although the content of these metals clearly increased after sludge application at the aforementioned sludge doses. The application of sludge, even in multiple doses, had no influence on exceeding the permissible concentration for these metals according to the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 2015, which allowed the area to be classified as uncontaminated after sludge application. In Lgota, soil contamination standards were exceeded for cadmium, lead and zinc after sludge application. In the case of copper after sludge application, the results were in line with the Regulation.
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spelling doaj.art-5a1ced7a9169418e92de3a68309035362023-07-23T06:43:14ZengPolish Society of Ecological Engineering (PTIE)Journal of Ecological Engineering2299-89932023-09-0124917118210.12911/22998993/169160169160Case Study on the Use of Sewage Sludge for the Reclamation of Mining Sites Contaminated with Heavy MetalsAgnieszka Petryk0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4662-1964Department of Space Management and Social-Economic Geography, Krakow University of Economics, ul. Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Kraków, PolandThe aim of the study was to determine the heavy metal content of soils after sewage sludge application and to calculate the costs associated with fertilising the soil with sewage sludge, which have not been analysed in the available literature so far. The soil for the pot experiments came from villages where the soil was contaminated with heavy metals. Sewage sludge was proposed as a material for the reclamation of land degraded by the mining industry in the aforementioned settlements, and its effect on improving the physical and chemical properties of the soil after application was demonstrated. The cost of applying three doses of municipal sludge to restore areas damaged (degraded) by human activity was estimated. The calculation was carried out on the basis of KNR (National Contractors Estimator) No. 2-21 Tereny Zieleni (Green Areas) and the current prices from Sekocendbud Bulletin 5/2023 (2145), 1st quarter 2023. The cost of fertilising with stabilised sewage sludge for category II land is relatively low. The cost difference between the lowest sludge application of 50 Mg·ha-1 and the highest of 200 Mg·ha-1 is 85%. Therefore, it is cost-effective to apply the highest possible sludge dose per unit area. The study used sewage sludge that was suitable for natural purposes, including agricultural use, and that met the requirements [Journal of Laws 2015, item 257]. In Karniowice, no contamination of the soil with copper, cadmium, zinc and lead was found, although the content of these metals clearly increased after sludge application at the aforementioned sludge doses. The application of sludge, even in multiple doses, had no influence on exceeding the permissible concentration for these metals according to the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment of 2015, which allowed the area to be classified as uncontaminated after sludge application. In Lgota, soil contamination standards were exceeded for cadmium, lead and zinc after sludge application. In the case of copper after sludge application, the results were in line with the Regulation.http://www.jeeng.net/Case-Study-on-the-Use-of-Sewage-Sludge-for-the-Reclamation-of-Mining-Sites-Contaminated,169160,0,2.htmlsoilsewage sludgeheavy metalsfertilisationcost estimation
spellingShingle Agnieszka Petryk
Case Study on the Use of Sewage Sludge for the Reclamation of Mining Sites Contaminated with Heavy Metals
Journal of Ecological Engineering
soil
sewage sludge
heavy metals
fertilisation
cost estimation
title Case Study on the Use of Sewage Sludge for the Reclamation of Mining Sites Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_full Case Study on the Use of Sewage Sludge for the Reclamation of Mining Sites Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_fullStr Case Study on the Use of Sewage Sludge for the Reclamation of Mining Sites Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_full_unstemmed Case Study on the Use of Sewage Sludge for the Reclamation of Mining Sites Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_short Case Study on the Use of Sewage Sludge for the Reclamation of Mining Sites Contaminated with Heavy Metals
title_sort case study on the use of sewage sludge for the reclamation of mining sites contaminated with heavy metals
topic soil
sewage sludge
heavy metals
fertilisation
cost estimation
url http://www.jeeng.net/Case-Study-on-the-Use-of-Sewage-Sludge-for-the-Reclamation-of-Mining-Sites-Contaminated,169160,0,2.html
work_keys_str_mv AT agnieszkapetryk casestudyontheuseofsewagesludgeforthereclamationofminingsitescontaminatedwithheavymetals