Assessing the quality of sewage sludge: CASE study of the Kumasi wastewater treatment plant

Agricultural application is the primary method of recycling sewage sludge. It is an alternative for recycling this residue, providing nutrients and organic matter to crops and soil. However, sewage treatment and management issues may impact its quality. The main objective of the research was to dete...

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Main Authors: Lyndon N.A. Sackey, Joana Koomson, Richard Kumi, Anthony A. Hayford, Phebe Kayoung
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-09-01
Series:Heliyon
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023067580
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author Lyndon N.A. Sackey
Joana Koomson
Richard Kumi
Anthony A. Hayford
Phebe Kayoung
author_facet Lyndon N.A. Sackey
Joana Koomson
Richard Kumi
Anthony A. Hayford
Phebe Kayoung
author_sort Lyndon N.A. Sackey
collection DOAJ
description Agricultural application is the primary method of recycling sewage sludge. It is an alternative for recycling this residue, providing nutrients and organic matter to crops and soil. However, sewage treatment and management issues may impact its quality. The main objective of the research was to determine the quality of sewage sludge generated at the Kumasi Wastewater Treatment Plant (KWTP). Understanding the effects of using sludge on soil and plants is critical. To overcome this constraint, the soil microbial biomass was used to quantify the growth of microorganisms. The levels of potentially toxic elements in the sludge using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) are based on US EPA part 503 regulations for the disposal and management of biosolids. This study found that trace metal concentrations in the biosolids were lower than the referenced background standards threshold. Although the microbial biomass, nutrients and bacteria levels were within the accepted values for their possible use as soil fertilizer. The ecological risk index (135.10) indicated that the level of arsenic was high in the sludge. The salinity in the sludge was low, with electrical conductivity (EC) being high (60.80–436.00 μS/cm) and pH decreasing with age (6.73–7.69). The sludge produced at KWTP is of good quality and meets international standards with only a high concentration of As. This can be used for soil amendment when As is reduced in the sludge.
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spelling doaj.art-860a092105a34fceb9642e97a79c56ac2023-10-01T06:00:05ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-09-0199e19550Assessing the quality of sewage sludge: CASE study of the Kumasi wastewater treatment plantLyndon N.A. Sackey0Joana Koomson1Richard Kumi2Anthony A. Hayford3Phebe Kayoung4Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana; Corresponding author.Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaAgricultural application is the primary method of recycling sewage sludge. It is an alternative for recycling this residue, providing nutrients and organic matter to crops and soil. However, sewage treatment and management issues may impact its quality. The main objective of the research was to determine the quality of sewage sludge generated at the Kumasi Wastewater Treatment Plant (KWTP). Understanding the effects of using sludge on soil and plants is critical. To overcome this constraint, the soil microbial biomass was used to quantify the growth of microorganisms. The levels of potentially toxic elements in the sludge using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) are based on US EPA part 503 regulations for the disposal and management of biosolids. This study found that trace metal concentrations in the biosolids were lower than the referenced background standards threshold. Although the microbial biomass, nutrients and bacteria levels were within the accepted values for their possible use as soil fertilizer. The ecological risk index (135.10) indicated that the level of arsenic was high in the sludge. The salinity in the sludge was low, with electrical conductivity (EC) being high (60.80–436.00 μS/cm) and pH decreasing with age (6.73–7.69). The sludge produced at KWTP is of good quality and meets international standards with only a high concentration of As. This can be used for soil amendment when As is reduced in the sludge.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023067580FertilizerRecyclingAgricultureFecal wasteBiosolids
spellingShingle Lyndon N.A. Sackey
Joana Koomson
Richard Kumi
Anthony A. Hayford
Phebe Kayoung
Assessing the quality of sewage sludge: CASE study of the Kumasi wastewater treatment plant
Heliyon
Fertilizer
Recycling
Agriculture
Fecal waste
Biosolids
title Assessing the quality of sewage sludge: CASE study of the Kumasi wastewater treatment plant
title_full Assessing the quality of sewage sludge: CASE study of the Kumasi wastewater treatment plant
title_fullStr Assessing the quality of sewage sludge: CASE study of the Kumasi wastewater treatment plant
title_full_unstemmed Assessing the quality of sewage sludge: CASE study of the Kumasi wastewater treatment plant
title_short Assessing the quality of sewage sludge: CASE study of the Kumasi wastewater treatment plant
title_sort assessing the quality of sewage sludge case study of the kumasi wastewater treatment plant
topic Fertilizer
Recycling
Agriculture
Fecal waste
Biosolids
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023067580
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