Biosolids-borne trace elements may be released to the environment when biosolids are used as fertilizers in farm land. Trace element leachate concentrations from biosolids are known to be limited by both organic and inorganic sorbent surfaces; this experimental evidence has not been previously verified with geochemical modeling of sorption reactions. In this study, pH-dependent leaching experim...

Agronomic use of biosolids as a fertilizer material remains controversial in part due to public concerns regarding the potential pollution of soils, crop tissue, and ground water by excess nutrients and trace elements in biosolids. This study was designed to assess the effects of long-term commercial-scale application of biosolids on soils and crop tissue sampled from 18 production farms throug...

MILLIONS of dry tons of biosolids are produced every year. Recycling of them and the safety of disposal is an issue at the center of a national debate. Due to the nutrient content of biosolids, they can be reused beneficially as a soil amendment on numerous areas, such as parks, forests, and agricultural land [41]. Biosolids can also be sold in bulk to consumers for use on home gardens or lawns...

The long-term mobility of trace metals has been cited as a potential hazard by critics of EPA 503 rule governing the land application of biosolids. The objectives of this study were to assess the accumulation of Cu, Ni, Cd, and Zn within the soil profile; the distribution of exchangeable, specifically adsorbed, organic, and oxide fractions of each metal; and mass balance of Cu, Ni, and Zn 17 yr...

Physical and biological properties of soils developing from spoil material following surface coal mining in southwest Virginia are poorly understood. Additionally, the effects of various types of soil amendments such as sawdust, topsoil or biosolids on long-term soil development are lacking in the current literature. The objective of this study was to examine water stable aggregation, organic m...

Some speculate that bioaerosols from land application of biosolids pose occupational risks, but few studies have assessed aerosolization of microorganisms from biosolids or estimated occupational risks of infection. This study investigated levels of microorganisms in air immediately downwind of land application operations and estimated occupational risks from aerosolized microorganisms. In all,...

An incubation experiment was conducted to study the chemical speciation and extractability of three heavy metals in two contrasting biosolids-amended clay soils. One was a paddy soil of pH 7.8 and the other was a red soil of pH 4.7 collected from a fallow field. Anaerobically digested biosolids were mixed with each of the two soils at three rates: 20, 40 and 60 g kg(-1) soil (DM basis), and una...

Mineral sands mining involves stripping topsoil to access heavy-mineral bearing deposits, which are then rehabilitated to their original state, commonly pasture in south-west Western Australia. Organic amendments such as biosolids (digested sewage sludge) can contribute organic carbon to the rehabilitating system and improve soil chemical fertility and physical conditions. Use of biosolids also...

This paper reviews current biosolids management options, and identifies incineration as a promising technology. Incineration is attractive both for volume reduction and energy recovery. Reported emissions from the incineration of biosolids were compared to various regulations to identify the challenges and future direction of biosolids incineration research. Most of the gaseous and metal emissi...

Biosolids are nutrient-rich organic residuals that are currently used to amend soils for food production. Treatment requirements to inactivate pathogens for production of Class A biosolids are energy intensive. One less energy intensive alternative is to treat biosolids to Class B standards, but it could result in higher pathogen loads. Quantitative microbial risk assessments models have been d...