Evaluation and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metals (HMs) in Sewage Sludge of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) in Shanxi, China

Baoling Duan, Fenwu Liu, Wuping Zhang, Haixia Zheng, Qiang Zhang, Xiaomei Li and Yushan Bu
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Baoling Duan: College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, China
Fenwu Liu: College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, China
Wuping Zhang: College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, China
Haixia Zheng: College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, China
Qiang Zhang: College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, China
Xiaomei Li: College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, China
Yushan Bu: College of Resources and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi 030801, China

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: Heavy metals (HMs) in sewage sludge have become the crucial limiting factors for land use application. Samples were collected and analyzed from 32 waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Shanxi Province, China. HM levels in sewage sludge were assessed. The multivariate statistical method principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the sources of HMs in sewage sludge. HM pollution classes by geochemical accumulation index I geo and correlation analyses between HMs were also conducted. HMs were arranged in the following decreasing order of mean concentration: Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > As > Hg > Cd; the maximum concentrations of all HMs were within the limit of maximum content permitted by Chinese discharge standard. I geo classes of HMs pollution in order from most polluted to least were: Cu and Hg pollution were the highest; Cd and Cr pollution were moderate; Zn, As and Pb pollution were the least. Sources of HM contamination in sewage sludge were identified as three components. The primary contaminant source accounting for 35.7% of the total variance was identified as smelting industry, coking plant and traffic sources; the second source accounting for 29.0% of the total variance was distinguished as household and water supply pollution; the smallest of the three sources accounting for 16.2% of the total variance was defined as special industries such as leather tanning, textile manufacturing and chemical processing industries. Source apportionment of HMs in sewage sludge can control HM contamination through suggesting improvements in government policies and industrial processes.

Keywords: sewage sludge; heavy metals; geo accumulation index; classes of pollution; principal component analysis; source apportionment; Shanxi (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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