Risk Analysis of Heavy Metals Migration from Sewage Sludge of Wastewater Treatment Plants

Robert Kowalik (), Jarosław Gawdzik, Paulina Bąk-Patyna, Piotr Ramiączek and Nebojša Jurišević
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Robert Kowalik: Faculty of Environmental, Geomatic and Energy Engineering, Kielce University of Technology, 25-314 Kielce, Poland
Jarosław Gawdzik: Faculty of Environmental, Geomatic and Energy Engineering, Kielce University of Technology, 25-314 Kielce, Poland
Paulina Bąk-Patyna: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kielce University of Technology, 25-314 Kielce, Poland
Piotr Ramiączek: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kielce University of Technology, 25-314 Kielce, Poland
Nebojša Jurišević: Department for Energy and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kragujevac, 34000 Kragujevac, Serbia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: More and more attention in sewage sludge management is being devoted to its environmental utilization. This approach is justified both from economic and environmental points of view. However, as with any method, there are certain possibilities and limitations. The goal of the natural utilization of sewage sludge is to recover the valuable agronomic properties and fertilizing potential of the sludge. The main aspect limiting the possibility of using sludge as a fertilizer is the heavy metal content. In this paper, an analysis of the risk of environmental contamination in the case of application of sewage sludge with different forms of sludge treatment was carried out. Risk indices such as Igeo and PERI, based on the comparison of total metal content in sludge and soil, as well as RAC and ERD indices, which take into account the mobility of metals in soil, were calculated. It was shown that high levels of potential risk and geoaccumulation indicators do not necessarily disqualify the use of sewage sludge, the key aspect is the form of mobility in which the heavy metals are found in the sludge, and this should be the only aspect taken into account for the possibility of their environmental use.

Keywords: heavy metals; sewage sludge; mobility; environmental pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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