Compost and Sewage Sludge for the Improvement of Soil Chemical and Biological Quality of Mediterranean Agroecosystems

Enrica Picariello, Luca Pucci, Maurizio Carotenuto, Giovanni Libralato, Giusy Lofrano and Daniela Baldantoni
Additional contact information
Enrica Picariello: Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Luca Pucci: Gori Spa, 80056 Ercolano (NA), Italy
Maurizio Carotenuto: Department of Chemistry and Biology “Adolfo Zambelli”, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy
Giovanni Libralato: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Napoli, Italy
Giusy Lofrano: Centro Servizi Metrologici e Tecnologici Avanzati (CeSMA), Complesso Universitario di Monte Sant’Angelo, 80126 Napoli, Italy
Daniela Baldantoni: Department of Chemistry and Biology “Adolfo Zambelli”, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano (SA), Italy

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Conventional fertilization practices in agroecosystems concern the supply of bioavailable nutrients, such as mineral fertilizers. A consolidated alternative to restoring the long-term fertility of agricultural soils is their amendment with organic fertilizers. Soil amendment with biowaste compost or sewage sludge represents a sustainable strategy to avoid the landfilling of organic matter derived from urban waste and sewage sludge. This study aims at validating the use of quality biowaste compost and sewage sludge from secondary sedimentation (alone or in combination with mineral fertilizers) in a Mediterranean agroecosystem and their effects on soil chemical and biological quality, with a view to verifying the maintenance of soil fertility and functionality. In particular, the dynamics of soil organic matter, pH, potentially toxic elements and microbial community functionality were assessed, in experimental mesocosms, during 6 months of incubation. The research showed that, while soil amendment with biowaste compost induces positive effects on soil organic matter and phosphorous concentrations, as well as on microbial community functionality, the amendment with the selected sewage sludge does not determine any benefit to the microbial community or any danger in relation to soil potentially toxic element concentrations and toxicity. The quantity of sewage sludge employed, chosen according to regional directives, was thus not enough to stimulate the edaphic microflora activity.

Keywords: sewage sludge; biowaste compost; mineral and organic fertilization; physico-chemical and biological soil properties; toxicity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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