Fertilization Value of Biosolids on Nutrient Accumulation and Environmental Risks to Agricultural Plants
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Fertilization Value of Biosolids on Nutrient Accumulation and Environmental Risks to Agricultural Plants Hoi Yan Chow & Min Pan
Received: 2 July 2020 / Accepted: 29 November 2020 # The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Amendment with treated biosolids can increase soil fertility and plant nutrition to the soil, but the fertilization value compared with other commercial soil amendments on the soil ecosystem is poorly understood. The effects of different proportions (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) of thermal and pH-treated biosolid applications on the growth performance, nutrient contents, and toxicity performance of carrots (Daucus carota L.) and choy sum (Brassica chinensis var. parachinensis) were studied. Different commercial organic soil amendments, such as biochar, chicken manure (CM), and food waste compost (FWC), were also used as a comparison in the experiment to determine the feasibility of biosolid application on agricultural use. All four soil amendments resulted in similar growth trends for the carrots and choy sum, and this information can be applied in selecting the appropriate species of plants. Through thermal and pH treatments, the treated biosolids decreased environmental risks and resulted in higher amounts of N and P in comparison to the other soil amendments. The results showed that 10% biosolidamended soil performed best in terms of plant growth, biomass, and nutrient content for both carrots and choy sum. Nutrient analysis (N, P, and K) and heavy metal analysis (As, Cd, and Pb) on both soil and plants were conducted. It was proven that biosolid application was as functional as CM application and could be used as H. Y. Chow : M. Pan (*) Faculty of Design and Environment, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China e-mail: [email protected]
organic fertilizer to replace biochar and FWC for agricultural use. No heavy metals were found in the pure biosolids, which were safe to use as fertilizers. Utilizing biosolids as fertilizers could be an effective way to address the problem of waste disposal and landfill loading for the environment. Keywords Agriculture . Biosolids . Nutrition . Organic fertilizer . Plant growth
1 Introduction Hong Kong produces over 1200 tons of sewage sludge per day from different sewage treatment works (STWs). Due to population growth and upgrades or improvements to STWs, it is expected that the sewage sludge amount will increase to 2000 tons in 2030 (TPARK 2018). The main treatment methods of sewage sludge in Hong Kong are incineration and landfill disposal. Incineration processes can produce a large amount of toxic gases, such as dioxin and xylene, which may cause serious air pollution. Incineration reduces the volume of sewage sludge while increases air pollutant emissions (TPARK 2018), indicating it may not be a sustainable sewage sludge treatment method. Most of the residues and ashes generated from incineration are sent to landfills (AFCD 2018b). On the other hand, la
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