Bio-indicators to assess impacts of heavy metals in land-applied sewage sludge

Soils from a pastoral farm that had received large amounts of heavy metal contaminated sewage sludge 6-10 years previously were investigated to determine the impact of heavy metals on Rhizobium. The 8 ha application area was originally divided into five different-sized blocks (blocks 1-5), which received sludge at different times between 1991 and 1994. The response of a lux biosensor based on R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii (Rhizotox-C), was compared with more traditional techniques for measuring the presence of effective strains of Rhizobium (MPN) and nitrogen fixation (δ¹⁵N natural abundance). Although population size (MPNs), nitrogen fixation and biosensor response varied between treatment blocks, linear regression analysis determined that this block effect could not be directly linked to soil heavy metal concentrations, but was probably due to biological, physical, chemical and environmental compounding factors at the site. In this type of uncontrolled field application, the lux bioassay may provide the most useful information as it measures toxicity to any microorganism exposed to the soil solution, for example, the free living rhizobia.     

Influence of sewage sludge and heavy metals on nematodes in an arable soil

Summary The abundance of nematodes was investigated in agricultural plots treated in three different ways, the first with no treatment, the second with 300 m³ ha^-1 a^-1 raw sewage sludge and the third with 300 m³ ha^-1 a^-1 sewage sludge with the addition of heavy metals. The nematodes were determined down to the genus and were assigned to five feeding groups. Total nematode numbers were highest in the site treated with sewage sludge and heavy metals. The smallest total numbers were found in the control site. The plant-feeding nematode genera showed different patterns of abundance depending on the sludge treatment and heavy metal content. For the mycophagic and bacteriophagic nematodes, numbers increased with the amount of sludge, especially in the sites with a higher heavy metal content. The family Rhabditidae was the most numerous group in the sludge plus heavy metals treatment. In contrast to these findings, the omnivorous nematodes were very rare in the sludgetreated plots and were completely absent in plots treated with sludge plus heavy metals, whereas predatory nematodes were numerous only after the application of sludge alone.     

Runoff and losses by erosion in soils amended with sewage sludge

In order to promote the transformation of a burnt Mediterranean forest area into a dehesa system, 10 t ha⁻¹ of dry matter of the same sewage sludge in three different forms: fresh, composted and thermally‐dried, were added superficially to field plots of loam and sandy soils located on a 16 per cent slope. This application is equivalent to 13ċ8 t ha⁻¹ of composted sludge, 50 t ha⁻¹ of fresh sludge and 11ċ3 t ha⁻¹ of thermally‐dried sludge. The surface addition of a single application of thermally‐dried sludge resulted in a decrease in runoff and erosion in both kinds of soil. Runoff in thermally‐dried sludge plots was lower than in the control treatment (32 per cent for the loam soil and 26 per cent for the sandy soil). The addition of any type of sludge to both soil types also reduces sediment production. Significant differences between the control and sludge treatments indicate that the rapid development of plant cover and the direct protective effect of sludge on the soil are the main agents that influence soil erosion rates. Results suggest that the surface application of thermally‐dried sludge is the most efficient way to enhance soil infiltration. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The quantitative changes of nutrients in two contrasting soils amended with sewage sludge compost evaluated by various statistical tools

Introduction: The application of organic fertilisers to replenish soil organic matter and improve soil fertility and productivity has become common agricultural practice.

Aim of the study: This research deals with the effects of soil amendment with sewage sludge compost (SSC) on organic carbon, nitrogen total, nitrogen mineral and available P, K, S and Mg mineralisation in two contrasting soils. The various statistical tools used in this study have allowed us to present another conceptualisation of nutrient increments or losses as an effect of SSC applied. In order to distinguish groups of nutrients which are similar, a cluster analysis was used. A two-way analysis of variance was applied to compare the increments of the content of nutrients in the soils.

Material and Methods: A 3-year pot experiment was conducted, employing a randomised, factorial design with two soils (light and medium) and one amendment treatment as a compost at a rate equivalent to 6 Mg ha^?1. The following parameters of chemical soil properties were determined: contents of organic carbon (Corg), total nitrogen (Ntot), amounts of available P, K, Mg, S and mineral nitrogen (Nmin).

Results: The SSC showed a similar influence on the fertility of both soils. It was affirmed that application of SSC results in a statistically significant increase in the contents of soil organic carbon. The amounts of total and mineral N, as well as available P and S were subjected to different patterns of quantity changes expressed by both increase and loss. Moreover, a statistically significant loss of available K amounts was observed in both soils.

Conclusions: The findings of the study indicated that mature SSC becomes a long lasting fertiliser, slowly subjected to decomposition processes. Therefore, it may influence small increases in nutrient amounts in soils, in relation to the contents obtained for the control soil.     

施用方式对赤红壤坡地上污泥铜随径流迁移的影响

研究了以撒施、撒施+草和穴施方式施用于赤红壤坡地上污泥中的Cu在人工降雨条件下随径流的迁移情况。结果表明,污泥撒施后的前期(1d和18d)径流中混匀样总Cu(MTCu)、静置样总Cu(STCu)、颗粒态总Cu(TPCu)、悬浮态总Cu(TSCu)和可溶性总Cu(TDCu)浓度和流失量均达到峰值,其中MTCu、STCu浓度和流失量峰值分别为1674.9μg·L-1、105.4μg·L-1和21.59mg·m-2、1.32mg·m-2,分别是穴施和撒施+草对应峰值的4.2～13.7倍和5.4～24.9倍;此后Cu浓度和流失量均逐渐降低。与撒施相比,撒施+草径流中各形态Cu浓度和流失量削减率可分别达72.8%～91.7%和91.4%～97.1%,穴施对应削减率则可分别达78.2%～89.9%和68.6%～82.9%。撒施、撒施+草和穴施MTCu径流流失系数分别为0.83%、0.03%和0.26%,穴施和撒施+草均可有效防止污泥Cu的流失,但以撒施+草效果最好。颗粒相Cu是Cu流失的重要形式。     

Impact of landspread sewage sludge and earthworm introduction on established earthworms and soil structure

Summary Sewage sludge was applied to twelve 4-m² plots in two forest (mixed hardwood, Norway spruce plantation) site and one old field site. The earthworm Eisenia fetida was introduced to half the control and half the treated plots. Earthworm populations were sampled by formalin extraction and hand-sorting five times in the year following treatment. One year after treatment, soil samples were wet-sieved and water-stable aggregate size-class arrays were determined.The dominant earthworm in the study site, Lumbricus terrestris, increased in density and mean individual biomass in response to sludge treatment in mixed hardwood and old field plots. In the Norway spruce plots, L. terrestris increased in individual biomass but decreased in density following sludge application. The density of the introduced E. fetida rapidly declined in all control plots. One year after introduction, E. fetida was found only in the sludge-treated Norway spruce plot. The introduction of E. fetida with sludge decreased the density and biomass of L. terrestris in the hardwood plots.Sludge treatment increased the percentages of 4-mm diameter water-stable aggregates in old field and hardwood plots. The addition of E. fetida with sludge in the hardwood plots generated no increase in 4-mm water-stable aggregates. In the old field, sludge + E. fetida increased the 4-mm water-stable aggregates. Little change in water-stable aggregates in response to either treatment combination was seen in the Norway spruce site.     

Long-term impacts of zinc and copper enriched sewage sludge additions on bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities in arable and grassland soils

Long-term impacts of metal contamination derived from sewage sludge on soil microbial communities have been widely evaluated, but confounding effects have made it difficult to draw firm conclusions and thus to advise on safe metal limits. Here we used Multiplex-terminal restriction length fragment polymorphism (M-TRFLP) to assess the long-term impact of sludge-borne Zn and Cu contamination on the structure of bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities across seven different soils at metal levels relevant to current guideline limits. Despite strong effects of site on microbial community structure, analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) demonstrated a small but significant effect of Zn on bacteria (P < 0.001), archaea (P < 0.001), and fungi (P < 0.001). Significant effects of Cu on bacteria (P < 0.001), archaea (P < 0.001) and fungi (P < 0.001) were also observed. Several bacterial and fungal T-RFs were identified as responding to Zn or Cu. For example the bacterial T-RF 72 was negatively correlated with Zn and Cu, and T-RF 259 was positively correlated with Zn. Attempts to identify these bacterial markers of Zn and Cu contamination suggest a negative impact of Cu on Acidobacteria in arable soils. These results demonstrate for the first time, that despite a strong influence of site on microbial community structure, effects of Zn and Cu derived from sewage sludge can be detected as shifts in bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities indicating a common response more than 11 years after sludge addition.     

Plant availability of heavy metals in a soil amended with a high dose of sewage sludge under drought conditions

The objective of this research was to study the effect of water deficit on soil heavy metal availability and metal uptake by ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) plants grown in a soil amended with a high dose of rural sewage sludge. Three fertility treatments were applied: sewage sludge (SS), mineral fertilizer (M), and control (C); unamended). The levels of irrigation were: well-watered (W) and water deficit (D). Microbial respiration decreased the total organic C (TOC) in sludge-treated soils, but this did not enhance soil DTPA-extractable heavy metal concentrations. Indeed, Zn, Cu, Mn and Ni availability decreased during the experiment. C- and M-treated soils showed either no changes or increases of some trace element concentrations during the incubation. In the plant experiment, ryegrass dry matter (DM) yield, relative water content (RWC) and leaf water potential (_w) decreased in drought conditions. Sludge addition increased metal concentrations in plants. However, in some instances, SS-treated plants showed either similar or lower transfer coefficient (Tc) values than did plants in the C and M treatments. Water deficit decreased the concentration and the Tc of some metals in roots of M and SS plants. Results indicate that sludge-borne heavy metals were maintained in chemical forms of low availability. The lower metal uptake by SS and M plants under dry conditions cannot be attributed to a lower availability of these elements in soil.     

Protozoan bioassays of soil amended with sewage sludge and heavy metals,using the common soil ciliate Colpoda steinii

The common soil protozoan Colpoda steinii was used to study the toxicity of sulphate solutions of Ni, Cd, Cu, and Zn. The growth of C. steinii was reduced by 50% in the presence of 0.10, 0.22, 0.25, and 0.85 mg litre^-1 of Ni, Cd, Cu and Zn, respectively, during 24 h of incubation at 25°C, as calculated from a regression analysis of probit-transformed data. The same growth assay was used to assess the toxicity of soil solution extracted by centrifugation from soil samples of field plots of a grass/clover ley on a sandy loam treated with sewage sludge spiked with additional Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, or Zn at concentrations either equivalent to or twice the limits for heavy metals recommended in recent EC guidelines (Commission of European Communities directive 86/278/EEC). The toxicity of these soil solutions varied with the season of the year. None of the soil solutions extracted in winter (February 1991) inhibited the growth of C. steinii. In summer (July 1991), the growth was reduced in solutions extracted from plots that were amended with sludge plus additional Zn or Ni at twice the maxima recommended by the EC. The changes in toxicity to C. steinii of the soil solutions between February and July were positively correlated with increases in heavy metal concentrations of Zn and Ni between winter and summer. These preliminary results suggest that regular protozoan bioassays may be used to monitor the biological availability of heavy metals in soils, especially when combined with other microbial assays and with chemical analyses of soil solutions.     

DNA- and RNA-derived assessments of fungal community composition in soil amended with sewage sludge rich in cadmium, copper and zinc

Current UK legislation permits the application of sewage sludge to agricultural land provided concentrations of heavy metals in soil do not increase above maximum permissible limits. However, even within the defined limits, we do not know how an increase in soil heavy metal concentrations is likely to affect biological diversity and activity. Here we report on the effects of sewage sludge addition, including sludge rich in the metals cadmium, copper and zinc, on soil fungal community composition using both an rDNA and rRNA DGGE approach. Sewage sludge addition altered fungal ITS-DGGE banding patterns, however, there were no additional effects of an increase in soil heavy metal concentrations. Similar results were obtained for the full range of copper rich sludge treatments even when copper concentrations were well above the maximum permissible limits. Our data therefore demonstrate that although an increase in soil organic matter content alters soil fungal community diversity and composition, increasing soil concentrations of cadmium, copper and zinc up to current legislative limits had little additional effect regardless of whether rRNA or rDNA was analysed. This suggests that current UK limits for these three heavy metals are within a concentration range that the dominant soil fungi at this field site can tolerate.     

黄粉虫幼虫对城市污泥重金属的积累作用

室内采用正交试验设计进行4 因素多水平试验, 研究了温度、城市污泥和麦麸配比、饲养密度、幼虫体重对黄粉虫幼虫生长速度、死亡率以及幼虫重金属含量变化的影响, 探讨黄粉虫幼虫在城市污泥中的生长状况和对城市污泥重金属的积累作用。结果表明: 随着温度的升高, 幼虫生长率和死亡率都呈上升趋势, 饲养密度、污泥和麦麸配比对黄粉虫幼虫生长率、死亡率无显著影响; 15 ℃、密度为0.2 g·cm^-2、污泥/麸皮为1∶2、幼虫体重为85.4±5.9 mg 时, 幼虫对Cu、Se、Hg 的积累作用较显著; 15 ℃、密度为0.4 g·cm^-2、污泥/麸皮为1∶0、幼虫体重为85.4±5.9 mg 时, 黄粉虫幼虫对Cd 的积累能力显著; 20 ℃、密度为0.4 g·cm^-2、污泥/麸皮为1∶0、幼虫体重为34.9±4.9 mg 时, Zn 的积累系数较大; 黄粉虫幼虫对Cu、Cd、Se、Hg 和Zn 等重金属元素有很强的积累作用。     

污泥复混肥对早熟禾草坪草生长性状及土壤酶活性的影响

为使城市生活污泥得以无害化、资源化综合利用,通过盆栽试验,研究了经无害化处理的生活污泥辅以化肥配制的污泥复混肥对早熟禾草坪草生长以及土壤酶活性的影响.结果表明:在氮、磷、钾施用总量相同的条件下,随复混肥中污泥含量的增加,草坪土壤脲酶、蛋白酶、转化酶活性显著提高,草坪草的颜色明显改善,剪草量、分蘖数显著增加,特别在生长中后期草坪颜色提高两个等级,剪草量鲜重增加10～15g·盆-1,分蘖数增加30～50个·盆-1,细胞膜透性降低40%.但污泥提供氮素养分占总氮量的60%以上时,其肥料效应的增加不再显著,故在配制污泥复混肥时,以污泥提供氮素养分占总氮量的60%左右为宜.     

Earthworm response to 10 weeks of incubation in a pot with acid mine spoil,sewage sludge,and lime

Applications of sewage sludge and lime have been used to restore some of the nearly 1.0 million ha of unreclaimed acid mine spoils in the United States. Earthworms might also aid in the reconstruction of mine spoils, but the earthworm response to mine spoils and sludge has not been widely studied. The objective of the present study was to examine growth of the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris in pots containing acidmine spoils, sewage sludge, and lime, and the growth of two common reclamation grasses, timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), to the addition of earthworms. After 10 weeks, earthworms growing in the mine spoil treated with sewage sludge showed an increase in mean specific mass of 26.9% and in projected specific area of 24.5%. In contrast, earthworms growing on mine spoils without sludge decreased in mass by an average of 39.6% and in area by 21.0%. Soil pH influenced earthworm area, but not mass: earthworms growing on mine spoils (with or without sludge) showed an increase in mean surface area of 2.9% at pH 5.3 and a decrease of 11.2% at pH 6.5. The presence of earthworms significantly increased the belowground production of plant roots, but had no effect on either soil bulk density or above-ground production of plant biomass. The addition of earthworms to acid mine spoils treated with sewage sludge and lime might aid in the redevelopment of soil quality and biological diversity.     

污泥农用对土壤和作物重金属累积及作物产量的影响

以3 a定位试验为基础,比较3种不同处理的污泥肥料（消化污泥、污泥堆肥及污泥复混肥）农田施用下土壤养分、土壤和作物籽粒中Mn、Cu、Zn、Pb、Cd 5种重金属的积累以及作物产量的变化情况,以阐明污泥农用对土壤及作物的影响。研究表明,3种污泥肥料提高了土壤中氮素和有机质的含量;与空白和普通化肥处理相比,3种污泥肥料增加了土壤中Mn和Cu的含量,而对土壤交换态重金属含量没有显著影响;3种污泥处理均增加了小麦籽粒中Zn的含量;相对普通化肥处理,3种污泥肥料处理对小麦和玉米产量均无显著影响。合理施用污泥肥料可以有效地提高作物产量;污泥肥料施用对土壤重金属有一定累积效应,但短期施用对土壤比较安全。     

污泥和水溶性重金属盐的植物有效性比较研究

采用盆栽方法研究了污泥中重金属的植物有效性,并与等量重金属盐进行了比较。结果表明,施用污泥50 g/kg土和100 g/kg土能明显增加番茄和玉米苗期地上部Zn、Cu、As的含量,对Cr、Ni、Pb含量影响不大。施用污泥可以降低玉米苗期地上部Cd的含量。施用污泥与施用等量水溶性重金属盐比较,污泥重金属有效性低于水溶性重金属盐的有效性。在土壤污泥施用量为50 g/kg时,污泥重金属在番茄苗期的Zn、Cu有效系数分别为80.9%和54.8%;玉米苗期Zn、Cu的有效系数分别为53.4%和70.3%;污泥用量为100 g/kg土时,污泥重金属在玉米苗期的Zn、As有效系数分别为74.5%和64.4%。     

串联磁致伸缩生物传感器的制备和食品中大肠杆菌的检测

磁致伸缩生物传感器的制造成本、检测灵敏度、检测效率是影响传感器广泛应用的重要因素。为研究串联磁致伸缩生物传感器对食品中大肠杆菌的检测性能,该研究研制了一种新型串联磁致伸缩生物传感器,该传感器的换能器采用铁基非晶软磁合金,功能涂层采用环保亲水材料聚乙烯醇。将不同尺寸的单一传感器作为对照组,利用阻抗分析仪检测传感器的谐振参数。选取尺寸为4.8 mm×0.8 mm与7.2 mm×1.2 mm的传感器进行串联,将无抗体加载的传感器作为参考传感器,检测浓度为10~10⁸ CFU/mL大肠杆菌悬浮液。利用扫描电子显微镜观察传感器表面吸附致病菌情况。探索串联磁致伸缩传感器检测大肠杆菌食品溶液时谐振频率漂移量与浸泡时间的关系。研究发现：该串联磁致伸缩生物传感器相较于单一传感器具有更好的响应强度。通过对不同浓度大肠杆菌悬浮液的检测,得到该串联抗体传感器与大肠杆菌发生特异性结合,检测限为10² CFU/mL。利用扫描电子显微镜观察传感器表面,证实谐振频率偏移量均由吸附大肠杆菌引起。利用阻抗分析仪检测串联传感器在大肠杆菌食品溶液中浸泡不同时间后的谐振频率漂移量,得到传感器实现稳定检测时间为20 min。表明此新型串联磁致伸缩生物传感器具有较高的灵敏度、稳定性、检测效率且制造简单,成本较低,使用方便。该研究可为生物传感器在食品安全检测方面的广泛应用提供有力参考。     

Sewage sludge application to land – a preliminary assessment of the sensitivity of Scottish soils to heavy metal inputs

Abstract. The projected increase in sewage sludge used on land within many countries in the European Community will provide a major source of entry for several heavy metals into the soil. Although the application rate of sewage sludge to agricultural land is constrained by maximum annual additions of heavy metals, there is a need to know the sensitivity of those soils to heavy metal inputs which are physically suited for application. A rulebased classification using weighted parameters designed to assess the metal binding capacity of soil and the risk of groundwater pollution has been applied to soils data held within the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute's National Soils Inventory The classification uses soil pH, organic matter content, texture and soil colour as a surrogate for iron oxide concentration. The results indicate that some metals, for example cadmium and zinc are potentially more mobile in soils than others such as lead, but that the majority of soils display a strong or very strong binding capacity for all the metals. However this pattern can only be sustained if the soil pH values are maintained at their present values; a fall of one pH unit marks a dramatic shift towards the weak and moderate binding classes. The approach is largely unvalidated but does provide a useful framework for incorporating our mechanistic understanding of processes into wide area soil quality assessments and in identifying future research opportunities.     

Assessment of chemical composition of plants cultivated on two different soils amended with sewage sludge compost using MANOVA

Abstract

Application of organic fertilizers may replenish soil organic matter, improve soil fertility and increase plant yield and its quality. This research deals with the effects of soil amendment with sewage sludge compost (SSC) on the chemical composition of plants (white mustard, triticale and white lupine) cultivated on two contrasting soils (light vs. medium). A 3-year pot experiment was conducted and SSC at the rate of 6?Mg ha^?1 was applied to the soils.The study clearly demonstrated that SSC as an organic fertilizer had a minor influence on the modification of the chemical composition of shoots and grain cultivated in crop rotation plants and it was more evident in medium soil. The statistically confirmed effect was mainfested in higher c ontents of N and P in grain of plants in the 2^nd and 3^rd year of the experiment.     

Effect of an artificial soil mix from coal fly ash and sewage sludge on soil microbial activity

An artificial soil mix was prepared from coal fly ash and sewage sludge and an experiment was performed to evaluate their effects on soil microbial respiration. Coal fly ash at 0%, 5%, 10%, 35% and 50% w/w was mixed with dewatered sewage sludge and then each ash-sludge mixture was incubated with a sandy soil at 1:1 v/v at 28°C for 42 days. All treatments showed the same carbon dioxide production pattern with a peak production at day 7 to day 14. Addition of ash-sludge mixtures to soil resulted in an increase in carbon dioxide production but the production rate decreased according to the ash amendment rate. The high pH of coal fly ash and the dilution effect of the sludge were the major reasons for the decrease. However, the ecological dose 50% values sharply increased from 26% at day 3 to 39% ash at day 14. This indicates the rapid acclimatization of microorganisms to the fly ash-sludge mixtures. Therefore, a brief stabilization period may be required for the establishment of soil microbial populations in soil amended with ash-sludge mixtures.