Clay mineralogy affects the efficiency of sewage sludge in reducing lead retention of soils

Abstract

Recent studies have shown the feasibility of using of sewage sludge for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. However, there are no researches to check the influence of clay mineralogy on the efficiency of the sewage sludge to remediation of contaminated soils with heavy metals. For this purpose, we use two contrasting soils: Oxisol rich in hematite and gibbsite and Inceptisol rich in kaolinite. Thermal-treated sludge was applied to Pb-contaminated soil samples and incubated for 40 days. The soil samples were submitted to seven sequential extractions: soluble-Pb, exchangeable-Pb, precipitated-Pb, organic matter-Pb, Fe and Mn oxide-Pb, gibbsite and kaolinite-Pb, and residual-Pb. The reduction of soluble Pb forms by thermal sludge application was more pronounced in the Oxisol than in the Inceptisol because of the conversion of soluble-Pb into more stable forms, such as precipitated-Pb and oxides-Pb. For Inceptisol was necessary to apply high rates of thermal sludge to reach a significant reduction in soluble-Pb contents. The addition of humic fractions in the form of thermal sludge increased the concentration of organic matter-Pb. In confined area, the use of sewage sludge to reduce the heavy metals levels in soils must be better considered, mainly in more weathered soils.