Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of agricultural land in the coastal Adriatic Karst region (Šibenik region, Croatia) for biosolids application by integrating spatial data from different sources: digital maps and remote sensing, parcel identification system, GIS field observations and measurements focusing on specific land and soil properties. Due to the rapid development of the wastewater treatment industry, excessive accumulation of sewage sludge (SS) in wastewater treatment plants is a growing problem worldwide. Management options for land application of biosolids require a comprehensive characterization of both SS and SS-amended soils. The assessment of agricultural land in the study area for SS disposal was based on EU and national legislation. The evaluation revealed that agricultural land in the study area accounts for only 10% of the total area (25,736 ha), but only a quarter of the existing land (6065 ha) is suitable for biosolids application. Furthermore, the data indicate that the sewage sludge can be safely applied to the soil in terms of soil metals according to the Croatian legislation. The short-term potential of the soil to sustain this ecosystem service, namely soil improvement with biosolids, should be used to determine the inherent long-term potential based on resistance to soil degradation and resilience. However, caution is needed and the long-term effects should be investigated before biosolids are continuously used for soil application.
Highlights
In the context of integrated land and water management, the generation of wastewater and the growing quantities of biosolids from local wastewater treatment plants are issues of high importance worldwide [1]
The largest area of agricultural land in the study area is occupied by karst pastures (16,871 ha), divided into 6820 parcels
The potential of agricultural land in the coastal Adriatic Karst region (Šibenik region, Croatia) for biosolids application was evaluated by integrating spatial data from different sources: digital maps and remote sensing, parcel identification system, GIS
Summary
In the context of integrated land and water management, the generation of wastewater and the growing quantities of biosolids from local wastewater treatment plants are issues of high importance worldwide [1]. The term biosolids is used to refer to the nutrient-rich organic materials generated during the treatment of domestic wastewater in a wastewater treatment plant during the primary (physical and/or chemical), secondary (biological) and tertiary (in addition to secondary) treatment processes of the wastewater [2]. Variation and Threshold Values for Cadmium Concentration in Terra Rossa Soil from Dalmatia, Croatia. Speciation and multivariable analyses of geogenic cadmium in soils at Le Gurnigel, Swiss Jura Mountains. Release of heavy metals during long-term land application of sewage sludge compost: Percolation leaching tests with repeated additions of compost.
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