Mechanisms and Effects of Extraction Time on the Leachability of Heavy Metals in Sewage Sludge from Guangzhou

Abstract

The leaching tests of heavy metals in sewage sludge were carried out under different extraction time by the solid waste extraction procedure for leaching toxicity(GB5086.2-1997) of China on the base of the contents of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Mn and Ni elements. The results showed that the sludge was with higher levels of Mn and Zn, followed by Cu and Ni, while the higher toxicity of Pb and Cr was lower, in which the order from the high to low was 1152mg/kg, 987mg/kg, 274mg/kg, 132mg/kg, 104 mg/kg and 87mg/kg, respectively. The extraction time had an important effects on the leaching of heavy metals in sewage sludge, in which the Zn, Ni, Cu leaching contents of the largest in range of 0-8h and Fe, Mn were increasing all through 0-24h. Different extraction time of the leaching amount of metals was very different, which may be related to the process of adsorption/desorption, complexation/dissociation, dissolution-precipitation/co-precipitation and other reactions.