Significance and behaviour of heavy metals in waste water treatment processes II. Sludge treatment and disposal

Abstract

The literature concerning the significance and behaviour of heavy metals in sewage sludge treatment and following sludge disposal is reviewed. Particular attention is given to metal form during anaerobic digestion and following sludge disposal to agricultural land and to sea, and the influence of metal form on toxicity. It is evident that anaerobic digestion results in a strong association between sludge particulates and heavy metals due to the formation of inorganic precipitates, organo-metallic interactions and by association with the biomass. Toxic inhibition of anaerobic digestion by metals is concluded to be a direct result of the free metal ion concentration and thus mechanisms designed to reduce metal toxicity are based on artificial modification of heavy metal speciation in the digester. Guidelines and legislation designed to limit the application of sludge to agricultural land and the disposal of sludge to sea are reviewed and discussed. Following the application of sludge to agricultural land significant changes occur in heavy metal speciation, which ultimately determine metal availability to plants and potential contamination of groundwaters. Guidelines for application to land currently take limited account of metal form, although the importance of metal speciation is being recognised. Sludge disposal to sea has received relatively little attention with efforts being directed towards monitoring rather than more fundamental research. However, it is apparent that significant heavy metal solubilisation may occur following sludge discharge to the marine environment. It is concluded that sludge disposal to agricultural land and sea, which are increasingly becoming subject to more stringent international pressures, should take account of the ultimate forms of heavy metals in the receiving environment and that a more unified approach should be adopted in the formulation of standards for all forms of sludge disposal.