The availability and binding of heavy metals in compost derived from household waste

Abstract

Organic waste can be recycled as compost which has traditionally been used as a soil improver. As more waste is recycled as compost, it is becoming increasingly important to find alternative uses for compost. Leachability data are used to determine the environmental availability of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn contained in natural compost. Batch sorption data are used to determine uptake of additional Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn by compost and assess its potential use in remediation work, as an alternative to natural materials such as peat. The relative binding of these additional metals to compost is found to be in the order Pb > Cd ≈ Cu > Zn. The sorption of metals on compost takes place, at least in part, by exchange of calcium bound to the compost and there is evidence that the sorption occurs in both humic and non-humic sites in the compost. The use of compost to bind metals in remediation work is discussed. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry