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Chemical Characterization of Biosolids from Three Spanish WWTPs: Transfer of Organics and Metallic Pollution from Urban Wastewater to Biosolids
Author(s) -
Galvín Rafael Marín,
Cardenete López Juan Manuel,
Rodríguez Mellado José Miguel
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
clean – soil, air, water
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1863-0669
pISSN - 1863-0650
DOI - 10.1002/clen.200800154
Subject(s) - biosolids , organic matter , wastewater , sewage treatment , environmental science , environmental chemistry , sewage , environmental engineering , pulp and paper industry , waste management , chemistry , engineering , organic chemistry
Abstract The production of biosolids in three Spanish wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has been investigated. Biosolids produced from the treatment of urban wastewater in Spain are usually intended for agricultural use. The reliable production of biosolids mainly depends on both the quantity of suspended solids and the organic load influent to the treatment systems. The quality of the generated biosolids was independent of both the amount of treated water and the treatment process applied, with 20 to 25% dried matter, and 60 to 75%, 7% and 4% of organic matter, N and P, respectively, of the total matter. The biosolids contained ca. 11 to 19 g/kg of total metals in the dry matter, with Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn representing 97% of all of the metals present, and Hg being the minority metal. Such biosolids had the ability to concentrate the organic matter and metals from the wastewater up to 417 and 869 times, respectively, and thus, can be used in agricultural practice.