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Proportions of Several Elements Found in Sewage Effluent and Sludge from Several Municipalities in West Virginia
Author(s) -
Horvath D. J.,
Koshut R. A.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1981.00472425001000040014x
Subject(s) - effluent , sewage sludge , sewage treatment , environmental science , sewage , sewage sludge treatment , waste management , environmental engineering , engineering
Sewage sludge and effluent from 11 municipal waste‐water treatment plants were analyzed for 14 elements. Using estimated discharge rates of the treatment plants and the analytical values for the samples, the weight of each element discharged in sludge and in effluent was calculated. These weights were then compared and significant differences among both municipalities and elements were noted. Attention is focused on evidence that sludge is enriched in Zn whereas effluent is enriched in Cd, indicating differential handling of these two elements in waste‐water treatment. In contrast, ratios of Zn to Cu remain virtually constant throughout the waste‐water treatment process.