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Variable Nature of Chemical Composition of Sewage Sludges¹

ABSTRACT

Sewage sludge samples were collected over a 2-year period from eight Indiana cities and analyzed for C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb. The sludges contained approximately 50% organic matter and 1–4% inorganic C. Organic and inorganic C, organic N, inorganic P, and Ca and Mg were found to be present in a given sludge at a relatively constant concentration with respect to sampling time. Inorganic N, organic P, K, and all metals were found to be quite variable with time for sewage sludge produced by a given city. In general, organic N and inorganic P constituted the majority of total N and P, respectively, in sludges. The largest deviations between the mean and median were found for Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb. Variable nature of inorganic N and metal contents of sludges indicates that a sound sampling and analysis program is essential prior to formulating recommendations for rates of sewage sludge applications on soils used for crop production.

Key Words: heavy metals • plant nutrients • NPK • sewage treatment

¹ Contribution of the Purdue Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. and the Purdue Univ. Inst. of Environ. Health, W. Lafayette, IN 47907. Purdue J. Pap. No. 6046. Research was supported in part by the Dep. of Interior through the Purdue Univ. Water Resour. Res. Center (Proj. No. B-066-IND) and by the Nat. Sci. Found. (Proj. No. GI35106).

² Associate Professors of Agronomy and Associate Professor of Bionucleonics, respectively.

Received for publication October 10, 1975.

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