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Forms of Sulfur in Sewage Sludge¹

ABSTRACT

Most studies concerning the composition of sewage sludge have placed emphasis on total elemental analysis, including sulfur. This study was conducted to determine the forms of S and their relationships to other components in sludge. Analyses of the forms and amounts of S in sewage sludge produced by 11 Indiana cities showed that total S concentrations ranged from 0.7 to 2.1% and that from 1 to 27% of the total sludge S was inorganic S extractable with 0.1M LiCl. Expressed as a percentage of total S, the sludge samples contained from < 1 to 35% sulfide S, from 18 to 53% inorganic nonsulfate S, from 18 to 56% carbon-bonded S, from 0 to 35% ester sulfate S and inorganic sulfate S, and from 0 to 42% unidentified organic S. Analyses of seven sludge samples obtained over a 2-year period from the same treatment plant indicated that the forms of S in sludge vary with time. No consistent relationships were found between the amounts of organic C, N, S, and P in sludges. Statistical analyses of the sludge components indicated that Pb and Zn were significantly correlated with sulfide S and that Cd was significantly correlated with organic S, ester sulfate S, and with 0.1M LiCL extractable S. No significant relationships were found for other metals and the various S fractions.

Key Words: heavy metals • carbon • nitrogen • phosphorus • waste disposal • organic wastes

¹ Joint contribution: J. Pap. No. 6126 of the Purdue Univ. Agric. Exp. Stn., W. Lafayette, IN 47907 (research partly supported by Office of Water Resources and Technology, Proj. B-066-IND), and J. Pap. No. J-8369 of the Iowa Agric. and Home Econ. Exp. Stn., Ames, IA 50011 (Proj. 2112). Presented before Div. A-5, Soil Sci. Soc. of Am., 25 Aug. 1975, at Knoxville, Tenn.

² Associate Professors of Agronomy at Purdue, Iowa State, and Purdue Universities, respectively.

Received for publication January 7, 1976.