Application of thermally treated sludge residues on an e-waste contaminated soil: effects on PTE bioavailability, soil physicochemical and biological properties, and L. perenne growth.

In the context of sustainable development, potentially toxic element (PTE) contamination of soil and large-scale disposal of sludge are two major environmental issues that need to be addressed urgently. It is of great significance to develop efficient and green technologies to solve these problems simultaneously. This study investigated the effects of a 5% addition of thermally treated sludge residues (fermentation and pyrolysis residues) in synergy with L. perenne on soil organic matter, mineral nutrients, PTE speciation, and PTE uptake and transport by L. perenne in an e-waste-contaminated soil through pot experiments. The results showed that the thermally treated sludge residues significantly increased soil electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, organic matter, available phosphorus, and exchangeable potassium contents. New PTE-containing crystalline phases were detected, and dissolved humic substances were found. Sludge fermentation residue significantly increased dissolved organic matter content, whereas sludge pyrolysis residue showed no significant effect. The combination of thermally treated sludge residues and L. perenne increased the residual fractions of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd. The thermally treated sludge residues promoted L. perenne growth, increasing fresh weight, plant height, and phosphorus and potassium uptake. The uptake of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd by L. perenne was significantly reduced. This approach has the potential for applications in the ecological restoration of e-waste-contaminated soils.

Fate and health risk assessment of heavy metals in Brassica chinensis L. (pak-choi) and soil amended by sludge-based biochar.

Biochar is widely used in agriculture to efficiently solve the problem of sludge. In this study, sludge-based biochar (referred to as BC1, BC2, and BC3) was prepared by mixing sludge with FeCl3, Na2SiO3, and Ca (H2PO4)2, respectively. Then, it was mixed with fresh soil to plant Brassica chinensis L. The analysis of the effects of the three biochar types showed that all of them were beneficial to the growth of Brassica chinensis L. We added the biochar to the soil and found that the concentration of heavy metals did not exceed the recommended threshold. Additionally, the aboveground part of Brassica chinensis L. met the standard requirement for food safety (GB 2761-2017). Notably, BC3 stood out with the best effect on the growth of Brassica chinensis L. and resulted in the improvement of the physical and chemical properties of soil such as ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium (BC3 was followed by BC2 and BC1). BC3 could efficiently inhibit the migration of heavy metals, thereby reducing the overall heavy metal pollution level and ameliorating the soil nutrients. BC3 could increase the organic carbon by 258.92%, available phosphorus by 234.45%, and available potassium by 37.12% compared with the CK group. The THQ and TTHQ estimates of Brassica chinensis L. were lower than one, indicating that the health risk of heavy metal intake was not prominent. Additionally, the application of the proposed biochar could reduce the form of F1 (acid extracted state) and increase the form of F4 (residue state) in soil. Overall, we conclude that the application of the proposed biochar can promote the root absorption of heavy metals and inhibit the migration of heavy metals.

Co-pyrolysis of sewage sludge and Ca(H2PO4)2: heavy metal stabilization, mechanism, and toxic leaching.

The presence of unstable heavy metals in sewage sludge (SS) restricts its resource utilization. In this study, Ca(H2PO4)2 and SS were co-pyrolyzed to produce biochar, which contained relatively stable heavy metals. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission techniques were used to analyze the physical and chemical properties and heavy metal content of the biochar. The results indicated that co-pyrolysis of SS with Ca(H2PO4)2 resulted in the production of more stable heavy metals in the SS. The optimal co-pyrolysis conditions were a blended ratio of 15% Ca(H2PO4)2, 650 °C final temperature, 15 °C min-1, and 60 min retention time. The potential stabilization mechanisms of heavy metals were as follows: (1) organic decomposition and moisture (sourced from Ca(H2PO4)2 decomposition) evaporation resulted in greater biochar surface porosity; (2) phosphorous substances were complexed with heavy metals to form metal phosphates; and (3) the mixture reactions among inorganic substances, pyrolysis products of organics, and heavy metals resulted in the formation of highly aromatic metallic compounds. Additionally, the potential environmental risks posed by the heavy metals decreased from 65.73 (in SS) to 4.39 (in biochar derived from co-pyrolysis of SS and 15% of Ca(H2PO4)2). This study reports on a good approach for the disposal of SS and the reduction of its environmental risk.