Effect of composting and amendment with biochar and woodchips on the fate and leachability of pharmaceuticals in biosolids destined for land application

Liu, Yingying; Ptacek, Carol J.; Beauchemin, Suzanne; MacKinnon, Ted; Blowes, David W.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151193

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…For perspective, and as described by Vasilachi et al, source reduction and substitution of emerging pollutants with products having lower toxicity and easier removal from water have played an important role in reducing the impact of emerging pollutants on the environment and human health [ 29 ]. Amending biosolids with biochar or wood chips has been demonstrated to significantly enhance the degradation and/or retention (sorption) of target total and(or) leachable pharmaceuticals [ 164 ]. However, one should keep in mind that the solution to pollution should not always be dilution, so efforts to treat biosolids to remove contaminants of potential risk to health and the environment should continue to be pursued, particularly due to the demonstrated biopersistence of many of these synthetic organic chemicals.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging environmental health risks associated with the land application of biosolids: a scoping review

Pozzebon,

Seifert

2023

Environ Health

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Background Over 40% of the six million dry metric tons of sewage sludge, often referred to as biosolids, produced annually in the United States is land applied. Biosolids serve as a sink for emerging pollutants which can be toxic and persist in the environment, yet their fate after land application and their impacts on human health have not been well studied. These gaps in our understanding are exacerbated by the absence of systematic monitoring programs and defined standards for human health protection. Methods The purpose of this paper is to call critical attention to the knowledge gaps that currently exist regarding emerging pollutants in biosolids and to underscore the need for evidence-based testing standards and regulatory frameworks for human health protection when biosolids are land applied. A scoping review methodology was used to identify research conducted within the last decade, current regulatory standards, and government publications regarding emerging pollutants in land applied biosolids. Results Current research indicates that persistent organic compounds, or emerging pollutants, found in pharmaceuticals and personal care products, microplastics, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have the potential to contaminate ground and surface water, and the uptake of these substances from soil amended by the land application of biosolids can result in contamination of food sources. Advanced technologies to remove these contaminants from wastewater treatment plant influent, effluent, and biosolids destined for land application along with tools to detect and quantify emerging pollutants are critical for human health protection. Conclusions To address these current risks, there needs to be a significant investment in ongoing research and infrastructure support for advancements in wastewater treatment; expanded manufacture and use of sustainable products; increased public communication of the risks associated with overuse of pharmaceuticals and plastics; and development and implementation of regulations that are protective of health and the environment.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging environmental health risks associated with the land application of biosolids: a scoping review

Pozzebon,

Seifert

2023

Environ Health

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“…The thermal profile of the compost (Figure 2) allowed distinguishing two phases: bio-oxidative (40 days) and maturation phase (80 days), independent of the treatment, totaling 120 days of composting until maturation, a shorter period than described in the literature. Some authors describe an average of 180 days of composting (Song et al, 2009;Jurado et al, 2014;Mahapatra et al, 2022), sometimes reaching more than a year (Torrijos et al, 2021;Liu et al, 2022b). Regardless of the time, the composting process is advantageous because it happens by recycling materials that could pollute or cause public health problems.…”

Section: Evolution Of Temperaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of microbiota and physicochemical characterization of food waste in a new type of composter

Gaspar

Assis²,

Carvalho³

et al. 2022

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Organic wastes are considered the most significant components of urban solid waste, negatively affecting the environment. It is essential to use renewable resources to minimize environmental risks. Composting is one of the most sustainable methods for managing organic waste and involves transforming organic matter into a stable and nutrient-enriched biofertilizer, through the succession of microbial populations into a stabilized product. This work aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the new type of composter and the microbial and physiochemical dynamics during composting aiming to accelerate the degradation of organic waste and produce high-quality compost. Two inoculants were evaluated: (1) efficient microorganisms (EM); (2) commercial inoculum (CI), which were compared to a control treatment, without inoculation. Composting was performed by mixing organic waste from gardening with residues from the University's Restaurant (C/N ratio 30:1). The composting process was carried out in a 1 m3 composter with controlled temperature and aeration. The thermophilic phase for all treatments was reached on the second day. Mature compost was obtained after an average of 120 days, and composting in all treatments showed an increase in the availability of P and micronutrients. The new composter helped to accelerate the decomposition of residues, through the maintenance of adequate oxygen content and temperature control inside the cells, providing high metabolic activity of microorganisms, contributing to an increase in physicochemical characteristics, also reducing the composting time in both treatments. During composting, the bacteria and actinobacteria populations were higher than yeasts and filamentous fungi. The inoculated treatments presented advantages showing more significant mineralization of P-available and micronutrients such as Mn and Zn in terms of the quality of the final product in comparison to the control treatment. Finally, the new composter and the addition of inoculants contributed significantly to the efficiency of the process of composting organic waste.

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“…Sludge land utilization has the advantages of less investment, low energy consumption, low operating cost and organic part can be converted into soil conditioner (Liu et al 2022, Qin et al 2022). However, the land use of sludge also has certain risks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel technology of amino acids preparation and recovery from excess sludge

Hui

Jin

2022

Preprint

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Thermal alkaline method can effectively extract protein from excess sludge. During the extraction process, insoluble proteins in sludge were turned into soluble proteins, and partly soluble proteins were hydrolyzed into peptides, amino acids and by-products: water, carbon dioxide and ammonium. The optimum conditions were as follows: 0.1 M NaOH, the temperature of 70 °C, reaction time of 5 h. Then the soluble proteins were hydrolyzed into amino acids with hydrochloric acid furtherly. The optimal process parameters of hydrochloric acid hydrolysis were as follows: the hydrolysis temperature of 110 °C, heating time of 12 h, and acid to supernatant ratio of 0.8. The results show that proteins of 46.33% were extracted from the excess sludge and the amino acids yield was 75.49%, namely approximately 9 g per 100 g of dry sludge under the optimum hydrolysis conditions. The contents of amino acids in hydrolysate were determined by automatic amino acid analyzer and the functional groups of hydrolysate were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum. There were 17 kinds of amino acids in the hydrolysate，which can be used as deodorants, food additives, preservatives and corrosion inhibitors.

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Effect of composting and amendment with biochar and woodchips on the fate and leachability of pharmaceuticals in biosolids destined for land application

Cited by 11 publications

References 74 publications

Emerging environmental health risks associated with the land application of biosolids: a scoping review

Emerging environmental health risks associated with the land application of biosolids: a scoping review

Dynamics of microbiota and physicochemical characterization of food waste in a new type of composter

Novel technology of amino acids preparation and recovery from excess sludge

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