Fertilization Value of Biosolids on Nutrient Accumulation and Environmental Risks to Agricultural Plants

Nutrient Accumulation and Environmental Risks of Biosolids and Different Fertilizers on Horticultural Plants

“…The pH levels of sludges were adjusted to 6 for promoting the optimal planting conditions. The pH of well-mixed sewage sludges was measured by a pH meter, and sulfuric acid (1 M) and sodium hydroxide (1 M) were used to adjust the pH value (Chow & Pan, 2020). Subsequently, the sewage sludges were dried at temperatures over 80 °C to sterilize sludge and reduce the moisture content lower than 10% (Ewing et al, 1978).…”

“…Biochar, CM, and WWC were the organic fertilizers selected for comparing the nutritious effect with biosolids. Following the planting setup from Chow and Pan (2020), each type of fertilizer was respectively designed into five doses in the following concentrations: 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Each application dose was conducted with five replicates.…”

“…Raw sewage sludge is ecotoxic and pandemic which can induce environment risks into the applied sites. Therefore, it remains pivotal to repurpose raw sewage sludge into useful biosolids for further application (Chow & Pan, 2020). To convert the untreated sewage sludges, currently, there are several approaches, such as thermal, pH treatment, dewatering, and digestion.…”

“…Under the approaches, the sterilized and applicable biosolids are produced. In the literature, biosolids are widely studied in the context of their extraordinary performance in altering soil physiochemical properties, improving nutrient content, and boosting the growth of plants (Brisolara & Qi, 2015;Debiase et al, 2016;Boudjabi et al, 2017;Chow & Pan, 2020). Considering the advantages of biosolids, they are applied as a nutrient subsidy in worldwide agriculture.…”

“…Currently, organic fertilizers are one way to encourage plant growth. Compared to inorganic fertilizers, they can steadfastly confer nutrients to plants through their slow decomposition rate and nutrient diversity in the soil (Chow & Pan, 2020). Regarding of their advantages, the selection of organic fertilizers in the market is limited to typically biochar, chicken manure (CM), and wood waste compost (WWC).…”