Predicting the Onset of Metal Leaching from Land Application of Wastewater Using Soil Sensors and Microbial Community Analyses
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 137, Issue 2
Abstract
Several food processors use land application to treat process wastewater. Excessive organic and hydraulic loadings can result in environmental harm through surface water runoff and groundwater contamination. A recently recognized impact is the mobilization of heavy metals from the soil. The metals serve as the electron acceptors when oxygen is depleted and anaerobic microorganisms predominate. The objective of this research is to determine the feasibility of using moisture and oxygen sensors to predict changes in the soil environment resulting from the addition of wastewater that leads to anaerobic conditions. Eight 46-cm diameter, 0.97-m tall columns were constructed, filled with clean sand, and instrumented with sensors at three depths. Three organic loadings were tested: 7-, 56-, and . The sensors predicted soil conditions that led to the leaching of Mn and chemical oxygen demand from the more highly loaded columns. Trends from the phospholipid and respiratory quinone analyses indicated a shift to anaerobic biomass for the more highly loaded columns. The use of sensors as part of an irrigation strategy has potential to predict safe loading levels as compared to a prescriptive approach that uses fixed hydraulic and organic loadings without regard to wastewater characteristics, soil conditions, and weather.
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Acknowledgments
Funding was provided by the Michigan Project GREEEN program and a USDA Multi-State Project. The University of Tennessee Center for Environmental Biotechnology conducted the membrane lipid analyses.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 137 • Issue 2 • February 2011
Pages: 97 - 107
Copyright
© 2011 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 22, 2009
Accepted: Jun 21, 2010
Published online: Jun 23, 2010
Published in print: Feb 2011
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