Abstract
The pulp and paper industry produces deinking sludge, a waste by-product rich in organic matter and potentially beneficial to agricultural soils. Field experiments were performed with deinking sludge and a mix of deinking and secondary (combined) sludge to measure the environmental impact associated with landspreading. Treatments consisted of three application rates of deinking (6, 12, and 18 dry t/ha) or combined sludge (8, 16, and 24 dry t/ha) associated with three rates of supplementary mineral nitrogen fertilizer, and a control plot. Chemical analyses of deinking and combined sludge indicated that no organic and inorganic contaminants were present at problematic levels, except for copper (191 μg/g). Soil monitoring of the nutrients and heavy metals in experimental plots showed no significant difference (p = 0.05) between sludge treatments and the control after two years of sludge application. Monitoring of nitrate in the soil water indicated a linear relationship (12 ≤ 0.08) with the additional nitrogen level. High sludge and low nitrogen application rates were associated with reduced nitrate concentration in the soil water. Detrimental environmental effects were not observed with deinking and combined sludge. Compared to the control, potato yield tended to decrease with deinking and combined sludge applications while barley yield increased with combined sludge applications.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1279-1287 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Transactions of the ASABE |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Contamination
- Deinking
- Nitrate
- Paper mill
- Sludge
- Soil
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
