Publication Date
1989
Description
The application of potentially toxic elements in sewage sludge to grassland has implications to environmental pollution and the health of grazing rumiµants. In Scotland, moderately acid grassland receives most of the sewage sludge applied to agricultural land and there is therefore a risk of heavy metal mobilisation and uptake by herbage. In addition, soil ingestion (Fleming, 1986) and intake of herbage contaminated with sludge adhering to leaf surfaces may present an important means by which potentially toxic elements are absorbed by ruminants. In this paper, two aspects of sewage sludge use on grassland are studied, namely : 1. Factors affecting the contamination of herbage by sludge adherence. 2. Effects of liming, ploughing and fertilizer N use on heavy metal uptake by herbage.
Citation
Desira Buttigieg, A; Klessa, D A.; and Hall, D A., "The Effects of Heavy Metals Applied in Digested Sewage Sludge to Grassland" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 44.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session14/44
Included in
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The Effects of Heavy Metals Applied in Digested Sewage Sludge to Grassland
The application of potentially toxic elements in sewage sludge to grassland has implications to environmental pollution and the health of grazing rumiµants. In Scotland, moderately acid grassland receives most of the sewage sludge applied to agricultural land and there is therefore a risk of heavy metal mobilisation and uptake by herbage. In addition, soil ingestion (Fleming, 1986) and intake of herbage contaminated with sludge adhering to leaf surfaces may present an important means by which potentially toxic elements are absorbed by ruminants. In this paper, two aspects of sewage sludge use on grassland are studied, namely : 1. Factors affecting the contamination of herbage by sludge adherence. 2. Effects of liming, ploughing and fertilizer N use on heavy metal uptake by herbage.
