Health risk assessment of heavy metals/metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agriculture

The use of sewage sludge in agriculture is considered as an available option, especially in developing countries. However, due to sludge pollutants, including heavy metals/metalloid as potentially toxic elements (PTE), there are serious health and environmental concerns. In this study, the health ri...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Aghanaghad, Esrafil Asgari, Amir Sheikhmohammadi, Hamidreza Tajfar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Desalination and Water Treatment
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398624204872
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author Mohammad Aghanaghad
Esrafil Asgari
Amir Sheikhmohammadi
Hamidreza Tajfar
author_facet Mohammad Aghanaghad
Esrafil Asgari
Amir Sheikhmohammadi
Hamidreza Tajfar
author_sort Mohammad Aghanaghad
collection DOAJ
description The use of sewage sludge in agriculture is considered as an available option, especially in developing countries. However, due to sludge pollutants, including heavy metals/metalloid as potentially toxic elements (PTE), there are serious health and environmental concerns. In this study, the health risk caused by heavy metals/metalloid in the using of sewage sludge in the agricultural lands of Khoy, Iran was investigated. The results showed that the concentration of heavy metals/metalloids in studied sewage sludge ranged from 0.38 to 11,228.22 mg/kg. The pH of the studied sludge was in the range of 6–7, which was not recognized as a synergistic factor for penetration or precipitation of metals in the soil. The calculated Hazard Index (HI) for adults and children was 0.264 and 0.530, respectively. The highest Hazard Quotient (HQ) was related to As, Zn, Hg, and Cr. The total carcinogenic risk of using studied sewage sludge in agriculture was calculated to be 2.12E-03, which indicated the occurrence of carcinogenic risk. The advantages of using sewage sludge in agriculture, including increasing soil fertility, have increased the desire to use this option in sludge management, but the results of this study showed that the development of sludge treatment processes led to a reduction in the concentration of heavy metals/metalloid, a necessity before its use in agricultural land.
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spelling doaj-art-4eaefbf317f0499e808a44b4f2660e892025-08-20T02:45:56ZengElsevierDesalination and Water Treatment1944-39862025-01-0132110097710.1016/j.dwt.2024.100977Health risk assessment of heavy metals/metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agricultureMohammad Aghanaghad0Esrafil Asgari1Amir Sheikhmohammadi2Hamidreza Tajfar3Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, Iran; Corresponding author.Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, IranDepartment of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Khoy University of Medical Sciences, Khoy, IranLaboratory of Khoy Wastewater Treatment Plant, Khoy Water and Wastewater Company, Khoy, IranThe use of sewage sludge in agriculture is considered as an available option, especially in developing countries. However, due to sludge pollutants, including heavy metals/metalloid as potentially toxic elements (PTE), there are serious health and environmental concerns. In this study, the health risk caused by heavy metals/metalloid in the using of sewage sludge in the agricultural lands of Khoy, Iran was investigated. The results showed that the concentration of heavy metals/metalloids in studied sewage sludge ranged from 0.38 to 11,228.22 mg/kg. The pH of the studied sludge was in the range of 6–7, which was not recognized as a synergistic factor for penetration or precipitation of metals in the soil. The calculated Hazard Index (HI) for adults and children was 0.264 and 0.530, respectively. The highest Hazard Quotient (HQ) was related to As, Zn, Hg, and Cr. The total carcinogenic risk of using studied sewage sludge in agriculture was calculated to be 2.12E-03, which indicated the occurrence of carcinogenic risk. The advantages of using sewage sludge in agriculture, including increasing soil fertility, have increased the desire to use this option in sludge management, but the results of this study showed that the development of sludge treatment processes led to a reduction in the concentration of heavy metals/metalloid, a necessity before its use in agricultural land.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398624204872Soil pollutionSewage sludgeSludge treatmentCarcinogenic riskHazard index
spellingShingle Mohammad Aghanaghad
Esrafil Asgari
Amir Sheikhmohammadi
Hamidreza Tajfar
Health risk assessment of heavy metals/metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agriculture
Desalination and Water Treatment
Soil pollution
Sewage sludge
Sludge treatment
Carcinogenic risk
Hazard index
title Health risk assessment of heavy metals/metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agriculture
title_full Health risk assessment of heavy metals/metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agriculture
title_fullStr Health risk assessment of heavy metals/metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agriculture
title_full_unstemmed Health risk assessment of heavy metals/metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agriculture
title_short Health risk assessment of heavy metals/metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agriculture
title_sort health risk assessment of heavy metals metalloid caused by using sewage sludge in agriculture
topic Soil pollution
Sewage sludge
Sludge treatment
Carcinogenic risk
Hazard index
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1944398624204872
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AT amirsheikhmohammadi healthriskassessmentofheavymetalsmetalloidcausedbyusingsewagesludgeinagriculture
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