A study of migration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a sewage sludge-soil system

Abstract

Sewage sludge can be used as a fertilizer in agricultural production. However frequent occurrence of dangerous contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) due to their toxic potential, makes this technology controversial. The persistence and migration ability of PAHs in the sewage sludge-soil system was investigated. The results show that sewage sludge applications may cause an increase in migration of some marked compounds in the soil profile. Therefore it is important to perform a close monitoring of PAHs content during the sewage sludge fertilization procedure.