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Reusing wastewater and
solid residues in agriculture
Landau in der Pfalz
26th
– 28th
of March 2018
WIFI Information
Either use the eduroam network with your credentials or the university wifi
Name: Uni-Landau
User: sww18
Password: soil.waste.water
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DAY BY DAY SCHEDULE 2
PLATFORMS, MONDAY, 26TH OF MARCH 2018 3
PLATFORMS, TUESDAY, 27TH OF MARCH 2018 4
PLATFORMS, WEDNESDAY, 28TH OF MARCH 2018 5
WELCOME 6
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7
ABOUT THE VENUE 9
PRESENTATIONS, MONDAY, 26TH OF MARCH 12
PRESENTATIONS, TUESDAY, 27TH OF MARCH 32
PRESENTATIONS, WEDNESDAY, 28TH OF MARCH 46
POSTERS 58
2
Day by day schedule
Monday, 26th of March 2018
Tuesday, 27th of March
Wednesday, 28th of March
08:45 Registration 08:45 Registration
08:30 Registration
09:30 Gabriele Schaumann
Waste Water Irrigation
Olive Mill Wastewater
Solid Waste
09:45 Asher Bar-Tal 09:30
Kostas Chartzoulakis et al.
09:00 Wei Zhang and Sören Thiele-
Bruhn
10:20 Hiroshan Hettiarachchi 10:05 Isaac Zipori et al.
09:25 Claudia Erber and Alan Cundill
10:55 Coffee break 10:30 Nisreen Tamimi et al.
09:50 Miklós Gulyás et al.
11:25 Arnon Dag et al. 10:55 Markus Kurtz et al.
10:15 Coffee break
11:55 Frederic Leuther et al. 11:20 Coffee break
10:45
Laleh Mahmoudian-Boroujerd et al.
12:20 Ruud Bartholomeus et al. 11:50 Guy Levy et al.
11:10 Leonid Perelomov et al.
12:45 Ramadan Benjreid et al. 12:15
Mikhail Borisover et al.
11:35 Marija Romić et al.
13:10 Emna Kamoun 12:40 Jawad Shoqeir
12:00 Final discussion
13:35 Lunch 13:05 Lunch
12:30 Departure to Siebeldingen
Pretreatment 15:00 Poster session
13:00
Excursion to the Wine Institute Julius Kühn
15:35 Korbinian Kätzl et al. 17:00 Closing time
17:00 Closing time
16:00 Amer Marei and Abu
Hammad
16:25 Behzad Ghorbani and Reza
Pourvaezi
16:50 Closing time
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Platforms, Monday, 26th
of March 2018
09:30 Gabriele
Schaumann Opening
Waste Water Irrigation
09:45 Asher Bar-Tal Long-term effects of wastewater irrigation on soil properties and
trees performance
10:20 Hiroshan
Hettiarachchi
Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture (SUWA) in the Light of
Nexus Thinking
10:55 Coffee break
11:25 Arnon Dag et al. The implications of fertigating olives with reclaimed wastewater
11:55 Frederic Leuther et
al.
Soil structure development and hydraulic properties under long-
term irrigation with treated waste water
12:20 Ruud Bartholomeus
et al.
Matching agricultural freshwater supply and demand: using
industrial and domestic treated wastewater for sub-irrigation
purposes
12:45 Ramadan Benjreid
et al.
Removal of Cu, Cd and Cd from wastewater by compost
application
13:10 Emna Kamoun
Contribution to the feasibility study of the management of an
agricultural perimeter irrigated with treated wastewater (North
Sfax, Tunisia)
13:35 Lunch
Pretreatment
15:35 Korbinian Kätzl et
al.
Anaerobic biochar filtration of domestic wastewater in West
Africa for safer food production and enhanced crop yield
16:00 Amer Marei and
Abu Hammad
Removal of phenolic compounds from olive mill waste water by
Luffa agypta prior water reuse in agriculture
16:25 Behzad Ghorbani
and Reza Pourvaezi
A Comparison of Rice Husk, Wheat Straw, Sawdust and Sand
Filters Impact on Some Physical and Chemical Properties of Salt
Water
16:50 Closing time
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Platforms, Tuesday, 27th
of March 2018
Olive Mill Wastewater
09:30
Kostas
Chartzoulakis et
al.
Alternative technologies and policies for olive mill waste
management in MED countries
10:05 Isaac Zipori et al. The nutritional value of olive mill wastewater applied to olive orchard
10:30 Nisreen Tamimi
et al.
How the Environmental Conditions may Influence the Fate of the
Added OMW-OM on soil
10:55 Markus Kurtz et
al.
Processes governing development of ecotoxicity in clayey and silty
soils incubated with olive mill waste water under different
temperature and humidity conditions
11:20 Coffee break
11:50 Guy Levy et al. Multiple annual spreading of olive mill wastewater effects on physical
properties of cultivated soils
12:15 Mikhail Borisover
et al.
OMW land application following various disposal schemes: effects on
soil sorption of simazine and diuron and their temporal persistence,
at various soil depths and OMW application seasons
12:40 Jawad Shoqeir Effects of Olive Oil Production Wastewater on Soil litter
Decomposition Under Lab Conditions
13:05 Lunch
15:00 Poster session
17:00 Closing time
5
Platforms, Wednesday, 28th
of March 2018
Solid Waste
09:00 Wei Zhang and Sören
Thiele-Bruhn
Effects of manure-derived mobile organic matter on the
sorption of micropollutants in soils
09:25 Claudia Erber and Alan
Cundill
Waste to land – current issues and a way forward: A Scottish
perspective
09:50 Miklós Gulyás et al. Possible agricultural effects of combined application of
digestate and biochar
10:15 Coffee break
10:45 Laleh Mahmoudian-
Boroujerd et al.
Evaluation of the potential use of municipal solid waste for
recovery options: A case study of Fars province, Iran
11:10 Leonid Perelomov et al. Application of natural and modified humic substances for site
remediation
11:35 Marija Romić et al. Potential of Sewage Sludge Application in Mediterranean
Agricultural soils: Case of Šibenik region, Croatia
12:00 Final discussion
12:30 Departure to Siebeldingen, Julius Kühn Institute
13:00 Excursion to the Wine Institute Julius Kühn, Snacks and Wine tasting
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Welcome
by the Steering Committee of the workshop
Dear participants and guests,
We are very pleased to welcome you to our 2nd workshop Soil-Waste-Water in Landau.
Taking into account increasing use of olive mill wastes and low quality water in agriculture
due to water scarcity in many countries, this conference aims to bring together specialists
from soil science, environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology and agriculture and to integrate
their efforts in a joint discussion on the interactions in soil and on how to sustainably use
agricultural wastes and low quality water in agriculture.
The conference is organized in the frame of our trilateral project where we investigate the
interactions between olive mill wastewater and soil in Israel and Palestinian Authority. We
are looking forward to discuss our results with other researches from similar areas to get new
insights into the highly topical relevant emerging environmental issue of reuse of OMW and
low quality water.
It is our pleasure to welcome our keynote speakers from Greece, Italy, Israel, Spain and the
U.S.A. giving lectures about challenges and approaches during their research.
Hoping that we have prepared an interesting scientific and social program, we wish you a
successful and productive workshop in Landau. Enjoy your stay.
Gabriele E. Schaumann Mikhail Borisover Arnon Dag
Kostas Chartzoulakis Jawad Hasan Amer Marei
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Acknowledgements
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Steering committee
Kostas Chartzoulakis
(National Agricultural Research Foundation, Greece)
Mikhail Borisover
(Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel)
Arnon Dag
(Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel)
Jawad Hasan
(Al-Quds University, Palestine Authority)
Amer Marei
(Al-Quds University, Palestine Authority)
Ahmed Nasser
(Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel)
Gabriele E. Schaumann
(University Koblenz-Landau, Germany)
Invited Keynote speakers
Dr. Kostas Chartzoulakis
(National Agricultural Research Foundation, Greece)
Dr. Asher Bar-Tal
(Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, Israel)
Prof. Dr. Hiroshan Hettiarachchi
(UNO-FLORES, Germany)
Guest of honor
Isaac ‘Kushi’ Zipori
Local organizing committee
Prof. Dr. Gabriele E. Schaumann
Markus Kurtz
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About the venue
Landau in der Pfalz
The town of Landau is located in the district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate and is
characterized by the culinary delights of viniculture and the cuisine of Palatinate and nearby
France. The beautiful town center with an ample pedestrian area, neat parks, a lively market
and friendly people tells a turbulent history. Landau is surrounded by vineyards and villages
of the scenic German Wine Route and the Palatinate Forest invites for recreation. Workshop
host is the University of Koblenz-Landau with the campus on the remains of the French star
fort.
The autonomous city is surrounded by the “Southern Wine Route” and is a long-standing
cultural center and a market and shopping town in the heart of the Palatinate wine region.
Additionally, its neighborhood to Europe’s largest contiguous forest, the Palatinate forest,
and its long history with beautiful main sights like the main square (Rathausplatz) and the
market hall (Altes Kaufhaus) makes it always worth a visit.
Landau’s variegated history is being reflected in our workshop location the red barracks
(“Rote Kaserne”). It was built in the 17th century as barrack-outpost of the fort and was used
by the French army, Bavarian troops, as youth center and finally as outpost of the University
Koblenz-Landau.
Campus Landau
The University of Koblenz-Landau is one of the youngest universities in Germany. It was
transformed from a teacher’s training college to a modern and research-orientated university
in 1990. Since then, new Departments and Institutes have been founded and the university
expanded and raised its research profile in Psychology, Education, Humanities and Natural
Science.
Research at Koblenz-Landau is above all oriented towards practical application. The transfer
of academic work through co-operation with partners from industry, commerce and
administration is of great importance. As a young university it has the necessary openness
and flexibility to respond to the demand for work in the realms of research, development,
consultancy, and provision of expert opinion.
A special feature of the University of Koblenz-Landau is its structure. Koblenz and Landau
are the locations for research, teaching, and further education. The organizing link between
the two campuses is the President's Office in Mainz, home of the university executive and
the central university administration.
Institute for Environmental Sciences Landau
The focus of the research at the Institute for Environmental Sciences concentrates on new
anthropogenic stressors in linked ecological systems. Transition zones between ecological
systems contribute substantially to the regional biodiversity and are „hotspots” for many
ecological and biogeochemical processes. They provide many „ecosystem services“, like
flood protection, retention and degradation of pollutants as well as the conservation of
biodiversity and recreational areas, and are of high socio-economical importance. At the
same time they are considered as particularly sensitive to environmental changes, e.g. by
changing flooding dynamics as consequence of anthropogenic operations or global climate
change.
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Pronounced goal of the Institute for Environmental Sciences is the study of these interactions
in interdisciplinary co-operation between the biologically, chemically, physically, geo-
scientifically and sociologically aligned working groups
New research groups: Geophysics Landuse conflicts Functional Aquatic Ecotoxicology
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Presentations, Monday, 26th
of March
Session 1: Waste Water Irrigation
Use of treated wastewater as alternative source for olive irrigation
Asher Bar-Tal
Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Volcani Center, Israel
Abstract
The fast population growth in the last decades and the higher standard of living increase the
demand for fresh water for households and for food production. Therefore, fresh water
scarcity becomes a widespread problem, especially in semiarid and arid areas. Reuse of
treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation is becoming an attractive solution for water shortage
due to its consistent supply, providing valuable nutrients and a sustainable waste treatment.
In Israel about 95% of the households are connected to central sewage systems and 80%
are supplied as TWW to irrigation. The highest percentage in the world, the second in the
world is Spain with 20%, by far lower value. The fraction of TWW in the national irrigating
water is about 50%. The reuse of TWW combined with the dramatic increase in the
production of desalinated water eliminated the challenges of water shortage in drought years
that are common in the Mediterranean region.
However, soil degradation and declining tree performance following long term irrigation with
treated wastewater (TWW) have been reported recently in orchards grown on clay soils. In
an attempt to reverse this situation our research objectives were to quantify the effects of
replacing TWW irrigation with fresh water (FW) on water uptake, water and mineral status,
growth and yield of citrus trees in relation to soil physical and chemical properties. A field
experiment was carried out in a commercial grapefruit orchard in a clay soil with a history of
TWW irrigation. Changing irrigation water quality from TWW to FW significantly decreased
soil solution electrical conductivity (EC), Na and Cl concentration, sodium adsorption ratio
(SAR), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and improved aggregate stability (AS) of the
soil. The concentrations of Na and Cl in leaves and roots were lower in FW-irrigated trees
than in TWW-irrigated ones. Fruit yield, shoot and root growth, leaf area, water status and
water uptake were all significantly and favorably affected by replacing TWW with FW.
Although fruit yield increased by replacing TWW with FW irrigation, it was not significantly
associated with any single or group of the studied soil attributes. However, in a stepwise
regression analysis a correlation was established between fruit yield and leaf Cl and soil AS.
Our findings indicate that the negative effects of irrigation with TWW are (i) through damage
to soil structure leading to reduced water uptake and (ii) via accumulation of Na and Cl in
roots and leaves of grapefruits to toxic levels. The positive effects of alternating poor quality
water (TWW) with water of high quality (FW) occur in a relatively short time span, i.e. several
months to two years, thus promoting the viability of this management practice.
However, as irrigation with TWW is a critical source for agriculture survival and development
alternative management strategies are required to cope with these challenges. In ongoing
experiments we evaluate the following management tools for soil remediation and
sustainable irrigation with TWW: Mixing TWW with FW, installing trenches with substrates
(tuff and compost), low frequency irrigation with increased wetted area.
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Notes
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Safe Use of Wastewater in Agriculture (SUWA) in the Light of Nexus Thinking
Hiroshan Hettiarachchi
United Nations University, UNU-FLORES, Institute for Integrated Management of Material
Fluxes and of Resources, Dresden, Germany
Abstract
Water, soil, and waste are three key resources associated with agriculture and thus food
production as they are closely related to each other. An integrated management of these
three resources can bring more benefits to society through increased resource usage
efficiency. This approach is commonly known as the Nexus Approach. Safe use of
wastewater in agriculture (SUWA) is a simple but powerful example of the Nexus Approach
in action. It demonstrates how the sustainable management of one resource in a nexus can
benefit the other resources in the same nexus. Wastewater irrigation not only addresses the
water demand issues in water stressed areas, but also helps us “recycle” the nutrients in it.
The process begins in the waste sector, but the implementation of such a management
model can ultimately make a positive impact on the water sector as well as in soil and land
management. On a global scale, over 20 million hectares of agricultural land are irrigated
using wastewater. Developing countries and countries in transition need clear institutional
arrangements and skilled human resources to address the technical, institutional, and policy
challenges related to SUWA. From the United Nations (UN) perspective, SUWA also
supports achieving some of the key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Taking the
wastewater irrigation in the Mezquital Valley in Mexico as an entry point, this
paper/presentation builds upon all above facts to illustrate SUWA as an ideal nexus example.
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Notes
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The implications of fertigating olives with reclaimed wastewater
Arnon Dag, Uri Yermiyahu, Alon Ben-Gal, Isaac Zipori
Agricultural Research Organization, Israel
Abstract
Olive orchards have been cultivated in the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years.
However, such orchards produce low oil yields and typically are not profitable. Modernization
in olive cultivation, mainly including introduction of high-yielding varieties, higher density
planting, and irrigation and fertigation, has dramatically increased orchard productivity.
Regions where olive cultivation is concentrated generally possess limited fresh water
resources and alternatively utilize low quality water for irrigation. In the current study we
tested the effect of drip irrigated reclaimed wastewater [RWW] on soil, olive trees and yield.
The study lasting 8 years was conducted within a 20 ha. commercial high density olive
orchard. Three treatments were tested: fresh water with standard fertigation (fertilization via
drip irrigation) [FW], RWW with standard fertigation, and RWW with reduced fertigation (in
accordance to the K and N available in the RWW). After the first four years the treatment with
RWW and standard fertigation was shifted to RWW with reduced fertigation and the
treatment of RWW with reduced fertigation was shifted to RWW without fertigation. The
RWW was secondary-treated domestic wastewater from the city of Jerusalem and fresh
water originated from the local coastal aquifer.
Trees received around half of their nutritional demand for N and K via the RWW. Water
source and fertigation regime did not affect tree growth, nutritional status or productivity.
Olive oil quality was not affected by use of RWW or fertigation regime. Soil salinity increased
during the irrigation season in the RWW plots compared to the FW plots. However, during
winter, the soil was leached by rains to base levels and no long term permanent increase in
salinity was measured. SAR values also increased during the irrigation seasons and
decreased following winter rains, but did not return to their initial values. Subsequently, a
constant increase in SAR values was observed throughout the experimental years. SAR
values of >8 , measured at the end of the experiment, suggest possible soil degradation in
the plots irrigated with RWW. We speculate that drip irrigation in orchards, which exposes a
relatively limited volume of soil to very large volumes of water, might enhance soil
degradation process while using low quality water containing high concentrations of solutes.
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Notes
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Soil structure development and hydraulic properties under long-term irrigation with
treated waste water
Frederic Leuther1, Rony Wallach2, Steffen Schlüter1, Hans-Jörg Vogel1 1German Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany 2The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
Abstract
Treated waste water (TWW), a commonly used water resource in agriculture in arid and
semiarid areas, often contains salts and organic materials which may affect soil structure,
hydraulic properties, and soil wettability. For the first time, we used X-ray microtomography
to determine changes in the pore network of a loamy sand and a sandy clay loam irrigated
with secondary treated waste water for more than seven years. A detailed analysis of the
pore network larger 19 µm and 60 µm in terms of porosity, pore size distribution, and
connectivity was done and contrasted with changes in textural composition, soil
physicochemical parameters, and hydraulic properties. In this study we show that irrigation
supports the development of a connected macro-pore network, but for the expense of clay
loss, reduced water retention, and diminished unsaturated hydraulic conductivity.
Furthermore, we demonstrate that water infiltration can become highly instable for a loamy
sand at reduced water contents due to induced water repellency. Overall, it is shown that a
sandy clay loam is much more resistant to soil alteration by TWW irrigation than loamy sand.
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Notes
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Matching agricultural freshwater supply and demand: using industrial and domestic
treated wastewater for sub-irrigation purposes
Ruud Bartholomeus1, Gé Van den Eertwegh2, Bas Worm3, Gijsbert Cirkel1, Arnaut Van
Loon1, Klaasjan Raat1 1KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Wageningen University, Soil Physics and Land
Management, Netherlands 2KnowH2O, Berg en Dal, The Netherlands 3Waterschap Vechtstromen, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Abstract
Available groundwater sources for irrigation purposes are increasingly under pressure due to
the regional coexistence of land use functions that are critical to groundwater levels or
compete for available water. At the same time, treated wastewater from industries and
domestic wastewater treatment plants are quickly discharged via surface waters towards
sea. Exploitation of these freshwater sources may be an effective strategy to balance
regional water supply and agricultural water demand. We present results of two pilot studies
in drought sensitive regions in the Netherlands, concerning agricultural water supply through
reuse of industrial and domestic treated wastewater. In these pilots, excess wastewater is
delivered to the plant root zone through sub-irrigation by drainage systems. Sub-irrigation is
a subsurface irrigation method that can be more efficient than classical, aboveground
irrigation methods using sprinkler installations.
Domestic wastewater treatment plants in the Netherlands produce annually 40-50mm
freshwater. A pilot project has been setup in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in which
treated wastewater is applied to a corn field by sub-irrigation during the growing seasons of
2015-2017, using a climate adaptive drainage system. The chemical composition of treated
domestic wastewater is different from infiltrating excess rainfall water and natural
groundwater. In the pilot project, the bromide-chloride ratio and traces of pharmaceuticals in
the treated wastewater are used as a tracer to describe water and solute transport in the soil
system. Focus of this pilot study is on quantifying potential contamination of both the root
zone and the deeper groundwater with pharmaceutical residues. We have installed a field
monitoring network at several locations in the vadose zone and the local groundwater
system, which enables us to measure vertical solute profiles in the soil water by taking
samples. Based on field data obtained during the experiments, combined with SWAP (1D)
and Hydrus (2D) model simulations, flow and transport of the sub-irrigated treated
wastewater are quantified.
In the south of The Netherlands, the Bavaria Beer Brewery abstracts a large volume of
groundwater and discharges treated wastewater to local surface water which transports the
water rapidly out of the region. At the same time, neighboring farmers invest in sprinkler
irrigation systems to maintain their crop production during drought periods. In this region,
increasing pressure is put on the regional groundwater and surface water availability. Within
a pilot study, a sub-irrigation system has been installed, by using subsurface drains,
interconnected through a collector drain, and connected to an inlet control basin for the
treated wastewater to enter the drainage system. We combine both process-based modeling
of the soil-plant-atmosphere system and field experiments to i) investigate the amount of
water that needs to be and that can be sub-irrigated, and ii) quantify the effect on soil
moisture availability and herewith reduced needs for aboveground irrigation.
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Notes
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Removal of Cu, Cd and Cd from wastewater by compost application
Ramadan Benjreid, György Füleky, Mutaz Al-Alawi
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Science,
Szent István University, Hungary
Abstract
Heavy metal pollution is a serious environmental problem resulting from industrial
wastewaters.
Elimination of toxic heavy metals from aqueous wastewaters is currently one of the mainly
important environmental issues being studied. Even though this concern has been studied
for several years, effective remedying choices are yet limited. The efficiency of compost
material adsorption of heavy metal from wastewater was investigated. Various low cost
adsorbents have been studied for their applicability in treatment of different types of effluents.
In this research the treatment has been attempted via batch experiments under various
solution concentrations, it probes mainly three adsorbents which their characteristics are as
follow, 1. Felgyő is a green waste and sewage sludge. 2. Garé is a communal sewage
sludge, slurry mud and chicken manure with straw. 3. Sioagárd is green biomass/ bio waste.
The metal initial concentration was fixed at 0, 50, 100, 250, 500, 100, 250, 500, 10000,
25000, 30000, 40000, and 50000μg/ml for Cu, Cd and Zn which made up 13 flask samples,
these samples were prepared of mixing 10ml of metal concentration with 1g of compost,
accordingly the fusion placed in mechanical shaker for 24 hours thus the combination was
centrifuged, filtered and the heavy metal concentration was determined with atomic
absorption spectrophotometry. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was also utilized for
morphological analysis of the adsorbent before and after heavy metal was loaded. Each
heavy metal treatment was replicated three times for quality assurance and the data were
fitted Langmuir model, hence Curves were plotted for the adsorption of heavy metal on the
adsorbents. The maximum amount adsorbed of heavy metal (Amax mgkg-1 ) is 44245 for Cu
by Garé compost followed by Cd 40107 and less for Zn with record of 26803 by the same
compost. Higher amounts were adsorbed for Cd, Cu and less for Zn solutions.
Characterization of the adsorbents was important factor of experiment investigation. The
result indicated that adsorption efficiency decreased with increase in the initial solution
concentration. At lower heavy metal concentrations practically all of the heavy metals ions
were removed by the compost application whereas in higher concentrations the fix value
ratio of heavy metal ions decreased to 40 %.
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Notes
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Irrigation with treated wastewater: Potential impact
Emna Kamoun
Department of Environmental and Soil Chemistry, Institute for Environmental Sciences
Landau, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
Abstract
In water-scarce regions, such as in Tunisia, the national policy encourages opting for
environmental sustainability and preservation of water resources. A strategy based on the
use of unconventional resources, such as treated wastewater, has been adopted. The
current study aims to determine the occurrence of contaminants in a treated urban
wastewater in order to prove its efficiency for irrigation of an agricultural perimeter in Sfax.
Water samples were collected monthly during half-year from the outlet of a sewage treatment
plant managed with aerobic biological treatment. Afterward, they were analyzed for COD,
BOD5, pH and existing pathogens. The results showed the presence of high organic load and
bacteria (Helminthes eggs, Fecal bacteria) which limits the reuse of wastewater in crops
irrigation, in particular. These data were used by combining soil data to identify the potential
adverse effects of treated wastewater application on soil and ground water quality.
Therefore, apart from health and crop value concerns, tertiary treatment process (including
filtration and/or disinfection) is necessary to obtain a water quality suited for high‐quality
reuse from wastewater treatment.
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Notes
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Session 2: Pretreatment
Anaerobic biochar filtration of domestic wastewater in West Africa for safer food
production and enhanced crop yield
Korbinian Kätzl1, Manfred Lübken1, Bernd Marschner1, Steffen Werner1, Rebecca Weinz1,
Helen Aron2, Julia Gilger2, Maximilian Dichtl1, George Nyarko3, Gordana Kranjac-
Berisavljevic3, Marc Wichern1
1Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany
²Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
³University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
Abstract
Untreated Wastewater is frequently the only available water source for urban and peri-urban
irrigation in West Africa. The aim of this study was the development and operation of a multi-
stage wastewater filtration plant in Tamale (Ghana) for the production of safer irrigation water
using locally available resources. An anaerobic pre-filter (AF) with corn cob biochar reduced
suspended solids, turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) to a suitable level for
biological filter (BF) to be used. This water was further treated with a downstream gravity BF
containing rice husk biochar to reduce pathogens, COD and turbidity. Source of raw
wastewater was from military barracks in Tamale. Filters were operated under saturated
conditions and a hydraulic loading rate of 0.05 m∙h-1 for six months. Subsequently, both
treated and raw wastewater was used for irrigation and results compared with potable water
irrigation with and without fertilizer. Samples of influent and effluent were taken periodically
and analyzed for the fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) E. coli and enterococci, using the most
probable number method (MPN). Additionally, physico-chemical parameters (e.g. turbidity,
COD, total nitrogen (Ntot), phosphorous (Ptot) and iron (Fe)) were measured. Further,
samples from crops were taken and analyzed for FIB, yield and nutrient uptake.
E. coli concentration of raw wastewater was in around 5·106 MPN∙100 mL-1. An average
COD of 202 ± 60 mg∙L-1, in raw sewage indicated low-strength wastewater. Thus, the AF
received a mean organic loading of 128 gCOD∙m-3∙d-1. A mean turbidity of 73 ± 57 FNU,
Ntot of 46 ± 17, Ptot of 4.9 ± 1.3 and Fe of 1.3 ± 0.5 was recorded in raw sewage. Over the
entire experiment, a FIB reduction of up to 3 log10-units was observed. Additionally, biochar
filters were able to eliminate 89 % COD, 92 % turbidity and 62 % Fe. Due to anaerobic
conditions, no significant removal of Ptot and Ntot was determined. These results are in line
with laboratory results from Germany and FIB concentration in effluent of biochar filters was
in the range of other irrigation water available in Tamale. Mean E. coli contamination of jute
mallow (Corchorus spp.) was below the detection limit of 1.9∙102 MPN∙100∙gFW for treated
wastewater (tap water: 3.98∙102) and significantly lower than raw wastewater irrigated plots
(8.28∙104). In contrast to FIB reduction, wastewater treatment leads to higher crop yield. The
increase through wastewater treatment was 30 %, compared to wastewater and more than
100 % in comparison to tap water with NPK.
This work was carried out as part of the UrbanFoodPlus Project, funded by the German
Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) under the initiative GlobE – Research
for the Global Food Supply, grant number 031A242-A,B.
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Notes
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Removal of phenolic compounds from olive mill waste water by Luffa agypta prior
water reuse in agriculture
Amer Marei and Abu Hammad
Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Al-Quds University, Abu-Dis, P.O. Box
20002
Abstract
Recently, agricultural irrigation with treated wastewater effluents became a common practice
in arid and semiarid regions due to the fact that fresh water is very limited, and mostly used
to cover domestic purposes. Palestine suffers from shortage in water specially for agricultural
sector, in the other hand about 120 000 m3 of olive mill wastewater (OMWW) produced
annually between October and December, and discharge in natural drainage system. In this
respect, treatment of OMWW and its reuse is an environmental challenge, where this water
could be used not only as sources of water but also as source of organic nutrients that may
be replace the use of synthetic fertilizer in some cases. OMWW is rich in nutrients such as
Nitrogen, phosphorous, carbon, and potassium, but also contains undesired different poly-
phenolic compounds (3.5 g/L), that are toxicity to microorganisms combined with high COD
and BOD5 21 g/Lvalues. Removal of toxic compounds from OMWW before used in irrigation
is essential to make use this of this source.
In the current experiment we used Luffa agypta for the removal of Poly phenolic compounds
from OMWW. Luffa fiber consist mainly of calluses, and the fiber was merged into liquid
nitrogen and crashed to small pieces, and then sieved in different fractions. 1 gram of Luffa
with 250 µm diameter fraction was selected to carry out the batch mixing experiment.
The first batch experiment was conducted by using 50 ml Tanic acid mixed with 1 gm Luffa
for duration of 120 minutes at 25º C. Results show that 84% of total Phenolic compounds are
removed. according to this result, 50 ml of OMWW was centrifuged at 3000 RPM for 10
minutes, filtered with 0.45 µm, and then 1 gram Luffa was added to the 50 ml of OMWW
mixed for 120 minutes at 25 ºC. The initial concentration of total Phenolic compounds was
2636 mg/L (using Galic acid standard curve). This experiment was repeated 13 time, and the
best removal of Phynolic compounds (measured as total phenolic compounds using Folin-
ciocalteumethod with UV-visible Spectro-photometry at ʎ 765) show that the average
removal percentage was 94%.
Second experiment was a column, where 60 gm of Luffa was filled in the column, where 250
ml of filtrated OMWW was injected in the column with flow rate 8 ml/minute. The removal of
Phenolic compounds ranged between 88 to 93%.
The Luffa agypta is potential natural cheep material for removal of Phenolic compound from
OMWW. Therefore, we propose using these microspheres which are readily available in
Palestine to remove polyphenolic compounds
29
Notes
30
A Comparison of Rice Husk, Wheat Straw, Sawdust and Sand Filters Impact on Some
Physical and Chemical Properties of Salt Water
Behzad Ghorbani and Reza Pourvaezi
Water Engineering Departement, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
Abstract
In this study, the time impact of rice husk, wheat straw, sawdust and sand filters on some of
physical and chemical properties of salt water was investigated and compared. For this
purpose, salt water passed through a column of pure sand, sand plus rice husk, wheat straw
and sawdust (bio-filters), all with the same weights. The turbidity, water hardness, chloride,
sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium ions concentrations were measured with time.
The results showed no positive effect of the pure sand on chloride (Cl-), calcium (Ca+),
potassium (K+) and magnesium (Mg+) ions adsorption. However, the highest adsorption of
Ca+(30.6 percent), turbidity reduction (77 percent) and hardness elimination (23.5 percent)
were achieved by passing salt water through a mixture of sand plus rice husk filter. In
addition, the highest adsorption of Cl- (30.4 percent), Mg+ (22 percent) were achieved by
passing salt water through a mixture of sand plus wheat straw filters. By the way, sand, rice
husk and sawdust increased the concentration of K+ (8 to123/4 percent) and Na+(0.2 to11.6
percent) in drained salt solution.
31
Notes
32
Presentations, Tuesday, 27th
of March
Session 4: Olive Mill Wastewater
Alternative technologies and policies for olive mill waste management in MED
countries
K. Chartzoulakis1*, N. Kalogerakis2, G. Psarras1, F. Santori3
1ELGO-Institute for Olive Tree, Subtropical Plants & Viticulture, 73100 Chania, Crete,
Greece, 2Dept. of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania Greece, 3ISRIM SC ar.l., 05100 Terni, Italy
Abstract
The disposal of olive mill wastewater (OMW) produced during oil extraction in Mediterranean
countries creates a significant environmental problem due to great volumes of effluent
produced (15-20 Mm3/year), heavy pollution load (40–80 g/l BOD, 50–150 g/l COD) and
phytotoxic properties (due to phenolic compounds). During the last 30 years many OMW
treatment methods have been proposed and tested, but their application at olive mill level is
limited due to high investment and/or running cost and technical expertise required. Within
the LIFE+ OLEICO+ project have been identified and evaluated existing technologies
following certain criteria that are currently being used in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece.
The results show that several viable technologies for OMW treatment do exist (composting,
electro-coagulation, hydrolysis-oxidation, phyto-remediation, co-digestion, energy
production); however, they require capital investment and maintenance costs which cannot
be afforded by a small or medium olive mill plants. On the other hand, application of OMW to
olive orchards can be a low cost alternative method for OMW treatment, in regions with small
size olive oil mill enterprises. Controlled annual application of OMW up to 1,500 l/tree in five
equal doses during the period of the production increased significantly K content in the soil.
Phenols were decomposed rapidly, while the nutritional status, the physiology and yield of
olive trees is not affected by the application of OMW.
The cost of soil application seems reasonable compared with sophisticated methods.
Detailed study for each case to determine the application dose according to soil and climatic
conditions of the area is required. The results show that several viable technologies do exist;
however, the implementation cost is not negligible.
33
Notes
34
The nutritional value of olive mill wastewater applied to olive orchard
Isaac Zipori, Arnon Dag, Yael Laor,Guy Levy, Hanan Eizenberg, Uri Yermiyahu, Shlomit
Medina, Ibrahim Saadi, Arkady Krasnovsky, Michael Raviv
Agricultural Research Organization, Israel
Abstract
The olive oil extraction industry generates large amounts of olive mill waste water (OMW) in
a short time, especially in two-phase extraction systems. This OMW cannot be discharged
into the domestic sewage treating plants due to its high organic load, fat content and
polyphenol content which might cause collapse of the treating process. Uncontrolled
spreading of OMW can cause severe environmental damage. Controlled spreading of
(OMW) on cultivated soils is a low-cost disposal method of an otherwise problematic
pollutant, with potential recycling of plant nutrients. In the present study, the nutritional value
of successive OMW applications was examined in an intensive olive orchard grown on sandy
loam soil in a semi-arid region in Israel. Application at 50–150 m3 ha-1 y-1 for 5 years had no
negative effects on tree vegetative growth, fruit yield, oil yield or oil quality. OMW application
did not increase N content in the soil or plants and cannot be considered a significant N
source. Yet, it caused a consistent increase in soil P and K contents and significantly
affected diagnostic leaf P and K concentrations. It also led to a significant increase in
exchangeable potassium percentage (EPP) already from the first application, and soluble K
migration to deep soil layers after 3 years of successive applications. Soil tillage after OMW
application did not affect N, P or K dynamics in the soil or uptake of these nutrients by plants.
An economic evaluation of the contribution of OMW as a nutrient source for olive orchards is
presented. Controlled application of OMW to intensive olive orchards can be a significant
source of K and P and thus save on fertilizers without negatively affecting tree performance.
35
Notes
36
How the Environmental Conditions may Influence the Fate of the Added OMW-OM on
soil
Nisreen Tamimi, Doerte Diehl, Gabriele Ellen Schaumann
Department of Environmental and Soil Chemistry, Institute for Environmental Sciences
Landau, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
Abstract
The olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a global matter of concern for the olive oil producing
countries. This waste usually generates in large amounts during the autumn/winter season,
mainly from October to February. The direct discharge to the soil has been commonly
practiced in the producing countries; however, this way of disposal causes several
environmental problems to soil or groundwater.
Several studies reported that OMW can be directly applied to the agricultural soils as it
contains considerable amounts of organic matter (OM) and can be used as an organic
supplement. However, negative effects of OMW application on soil salinity, acidity and
repellency have been found in other studies. Therefore, understanding the OMW-soil
interaction mechanisms under different climatic conditions is an essential issue for
sustainable safe disposal of OMW on soil and sustainable soil quality.
This field experiment investigated the changes in soil organic matter (SOM) thermal stability
and energy density after application of OMW to soil in order to understand how the
environmental conditions during and after OMW disposal may influence the fate of the added
OMW-OM. The study hypothesized that fate and persisting effects of OM brought by OMW in
the soil, whether at short term or long term, are depending on the dominant transport,
immobilization and transformation mechanisms triggered by the ambient soil moisture and
temperature during and after the application.
A field experiment was carried out in an olive orchard in Palestine, over a period of 24
months, in which the OMW was applied to the soil as a single application of 14 L m-2 under
four different environmental conditions: in winter (WI), spring (SP), and summer with and
without irrigation (SUmoist and SUdry).
The results of the field study during the two years clearly demonstrated that environmental
conditions prevailing at the time of OMW application strongly controlled the fate of OMW-OM
in the soil, however, in a different degree due to different transport, transformation, and
immobilization mechanisms. The OMW application to soil in spring and summer dry
increased the thermos-labile fraction stronger than the thermos-stable fraction as well as
increased the calorific value of SOM. The rain in winter application and irrigation in summer
leached the OM brought by OMW from the upper horizon within 2 days. In the long-term,
SOM content in the upper layer was still elevated after summer dry treatment. That indicates
the hottest and driest conditions during summer favored mineral-organic interactions and
abiotic polymerization and condensation reactions. Whereas, the favorable conditions for
biodegradation during OMW application in spring reduced the effects on SOM quantity in the
long term. The reduction of the thermostable fraction in spring treatment could indicate a
priming effect of the labile OMW constituents.
37
Notes
38
Processes governing development of ecotoxicity in clayey and silty soils incubated
with olive mill waste water under different temperature and humidity conditions
Markus P. Kurtz1, Arnon Dag², Leonie Peiffer1, Gabriele Ellen Schaumann1 1University of Koblenz-Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Group of Environmental
and Soil Chemistry, Landau, Germany
²Agricultural Research Organization, Gilat Research Center, Gilat 85280, Israel;
Abstract
Olive oil production generates olive mill wastewater (OMW) with a high content in nutrients
and phenolic substances. Its application to soil could be a cost-effective solution for
recycling. However, the degree of toxic effects of OMW on soil biota is widely unknown and
has to be considered when searching for adisposal strategy.
The objective of this study was to understand the degradation process of OMW organic
matter and its influence on toxic effects as well as soil properties. We hypothesized that
OMW toxicity decreases with degradation of its phenolic components. A higher soil biological
activity was expected to increase degradation.
We incubated a clayey soil and a silty soil with OMW for 60 days under conditions typical for
this region in order to simulate the application during various seasons (winter, spring,
summer dry, summer wet). Soil respiration, pH, electrical conductivity, total phenolic content
as well as anion and cation content, specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm and dissolved
organic carbon were measured at ten points of time during incubation. Soils and methanolic
soil extracts were tested for ecotoxicity using Lepidium sativum germination and Folsomia
candida egg hatching rate.
The degradation and transformation of OMW-organic matter was stronger under warm and
humid conditions than under cold and dry conditions. It was furthermore enhanced in the
clayey soil compared to the silty soil. Most severe ecotoxicological effects were found under
summer dry conditions while spring as well as summer wet conditions led to a fast recovery
of both germination and hatching. However, the silty soil did not recover to preapplication
levels. In the clayey soil, germination parameter were higher than in control after around 30
days suggesting a fertilizing effect. Effects in methanol extracts were higher in all soils and
climatic scenarios. Therefore, remobilization of OMW derived toxic compounds has to be
considered on a long-term scale. Egg hatching as most sensitive life-cycle parameter of
Folsomia candida showed also the same relation to climatic conditions and soil type but was
more robust to OMW compared to Lepidium sativum.
Environmental conditions as well as soil type are key factors determining degradation of
OMW organic matter and OMW derived ecotoxicity. Therefore, spring application (warm and
wet) of OMW seems to be a compromise with regard to OMW recycling, OMW occurrence in
winter and farmer considerations.
39
Notes
40
Effect of Irrigation with Reclaimed Wastewater on Soil Properties, Olive Tree Yield and
Oil Quality
Guy Levy, Arnon Dag, Michael Raviv, Isaac Zipori, Shlomit Medina, Ibrahim Saadi, Arkady
Krasnovsky, Hanan Eizenberg, Yael Laor
Abstract
Controlled application of olive mill wastewater (OMW) may lead to negative effects on soil
physical properties that could be associated with the possible adverse effects of K on soil
structure stability. Our objective was to study the impact of annual application of OMW over
several years on some physical properties of the upper soil layer (0-10 cm) and their possible
link to exchangeable K levels. We used two experimental field platforms for the study: tilled
field crops grown in a clay soil (three years of OMW application), and olive orchard grown in
a sandy loam soil (five years of OMW application). Application of OMW in the clay soil did not
affect organic carbon (OC) content but it led to some increase in the exchangeable
potassium percentage (EPP) from 3.3 in the control to ~4.5 in the OMW-treated plots. In the
sandy loam soil, application of different rates of OMW resulted in nearly a 2 fold increase in
OC content and an increase in EPP from 8 in the control to >20. Aggregate stability
increased in both soils following addition of OMW; yet for the clay soil, the observed increase
was not associated with changes in EPP or OC content. Conversely, in the sandy loam soil,
aggregate stability was positively correlated with OC content and EPP. Unlike aggregate
stability, soil hydraulic conductivity (HC), tested for the sandy loam soil only, was not affected
by OMW application. Overall, our study shows that consecutive 3 to 5 years of controlled
OMW application in the range of 50-150 m3 OMW ha-1 y-1 does not result in the
deterioration of soil physical and hydraulic properties.
41
Notes
42
OMW land application following various disposal schemes: effects on soil sorption of
simazine and diuron and their temporal persistence, at various soil depths and OMW
application seasons
Mikhail Borisover1, Yonatan Keren1, Gabriele E. Schaumann², Dörte Dieh²l, Nisreen Tamimi²,
Nadezhda Bukhanovsky1 1Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Research Organization
²Department of Environmental and Soil Chemistry, Institute for Environmental Sciences
Landau, University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
Abstract
The contribution summarizes a series of previous studies [1-3], carried out within the trilateral
DFG-funded OLIVEOIL project, on changes of pesticide-soil interactions, caused by land
application of olive mill wastewater (OMW). It is specifically focused on examining temporal
persistence of these changes and the roles of soil depth and OMW application season. The
knowledge of OMW effects on pesticide-soil interactions is of importance since it can
improve our ability to predict bioavailability, movement and the whole environmental fate of
pesticides (as well as other organic compounds) in field treated or contaminated by OMW.
Due to modification of soil organic matter (SOM) following OMW application, such a
knowledge could also contribute to a better understanding of SOM-organic compound
interactions, in general. Therefore, this presentation examines various cases of OMW land
disposal, i.e., involving the long-term (6-18 years) OMW dumping [1] and the short-term (1-4
years) land application [2,3]. In general, OMW application enhances interactions of
pesticides (simazine and diuron) with soil, as elucidated in lab batch aqueous sorption
experiments. This enhancement is associated both with increase in soil organic carbon
content and with changes in SOM composition which makes itself evident in the changes of
the soil sorption mechanisms, as revealed by the shapes of sorption isotherms. With the time
elapsed after OMW application, the enhancement of diuron-soil interactions tended to
disappear but the remaining effect could be expected 600 days after the OMW application.
Enhanced interactions with soil, caused by OMW application, may increase with soil depth in
a top layer and become more significant at higher pesticide (diuron) concentrations.
Influence of OMW land disposal on lab-tested diuron-soil interactions may depend on
application season. Thus, not only soil surface changes its ability to interact with pesticides,
due to OMW-soil interactions, but also the effects are possible to a some soil depth. Long-
term and seasonal-dependent effects of OMW application on pesticide-soil interactions are
possible and may need more attention.
[1] Peikert, B., Schaumann, G., Keren, Y., Bukhanovsky, N., Borisover, M., Garfha, M. A.,
Hassan, J., Dag, A. (2015). Characterization of topsoils subjected to poorly controlled olive
oil mill wastewater pollution in West Bank and Israel. Agriculture, Ecosystems and
Environment 199: 176–189.
2] Keren, Y., Borisover, M., Bukhanovsky, N. (2015). Sorption interactions of organic
compounds with soils affected by agricultural olive mill wastewater. Chemosphere 138: 462-
468.
[3] Keren, Y., Borisover, M., Schaumann, G.E., Diehl, D., Tamimi, N., Bukhanovsky, N.
(2017). Land disposal of olive oil wastewater enhances ability of soil to sorb diuron: Temporal
persistence, and the effects of soil depth and application season. Agriculture, Ecosystems
and Environment 236(2) 43-51.
43
Notes
44
Effects of Olive Oil Production Wastewater on Soil litter Decomposition Under Lab
Conditions
Jawad Shoqeir
Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Al-Quds University, Abu-Dis, P.O. Box
20002
Abstract
The cultivation of olive trees and the production of olive oil has been a well-known and
established a practice for more than7000 years in some regions in the world. In 2013, 2.8
million tons of olive oil was produced in the world (FAOSTAT, 2013)
Palestine produced more than 21,000 tons of olive oil in 272 olive presses in 2015. However,
due to uncommon appropriate treatment facilities for OMWW and the absence of regulation
in Palestine, OMWW is usually disposed of in sewage systems and/or cesspools as well as
into water streams and valleys in the region (Khatibet al., 2009). These effluents infiltrate into
the soil profile with a high load of Phenol and organic matter leading to high soil toxicity
which may influence soil organic matter decomposition where arthropods play a major role.
The negative environmental impact of OMWW is attributed to poor biodegradation and
toxicity of polyphenols present in OMWW.
This study came to test the influence of OMWW on the arthropods activity and its role on soil
organic matter (SOM) biodegradation. To bring more understanding about arthropods activity
and its influence on organic matter decomposition in soil profile TeaBag initiative for litter
decomposition was adopted. The Teabag experiment will provide vital information on the
SOM biodegradation. Two types of Teabags the Green (Camellia sinensis) and the Roobies
(Aspalanthus linearis) where used in this experiment. It was incubated for 9 months in a soil
irrigated frequently with fresh water as a control and with OMWW as a major pollutant.
Our objectives are to answer two main questions related to How much of litter material is
broken down? And what are the effects of OMWW on decomposition rate?
Results should a variability of biodegradation between the Green and the Roobies Teabags.
The Green tea should a faster decomposition rate when compared with Roobies tea showing
slow decomposition rates. In the soils irrigated with OMWW the number of the arthropods
larva should an elevated number when compared with fresh water. The SOM degradation
rates were higher in the soils irrigated with OMWW. These findings might change the attitude
of the research concerning polyphenols toxicity in soil profile.
45
Notes
46
Presentations, Wednesday, 28th
of March
Session 4: Solid waste
Effects of manure-derived mobile organic matter on the sorption of micropollutants in
soils
Wei Zhang, Sören Thiele-Bruhn
Soil science department, University of Trier, Germany
Abstract
Land application of solid residues (e.g. animal manure) or treated wastewater is a worldwide
agricultural practice. Elucidating the interactions of the co-introduced micropollutants and the
waste-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM, <0.45µm) with soils is a prerequisite for
evaluating the potential environmental hazards. Batch sorption of 3 micropollutants
(sulfadiazine, caffeine and atenolol) to 5 soils of different properties, with and without the
addition of fractionated pig manure DOM (MDOM), were performed. The results showed that
all the three micropollutants’ sorption isotherms were well fitted by the Freundlich isotherm
model with the regression coefficients >0.956. Sulfadiazine was least adsorbed among the
micropollutants. The soil with the lowest pH (4.31) showed the least sorption affinity to
sulfadiazine with the Frendulich sorption coefficient Kf being 1.207, as compared with that of
38.019 for atenolol. Atenolol was generally significantly adsorbed by the soils, attributing to
its cationic form at the soil pHs. Addition of MDOM (9.4-68.90 mgC/L) facilitated the increase
of the hydrophobic fractions of DOM as indicated by the UV-VIS absorbance at 260 nm
(A260). MDOM addition >30mgC/L led to the significant increase of DOM concentration,
SUVA254, SUVA280 and decrease of E2/E3 ratio, indicating the enrichment of DOM with
higher aromaticity and molecular weight. The competitive adsorption between the enriched
DOM and the micropollutants might be the main reason for the general decrease of
micropollutants’ sorption capacities as well as the variations of Freundlich isotherm patterns
following MDOM addition. pH increase of the acid soil (maximum increase of 1.0 pH unit) and
the neutral to alkaline soils due to MDOM addition was responsible for the increase of
sorption capacities for sulfadiazine and atenolol, respectively. Therefore, the amphiphilic
character of manure DOM and the soil properties should be taken into consideration aiming
to alleviating the associated environmental problems in manure application.
47
Notes
48
Waste to land – current issues and a way forward: A Scottish perspective
Claudia Erber and Alan Cundill
Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Stirling, United Kingdom
Abstract
SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) is working towards One Planet Prosperity,
meaning living within the boundaries of one planet. To help us achieve this we promote the
circular economy and the sustainable use of waste materials on agricultural land. Our aim is
to use the right materials, in the right amount at the right time in the right place.
We face a number of recurring issues:
1) Some liquid wastes contain extremely low nutrient concentrations, and thus provide little
agricultural benefit (especially in a country that doesn’t require much irrigation).
2) Application rates are generally tailored to N requirements of the crop, often resulting in the
over application of P.
3) The same materials are applied to the same land year after year, leading to accumulation
of certain elements and lack of others.
4) Political decisions elsewhere result in change of type and amount of waste materials
applied to land. For example, in the past draff from the distilling process was a valuable by-
product that was applied to land for agricultural benefit. Now this material is used for energy
generation via anaerobic digestion. The resulting digestate can also be applied to agricultural
land but is much more watery than the draff, lacking the benefit of adding organic material to
soils and having more nutrients in an available form making them more prone to leaching
and run-off.
There is a need for better planning of how much waste can be reasonably applied to our land
and the best time for application. This requires an understanding of how much of each waste
type is produced where (including farm wastes like manure and slurry, which compete with
the non-agriculture wastes for the same land bank) and the actual land that is available for
application (e.g. waste application restrictions in retailer contracts).
SEPA is developing a new framework for the application of waste materials to land, where
level of regulation is more directly dependent on environmental risk. A 3-tier approach shall
be implemented: 1) notification, 2) registration, and 3) permitting. Notification will apply to
waste materials that carry similar or less environmental risk than sewage sludge. Notification
will be combined with general binding rules (GBRs) covering potentially toxic element
concentrations as well as nutrient levels. Audits will be carried out to check compliance with
the GBRs. It is planned to introduce an operator permit for applying waste to agricultural
land. Failure to comply with GBRs could result in withdrawal of this permit. The potential for
loss of their permit, preventing them from applying any waste to land should be a strong
incentive for operators to comply with the GBRs. Operators will still need to register intent to
apply higher risk materials to agricultural land with SEPA.
49
Notes
50
Possible agricultural effects of combined application of digestate and biochar
Miklós Gulyás, Mutaz Al-Alawi, Barbara Simon, György Füleky, Tamás Szegi
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Science,
Szent István University, Hungary
Abstract
Anaerobic digestion is a highly promoted technology to treat organic wastes and produce
renewabla energy in EU. This has resulted in the production of considerable volumes of
digestate as by-product, which could raise an environmental concern. The most common and
valuable option is to use the digestate as an organic fertiliser and/or a soil amendment.
However digestate is not highly accepted by farmers due to the less information and
application experiences in Hungary. The use of digestates as a cost effective and renewable
source of plant nutrients can be also a good complementary solution to decrease the applied
amount of synthetic fertilizers in agriculture. Unfortunately, digestate is difficult to manage
due to it has fertilising properties, format and high water content.
The application of biochar as a soil amendment is a promising practice in agriculture and can
have an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change. Many studies were
conducted to examine the effects of biochars on soil properties but most of the related
research has been taken place in tropical environments and the results were widely
depended on the applied pyrolsis technology and raw materials eventuated various products
with diverse properties.
The fertilization effect of digestate may be a good supplementation to biochar application as
well, but no enough data is available in this topic yet.
Thus the aim of our study was to investigate the effect the combined application of biochar
and digestate respectively on selected soil physical and chemical properties and on ryegrass
(Lolium perenne) growth, yield and selected element content in a laboratory pot experiment.
Our results show that the easily soluble phosphorous content of soil increased but the plants
could not take up this high amount of phosphorous in our study. The pH and water soluble
salt content of the treated soil was increased. Pyrolysis products did not cause phytotoxic
effects on test plants but higher doses resulted in slower germination. Combined biochar-
digestate applications effected higher yield.
51
Notes
52
Evaluation of the potential use of municipal solid waste for recovery options: A case
study of Fars province, Iran
Laleh Mahmoudian-Boroujerd, Ayoub Karimi-Jashni, Nasser Talebbeydokhti
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract
A comprehensive study of municipal solid waste is essential for determining the most
sustainable solid waste management strategy. The overall objective of this research is to
gain reliable information about quantities and composition of household solid waste which
could provide basis for implementation of a recovery, reduction and recycling waste
management program. The investigation was carried out at 5 cities located at North, South,
East, West and center of the Fars province in Iran, in four seasons during 2010-2011.
This study reveals that the total household solid waste generated daily are 598, 536, 594,
618, 515 gram per capita per day for 5 cities including Jahrom, Fasa, Abadeh, Kazeroun and
Marvdasht respectively. The average bulk density of solid waste was found 280.67 kg m-3 as
well. The majority of waste was putrescible (71.01 percent), suggesting a strong resource
recovery potential in terms of animal feed or compost. In general, high organic content (71.01
percent) and high moisture content (70-83 percent) reveal that composting solid waste can
be considered more optimal as alternative treatment such as incineration. Recyclable waste
made up 15.8 percent by weight the waste composition suggesting a motivation for source
separation. In addition, with regard to the noticeable fraction of putrescible which is suitable
for compost, chemical analyses also carried out for determining of organic components,
organic carbon, Nitrogen, C/N ratio, pH, and moisture content in order to investigate the
feasibility of microorganism activity.
53
Notes
54
Application of natural and modified humic substances for site remediation
Leonid Perelomov, Yury Atroshchenko, Anastasia Erokhina, Kakhaber Chilachava, Andrey
Shvikin
Department of Chemistry, Tula State Pedagogical University, Tula, Russia
Abstract
Numerous studies have shown humic substances capable of altering both the chemical and
the physical speciation of trace elements and affecting their bioavailability and toxicity. The
structural complexity of HS creates opportunities for a broad range of chemical interactions
with heavy metals and other pollutants. HS hold great promise functioning as amendments to
mitigate the adverse impacts of pollutants and as active agents in remediation.
The sorption capacity of humic substances from peat and their fractions (humic and
hymatomelanic acids) in relation to Pb and Zn was investigated. We have obtained
chemically modified derivatives of humic acids by converting phenolic fragments into
quinones and compared the sorption capacity of the natural and modified substances with
respect to heavy metals. The obtained derivates possessed an increased binding ability to
heavy metals.
The effect of humic substances and their fractions on toxic properties of lead and zinc to
different strains of bacteria (Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391, Rhodococcus RS67 and
Pseudomonas fluorescens 142NF) was studied also. The strains tested have more low
resistance to zinc in comparison to lead with minimum inhibitory concentrations 0.1-0.3mM
and 0.3-0.5 mM respectively. Pseudomonas chlororaphis showed greatest resistance to zinc.
The highest resistance to lead was characteristic of Pseudomonas chlororaphis and
Rhodococcus. Humic substances reduced zinc toxicity at all organic substances
concentrations for all microorganisms. Humic acids maximally reduced Zn toxicity to the
bacteria for all strains also. Hymatomelanic acid at maximum concentration of 200 mg l-1
showed significant increase in the resistance of Pseudomonas chlororaphis to zinc. Humic
substances cause absolutely the same increase in the Pb minimum inhibitory concentrations,
as well as humic acids. Hymatomalanic acids fraction had a detoxifying effect on all studied
strains at maximum concentration of organic matter only.
The study was supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research. Grant number is 18-
04-00274.
55
Notes
56
Potential of Sewage Sludge Application in Mediterranean Agricultural soils: Case of
Šibenik region, Croatia
Marija Romić, Davor Romić, Helena Bakić Begić, Monika Zovko
Faculty of Agriculture, Croatia University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Rural areas in Croatia have great potential in the shape of natural assets and landscapes,
which is an excellent basis for the economic development, considering two main economic
branches: agriculture and tourism. In the context of integrated land and water management,
production of wastewater effluent and large quantities of sewage sludge from the local
sewage treatment plants may be an issue of high significance. Submerged wastewater
effluent discharge in the vicinity of cities along the Adriatic Sea coast may lead to coastal
marine sediment contamination by inorganic and organic pollutants, depending of sewage
treatment system performance. The city of Šibenik area (Middle Eastern Adriatic coast) had
faced in the past the serious problem of the eutrophication of the Krka River Estuary and
coastal marine environment that had been receiving untreated industrial and domestic
sewage for years. As a region is very attractive because of natural beauties, the problem was
becoming more pronounced during the touristic summer period. Sewage treatment system
and pipe line to outside of Krka River Estuary was constructed in 2008, and treated effluent
is being released into the near shore marine environment SE of the Island of Zlarin by 5000
m long sub-marine pipe system.
The investigation undertaken to examine the metal concentrations in marine sediments
influenced by the wastewater disposal system showed no distinct anthropogenic loads of
trace elements in sediment that may be related to the wastewater effluent discharge.
Anyway, quantities of the sewage sludge that remain after the treatments may pose great
risk for environment if not treated, stored or disposed properly. It was estimated that 1.846
tones (dry mater) is being produced monthly from sewage treatment plants in 5
agglomeration of the Sibensko-kninska County (SKC). Application of treated sludge to
agricultural land was considered to be the best practical environmental option for most
sewage sludge, but this option has to be carefully examined. In the last two decades more
than 5000 ha of karst stony terraces and steep slopes in the study region have been
remediated by stone crushing to make the land suitable for agricultural production, mostly for
grapevine and olive production. After the deforestation, new grapevine and olive trees
plantations are made particularly on the slopes exposed to sun and sheltered from strong
winds. So, the capacity of the arable land of the to take on sewage sludge from the local
treatment plants in SKC has been defined by this study.
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58
Posters
Comparative evaluation of different composting technologies and effects on the
quality of final composts and soil–plant system
Mutaz Al-Alawi, Barbara Simon, Tamas Szegi, Miklós Gulyás, Ramadan Benjreid, Andras
Sebok
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Science,
Szent István University, Hungary
Abstract
The rapid increase of world population in the last decades, urbanization and intensification of
human activities brought serious environmental problems, such as generation large quantity
of wastes. To conquer this problem, effective management strategies for the wastes should
be adopted, e.g. composting, among the various waste treatment methods is one of the most
effective means of recycling of organic wastes that can be used as a source of organic
matter in agricultural land. Composting is considered an environmental-friendly process
involving aerobic transformation of organic matter and destruction of pathogens. The
objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the performance of three different
composting technologies and their effects on compost quality. The three studied
technologies with duration were: a) fully encapsulated Profikomp Lifting System (PLS) with
42 days, b) aerated static pile covered with a semipermeable film with 30 days, and c)
windrow – open air composting with 6 months. The raw material used for composting and the
duration of composting differed in the examined three technologies are sewage sludge and
green waste.
The composting process was monitored by determining the changes in temperature, pH, EC,
moisture, organic matter, water soluble carbon (WSC), bulk density, ammonium-N (NH4 + -
N), nitrate-N (NO-3-N), carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio, total potassium (TK), total phosphorous
(TP), and cation exchange capacity (CEC). A pot experiment was also carried out to study
the effects of different matured composts from different composting technologies on soil
properties, humification processes and plant growth of rye-grass in laboratory experiment.
The obtained data will be presented in the poster.
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60
Early Response of Tree and Soil to Tuff Trenches Following Irrigation with Treated
Waste Water
Diriba Bane Nemera1,2, Asher Bar-Tal2, Shabtai Cohen2, Guy Levy2, Victor Lukyanov2, Jorge
Tarchitzky1
1The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University
of Jerusalem, Israel 2 Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, ARO Volcani Centre, Israel
Abstract
Long-term irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) causes soil structural damage leading to
disturbance in plant performance and yield reduction, especially in clay soils. We
hypothesized that the tuff trenches enhance the drainage of soluble salts leading to
improvement in soil physico-chemical characteristics and tree performance. The objective of
the current study is to evaluate the effects of tuff trenches on soil and trees in a mature
avocado orchard at Kibbutz Yasur (Latitude 32°53’42” N and 35°10’30”), the Western
Galilee, Israel. Prior to our experiment the orchard was irrigated with TWW for more than 10
years. Trenches of 30 cm deep and 30 cm wide were dug about 30 cm away from the stem
on both sides of the tree rows, filled with volcanic tuff and irrigated with TWW. The two
treatments were tuff trenches irrigated with TWW and control (TWW). Soil samples were
collected to a depth of 90 cm (at 30 cm intervals) annually at the end of the irrigation season
in all plots under drippers. Additional soil samples were taken 30 cm from the drip laterals in
both directions and between trees within a row to a depth of 30 cm. Tree sap flow was
measured continuously with automated thermal dissipation probes (TDP) installed in 10 trees
for each treatment. Preliminary soil analyses showed that electrical conductivity (EC), Cl-
and Mg2+ are significantly reduced under the drippers in tuff trenches at all depth of sampling,
whereas significant reduction in Na+, K+ and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) occurred at a
depth of 0-60 cm as compared with the TWW control. Sap flow measurements revealed that
the tuff trenches have increased sap flow compared to control. The results observed so far
suggest that tuff trenches enhance the leaching of soluble cations at different magnitudes
leading to reduced SAR. The leaching of salt from the top soil may have contributed to better
availability of water for the avocado tree as revealed by the sap flow. Further analysis of soil
physicochemical changes, tree growth and tree physiological response is ongoing to come
up with tangible results on how tuff trenches influence soil and plant response.
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62
Does a soil recover within twelve months after olive mill wastewater land spreading? –
Searching for a sustainable solution.
Markus P. Kurtz1, Yael Laor², Arnon Dag³, Gabriele E. Schaumann1
1Institute for Environmental Sciences, Department of Environmental and Soil Chemistry,
University Koblenz-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
²Agricultural Research Organization, Newe Ya’ar Research Center, Ramat-Yishay 30095,
Israel
³Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Gilat Research Center, 85280, Israel
Abstract
Controlled land spreading of olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a widely used agricultural
disposal option for this problematic waste. As a product with high nutrient and organic matter
content it can serve as fertilizer. However, potential soil hydrophobicity, accumulation of salts
and toxic residuals like phenols creates problematic side effects. Soil recovery between
successive OMW spreading is an important criterion in terms of environmental protection and
sustainability when searching for a cheap and effective OMW solution.
A field study served to investigate rate dependent soil recovery after two years of
consecutive spreading of OMW in rates of 50, 100, 150 m³ ha-1 year-1 and, additionally,
100 m³ ha-1 year-1 followed by tillage. The field is an irrigated olive orchard in the semi-arid
south of Israel and its soil type is a light brown sandy loam. pH, EC, soluble ions, soluble
phenolic compounds (SPC), organic matter, water drop penetration time, soil biological
activity (bait-lamina test) were determined depth dependently (0-3 cm, 3-10 cm, 10-20 cm,
20-40 cm, 40-60 cm) twelve months after the last OMW application.
Changes of soil properties following OMW application are still detectable 12 months after
application of small rates of OMW down to 50 m³ ha-1 year-1. While the upper soil layer
showed significant changes compared to the control, which strongly depend on the rate, no
effects were found in soil layers below 20 cm. EC and chloride as well as phosphate, organic
matter and SPC contents increased significantly in all treatments. Nitrate contents decreased
after OMW application. The biological activity in the soils was significantly higher in the
treated plots independent of the application rate. Tillage after OMW application decreased
the SPC contents compared to the same application rate without tillage and showed also
higher biological activity in deeper soil layers. Moreover it had the lowest water drop
penetration.
Successive and consecutive land spreading of OMW is not supported by the findings of this
study. Incomplete degradation of phenolic substances and soil salinization are alarming
outcomes with respect to long-term OMW spreading. Tillage after OMW spreading is a
promising option towards a sustainable solution.
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Notes