Abstract
Sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has increased in recent years in Spain and Europe in general. Agriculture seems a viable solution when seeking alternatives for its final disposal. Sewage sludge reuse can, however, pose risks given presence of heavy metals, pathogen microorganisms or toxic compounds, which must be controlled to minimize risks for human health and the environment. In the present study, the phytotoxicity of sewage sludge from the Alcázar de San Juan WWTP using two types of seeds (Lactuca sativa L. and Lepidium sativum L.) in bioassays was analyzed. The relative germination rates (RGP), relative radicle growth (RRG) and germination index were determined for both species. Hypocotyl length was measured in lettuce. Negative (distilled water) and positive (zinc sulfate) controls were prepared. Depending on the biological material and residue phytotoxicity dose, analyses can be modified given the different sensitivities of plants. Lepidium sativum L. was more sensitive to phytotoxic compounds than Lactuca sativa L. Hypocotyl measurements provide complementary toxicity information. A general agreement between authors and researchers to standardize this type of analysis would be useful to make criteria uniform.
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Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to the municipally owned company “Aguas de Alcázar” and the Alcázar de San Juan Town Hall for their financial support through Project: “Aptitud para uso agrícoladel agua y lodos procedentes de la depuradora de aguas residuales de Alcázar de San Juan.” We also thank Helen Warburton for reviewing the English.
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Mañas, P., De las Heras, J. Phytotoxicity test applied to sewage sludge using Lactuca sativa L. and Lepidium sativum L. seeds. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 15, 273–280 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-017-1386-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-017-1386-z