Quantifying Total Phosphorus and Heavy Metals in Residential Septage

Septic systems are used for wastewater treatment in rural areas. tanks promote stratification of into solid (sludge and scum) liquid layers. Pollutant concentrations the layers residential septic may be highly variable, thus septage pumped from with different layer thicknesses also variable. The goal this study was to quantify total phosphorus (TP) heavy metal masses septage. were measured 37 tanks. Samples collected each pollutant concentration analysis. median TP (10.6 mg L−1) greatest sludge layer, followed by scum (5.3 (1.8 Concentrations metals variable type. TP, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, zinc contained (range) values 19.4 g (0.9–1041 g), <0.01 (<0.01–1.99 1.3 (0.1–520 1.8 (<0.01–44.2 (<0.01–4.3 13.8 (0.3–788 respectively. Since is typically applied on land as a soil amendment crop growth, it important that representative composite samples prevent excess buildup metals, which harm yields or environmental health.