Curtin University, Muresk Campus, Northam Western Australia, Australia.
Water Sci Technol. 2010;62(1):48-57. doi: 10.2166/wst.2010.274.
Australia is a large exporter of agricultural products, with producers responsible for a range of quality assurance programs to ensure that food crops are free from various contaminants of detriment to human health. Large volumes of treated sewage sludge (biosolids), although low by world standards, are increasingly being recycled to land, primarily to replace plant nutrients and to improve soil properties; they are used in agriculture, forestry, and composted. The Australian National Biosolids Research Program (NBRP) has linked researchers to a collective goal to investigate nutrients and benchmark safe concentrations of metals nationally using a common methodology, with various other research programs conducted in a number of states specific to regional problems and priorities. The use of biosolids in Australia is strictly regulated by state guidelines, some of which are under review following recent research outcomes. Communication and research between the water industry, regulators and researchers specific to the regulation of biosolids is further enhanced by the Australian and New Zealand Biosolids Partnership (ANZBP). This paper summarises the major issues and constraints related to biosolids use in Australia using specific case examples from Western Australia, a member of the Australian NBRP, and highlights several research projects conducted over the last decade to ensure that biosolids are used beneficially and safely in the environment. Attention is given to research relating to plant nutrient uptake, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus (including that of reduced phosphorus uptake in alum sludge-amended soil); the risk of heavy metal uptake by plants, specifically cadmium, copper and zinc; the risk of pathogen contamination in soil and grain products; change to soil pH (particularly following lime-amended biosolids); and the monitoring of faecal contamination by biosolids in waterbodies using DNA techniques. Examples of products that are currently produced in Western Australia from sewage sludge include mesophilic anaerobically digested and dewatered biosolids cake, lime-amended biosolids, alum sludge and compost.
澳大利亚是农产品的主要出口国，其生产商负责实施一系列质量保证计划，以确保食用作物不含对人体健康有害的各种污染物。尽管按世界标准衡量，经过处理的污水污泥（生物固体）数量较少，但仍在不断增加，被回收用于土地，主要是为了替代植物养分并改善土壤特性；这些污泥被用于农业、林业和堆肥。澳大利亚国家生物固体研究计划（NBRP）将研究人员与一个集体目标联系起来，即使用共同的方法，在全国范围内调查营养物质和金属的安全浓度基准值，而许多其他研究计划则是在一些州进行的，专门针对区域问题和优先事项。澳大利亚对生物固体的使用有严格的州级指导方针管理，其中一些指导方针在最近的研究结果后正在进行审查。澳大利亚和新西兰生物固体伙伴关系（ANZBP）进一步加强了水行业、监管机构和特定于生物固体监管的研究人员之间的沟通和研究。本文使用澳大利亚 NBRP 成员西澳大利亚的具体案例示例，总结了与生物固体在澳大利亚使用相关的主要问题和制约因素，并强调了过去十年进行的几个研究项目，以确保生物固体在环境中得到有益和安全的利用。本文特别关注与植物养分吸收有关的研究，特别是氮和磷（包括在施用铝污泥改良的土壤中磷吸收减少的情况）；植物对重金属吸收的风险，特别是镉、铜和锌；土壤和谷物产品中病原体污染的风险；施用石灰改良的生物固体后土壤 pH 值的变化；以及使用 DNA 技术监测水体中生物固体的粪便污染。目前在西澳大利亚从污水污泥中生产的产品包括中温厌氧消化和脱水的生物固体饼、石灰改良的生物固体、铝污泥和堆肥。
