Pollution Research Paper

SEWAGE SLUDGE APPLICATION AND IT'S IMPACT ON CHEMICALPROPERTIES OF MARIGOLD

PRAVEEN SOLANKI, D. JAGDISHWAR REDDY, BHAVYA KALAVAGADDA, BABY AKULA AND S. HARISH KUMAR SHARMA

Abstract

Pot culture experiment was carried out at Horticulture farm, ANGRAU- Hyderabad to assess theinfluence of sewage sludge on the uptake of nutrients and heavy metals in Marigold plant andflowers. Sewage sludge obtained from NMK-STP, Hyderabad analyzed for physico-chemicalproperties and used in the study along with Red soil in different fractions. A total of seven pottingmedia were prepared containing soil, sewage sludge and different ratios of soil + sewage sludge.Plant and flower samples were analysed for nutrients and heavy metals uptake. The physicochemicaland biological characteristics of sewage sludge indicated that sewage sludge can be safely used as a rich organic matter for realizing marigold yield instead of inorganic fertilizers withecofriendlly manners. Among treatments, T5 (100% sewage sludge) was found to be significantlysupirior in all observed parameters, however, the heavy metals uptake in this treatment werebeyond the maximum permissible limites. The NPK content of sewage sludge used in the presentexperiment was high along with organic carbon content. The content of heavy metals Pb, Ni, Coand Cd was within maximum permissible limits.