Phosphorus sorption from treated domestic effluent in water treatment plant sludge and residue application in soil cultivated with corn

Studies on the removal of phosphorus from effluents by sorption in residues have gained prominence in the literature. Among these residues, there is the sludge from a water treatment plant rich in oxyhydroxides of Aluminum and iron. The present study aimed to remove, by sorption, phosphate from sanitary sewage in upflow reactor filled with water treatment plant sludge, and to compare the corn crop subjected to different phosphorus sources: conventional fertilization (Source 1); conventional fertilization and water treatment plant sludge used in the sorption of phosphate (Source 2) and water treatment plant sludge used in the sorption of phosphate (Source 3). Removal of phosphate from the water treatment plant sludge occurred in all three tests. In the sorption assay, after 2.8 h hydraulic retention time, there was an average removal of 96% of phosphate. Regarding the contribution of phosphorus by different sources, it was found that the use of sludge, in treatments Source 2 and 3, increased the content of organic matter in the soil and provided greater buffering. The leaf contents of macro and micronutrients in the crop showed satisfactory values, despite the senescence of some plants in Source 2 and 3. The reuse of the sludge, in the applied doses, was enough for the analyzed plant material to reach considerable lead contents, which must be monitored when using the residue in agricultural cultivation.