Ingestion of sludge applied organic chemicals by animals

• Published in: Science of the total environment 1996-06, Vol.185 (1-3), p.93-108
• Main Author: Fries, George F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABSORCION DE SUSTANCIAS NUTRITIVAS; ABSORPTION DE SUBSTANCES NUTRITIVES; Agriculture; ALIMENT POUR ANIMAUX; animal uptake; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; BIOAVAILABILITY; BIODISPONIBILIDAD; BIODISPONIBILITE; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Availability; BOUE RESIDUAIRE; Cattle; CHEMICALS; CONTAMINANTES; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; FEEDS; Forage; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hazardous Substances - administration & dosage; Hazardous Substances - pharmacokinetics; Hydrocarbons, Halogenated - administration & dosage; Hydrocarbons, Halogenated - pharmacokinetics; LODOS RESIDUALES; NUTRIENT UPTAKE; Organic contaminants; PIENSOS; Plants, Edible - chemistry; Plants, Edible - metabolism; POLLUANT; POLLUTANTS; POLLUTION DU SOL; POLUCION DEL SUELO; PRODUCTOS QUIMICOS; PRODUIT CHIMIQUE; Ruminants - metabolism; Sewage - chemistry; SEWAGE SLUDGE; Sheep; Sludge-borne chemicals; Soil ingestion; Soil Pollutants - administration & dosage; Soil Pollutants - pharmacokinetics; SOIL POLLUTION; Terrestrial environment, soil, air
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/0048-9697(96)05045-0

Intake of sludge-borne chemicals is related to the crop and animal management systems, the species and physiological status of animals, and the properties of the chemicals. The greatest intake occurs when sludge is applied to established crops and animals have immediate access. Intake is reduced when access is delayed to allow losses by weathering and dilution by plant growth, or when sludge is incorporated into soil because vapour transport from soil to plants and lower concentrations at the surface reduce intake via soil ingestion. Animals that consume lorage are the most subject to contaminant exposure, which is maximized when pasture is the major component of the diet because soil ingestion is an additional exposure pathway. Of the many organic contaminants in sludges, only lipophilic halogenated hydrocarbons accumulate in animal tissues and products. Compounds like phthalate esters, PAHs, acid phenolics, nitrosamines, volatile aromatics, and aromatic surfactants are metabolized and do not accumulate. Among halogenated hydrocarbons, compounds with low degrees of halogenation are metabolized and do not accumulate, but higher degrees of halogenation block metabolism, and concentrations in milk and tissue fat may be several-fold greater than in the diets.