Sustainable land application: an overview

Man has land-applied societal nonhazardous wastes for centuries as a means of disposal and to improve the soil via the recycling of nutrients and the addition of organic matter. Nonhazardous wastes include a vast array of materials, including manures, biosolids, composts, wastewater effluents, food-...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of environmental quality 2005-01, Vol.34 (1), p.7-17
Main Authors: O'Connor, G.A, Elliott, H.A, Basta, N.T, Bastian, R.K, Pierzynski, G.M, Sims, R.C, Smith, J.E. Jr
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
analytical methods
Animal Welfare
Animals
Biosolids
chemical residues
Conservation of Natural Resources
contaminants
Ecosystem
ecosystems
Environment
Environmental quality
fertilizer application
Food
Food waste
Humans
Incineration
Industrial Waste
land application
land restoration
Landfill
literature reviews
Manure
metals
organic compounds
Organic matter
Pathogens
Public Health
soil nutrients
soil pollution
Sustainability
Sustainable development
United States
Waste Disposal, Fluid
Waste Management
Water resources
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Summary:Man has land-applied societal nonhazardous wastes for centuries as a means of disposal and to improve the soil via the recycling of nutrients and the addition of organic matter. Nonhazardous wastes include a vast array of materials, including manures, biosolids, composts, wastewater effluents, food-processing wastes, industrial by-products; these are collectively referred to herein as residuals. Because of economic restraints and environmental concerns about land-filling and incineration, interest in land application continues to grow. A major lesson that has been learned, however, is that the traditional definition of land application that emphasizes applying residuals to land in a manner that protects human and animal health, safeguards soil and water resources, and maintains long-term ecosystem quality is incomplete unless the earning of public trust in the practices is included. This overview provides an introduction to a subset of papers and posters presented at the conference, "Sustainable Land Application," held in Orlando, FL, in January 2004. The USEPA, USDA, and multiple national and state organizations with interest in, and/or responsibilities for, ensuring the sustainability of the practice sponsored the conference. The overriding conference objectives were to highlight significant developments in land treatment theory and practice, and to identify future research needs to address critical gaps in the knowledge base that must be addressed to ensure sustainable land application of residuals.
ISSN:0047-2425
1537-2537
DOI:10.2134/jeq2005.0007