Document Type : Original scientific articles
Authors
1
Graduate Master Degree in Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza (IUG), Palestine
2
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Islamic University of Gaza (IUG), Palestine
Abstract
This study revealed a possible application for sewage sludge that had been shielded from the emergency sewage treatment facility in north Gaza (North Gaza Emergency Sewage Treatment Plant (NGEST)) for agricultural purposes and studied its effect on plant growth and soil properties. The sludge was dried in sunlight, and the plant tissues were cleaned and ground to an appropriate size. The results of the analysis showed that sludge can be used as soil fertilizer and can add nutrients for plant growth. The parameters were tested as pH, Electrical conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), faecal coliforms (FC), organic matter (O.M), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), chloride (CI), ammonia N, E. coli, faecal streptococcus, salmonella, total coliforms, Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), magnesium, sodium chloride, and potassium. A practical experiment was conducted using agricultural containers to grow corn. Five treatments (0, 10,20, 25, 30% sludge) were used. Each experiment has three replicates. Finally, sludge-amended soil affects corn growth. The best treatment was when sludge was amended with the soil at a rate of 25% of the dry weight of the soil.
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