Retentivity of Copper from Waste Effluents by Soil Constituents

Abstract

Due to the explosion in population growth, improvements in living standards, the growth of technology, agriculture and the industrial boom, the demand for water for manifold purposes has increased. However, the supply of water for various needs is becoming increasingly limited partly due to non-availability and partly due to the poor quality of water available. One of the common methods recommended for augmenting water supplies is the recycling of waste waters and reclamation. Full-scale ground water replenishment using sewage effluent, however, has been hampered due to health hazards. On the other hand, the spread of industrial effluents containing organics and toxic metals is still being practised. The fate of the trace metals present in effluents applied to the soil is not yet completely known. There is a possibility that these chemicals may eventually reach the ground water aquifer and pollute it. Thus, an evaluation of what governs their mobility in various soils is needed. The information gained will enable recycling by surface application.