Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2004ME29B

Metal mobilization from municipal biosolids stockpiles: The role of dissolved organic matter.

Institute: Maine
Year Established: 2004 Start Date: 2004-04-01 End Date: 2005-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $4,735 Total Non-Federal Funds: $50,139

Principal Investigators: Aria Amirbahman, John Peckenham

Project Summary: This project involves field observations and laboratory experiments to assess the mobilization potential of trace metals from municipal biosolids stockpiles. We propose to study the concentration, speciation, and lability of trace metals released from the biosolids both in surface runoff and in groundwater leachate. Field observations include monitoring of metals concentrations in the solid-phase, and in the biosolids dissolved organic matter (DOM), at our field site in Maine. Laboratory experiments will be conducted using the biosolids DOM collected from the field to determine the stability and the electrochemical lability of trace metal-DOM complexes. Both field and laboratory studies will be done using the runoff and the leachate as a function of the age of the biosolids stockpile.