Disposal of biosolids, the solid fraction of sewage treatment, is a global environmental issue. Biosolids contain valuable organic matter and plant nutrients; however, they also contain contaminants including trace elements, xenobiotics, and pathogens. The quality of the biosolids greatly depends on the source of wastewater (i.e., industrial vs. domestic) and the treatment processes. We aimed to determine the potential of three distinct biosolids and one pond sludge to grow indigenous plants for ecosystem restoration. For each amendment, we tested six indigenous species, Veronica salicifolia, Corokia cheesemanii, Griselinia littoralis, Phormium tenax, Poa cita, and Cordyline australis in bark mixed with biosolids and/or pond sludge at rates of 0–50%. There was a significant positive correlation between plant growth and biosolid addition up to a species-dependent plateau. Growth decreased at the highest rates. At a rate of 10% for fresh biosolids and 30% for aged biosolids provided consistent optimal growth across all species. The pond sludge was unsuitable for the establishment of indigenous seedlings. At the optimal rates, there were significant increases in foliar N, P, K, S, and Zn. None of the trace elements accumulated in the plants at phytotoxic concentrations or levels that presented a risk to ecosystems. Future work should determine how plants raised with biosolids perform once planted out in the field.

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对比生物固体在苗圃中培育本土植物的适宜性评估

生物固体（污水处理中的固体部分）的处置是一个全球性的环境问题。生物固体含有有价值的有机物和植物营养素；然而，它们也含有微量元素、异生物质和病原体等污染物。生物固体的质量很大程度上取决于废水来源（即工业废水与生活废水）和处理工艺。我们的目的是确定三种不同的生物固体和一种池塘污泥种植本土植物以恢复生态系统的潜力。对于每项修正案，我们测试了六种本土物种，即 Veronica salicifolia、Corokia Cheesemanii、Griselinia littoralis、Phormium tenax、Poa cita 和 Cordyline australis，它们以 0-50% 的比例与生物固体和/或池塘污泥混合在树皮中。植物生长和生物固体添加之间存在显着的正相关性，直至物种依赖的平台期。增长率下降幅度最大。新鲜生物固体的生长率为 10%，老化生物固体的生长率为 30%，为所有物种提供了一致的最佳生长。池塘污泥不适合本地苗木的培育。在最佳施用量下，叶面氮、磷、钾、硫和锌含量显着增加。植物中积累的微量元素均未达到对生态系统构成风险的植物毒性浓度或水平。未来的工作应该确定用生物固体培育的植物在田间种植后的表现如何。