Modelling field-scale cadmium transport below the root zone of a sewage sludge amended soil in an arid region in Central Iran

Addition of trace metals such as cadmium to soils in metal-rich sewage sludge may result in contamination of soil and groundwater. This study addresses the plot-scale transport of Cd derived from sewage sludge in a layered clay soil in an arid region of central Iran. Sewage sludge was enriched by Cd at rates of 38 and 80 mg kg− 1 and applied to experimental soil plots using a complete random block design with three replicates. Cadmium concentration was measured as a function of depth after 185 and 617 days. HYDRUS-1D and MACRO codes were calibrated for Cd transport in the site treated with 80 mg kg− 1 sewage sludge. Model parameters were estimated by inverse modelling using the SUFI-2 procedure. The site treated with 38 mg kg− 1 cadmium was used to test the calibrated models. Both convection-dispersion equation (CDE) and non-equilibrium CDE in HYDRUS-1D produced reasonable calibration results. However, the estimated Freundlich sorption constants were significantly smaller than those measured in a batch study. A site tracer experiment revealed the existence of substantial macropore flow. For this reason we applied MACRO to account for this process. The calibration and test results with MACRO were as good as those obtained by HYDRUS-1D with the difference that adsorption constants were much closer to the measured ones. This indicates that in HYDRUS-1D, the adsorption parameters were underestimated in order to allow a deeper transport of Cd which had actually occurred due to macropore flow. A 20-year simulation scenario depicting the long-term effect of sludge application indicated small risk of groundwater contamination. However, high concentration of Cd near the soil surface raises a concern about the crop Cd uptake which should be further investigated.