Sewage sludge (SS) application to agricultural soils can raise the levels of some nutrients inadequately, for example P. In practice, the applied SS doses are based on the N requirement of crops, in which the P requirement or final destination of the applied P in the residue is not taken into account. Phosphorus is often associated with the eutrophication of water bodies, for being transported by runoff. The objective of this study was to evaluate if three chemical extractors used in soil fertility routine testing (CaCl2 0.01 mol L-1; Mehlich-1, anion-exchange resin) and an environmental index (GSP) could be used as indicators to assess negative environmental impacts caused by SS application to agricultural land. The response of these indicators was evaluated by varying the extraction time of the original method in search of the highest P extraction in sewage sludge-treated soil samples. Besides, the indicators were also tested after changing the soil pH of the original samples to modify P availability. These results were compared with the P contents obtained by sample P-fractionation. P fractionation showed that SS applications increased not only the total P concentrations in the soil, but P availability as well. This effect was more evident in Jaguarina (clayey soil) than in Itatinga (sandy soil). Residue application increased the fractions of organic and labile inorganic P and Al- and Fe-bound P. However, the levels of the fractions of soluble P and Ca-bound P were not significant in the samples. Considering that the change in P availability induced by the pH change of the original samples did not affect the class levels of the nutrient used for liming recommendations, the indicators studied are suitable to predict environmental risks.
eutrophication; water quality; tropical soil; chemical P fractionation; environmental contamination
