Code of Maine Rules › 06 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION › 096 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - GENERAL › Chapter 419 - SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES: AGRONOMIC UTILIZATION OF RESIDUALS › Appendix 096-419-A - Loading Rate Calculations

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
1.
Nitrogen Loading Rate Calculations
A
. The Percent of Organic Nitrogen Mineralized
				  from Sewage Sludge must be assumed as in table 419.6, unless residual specific
				  information obtained in accordance with 06-096 CMR ch. 405 is available. For
				  other residuals, the generator must determine residual mineralization rates
				  through sampling, in accordance with 06-096 CMR ch. 405:
Table 419.6
Percentages of Organic Nitrogen Mineralized
				  after
Sewage sludge of various types are land applied
Years after sludge application
Type of Sewage Sludge
Primary and waste activated
Aerobically Digested
Anaerobically Digested
Composted
0 -1
40
30
20
10
1 - 2
20
15
10
5
2-3
10
8
5
3
3-4
5
4
3
3
B
. When detailed information regarding organic
				  sources of nitrogen from past utilization of residuals or manure and cropping
				  practices is not available, soil organic matter must be assumed to provide 10
				  pounds of available nitrogen per acre per 1% organic matter over 5%. (i.e. if
				  organic matter in soil is 6.5% the soil provides 10 lbs. x (6.5-5) = 10 lbs. x
				  1.5 = 15 lbs. per acre).
C. Unless otherwise approved by the Department, crop nitrogen
				  needs must be determined based on the recommendations in the
"Soil
				  Testing Handbook for Professionals in Agriculture, Horticulture, Nutrient and
				  Residuals Management,
(3rd edition, 1997). Other crop needs will be
				  determined by the Department on a case by case basis, based on recommendations
				  from the Maine Cooperative Extension's Maine Soil Testing Service and
				  Analytical Laboratory at the University of Maine in Orono, and other
				  agricultural or silvicultural sources.
D. Loading rates of residuals based on Nitrogen need must be
				  calculated as follows, based on representative residual
				  analysis:1
Line
Parameter
Value
Unit
1.
Available Nitrate-N = %NO3-N2
						  x 2000 lbs/ton
lbs NO3-N / ton residual
2.
Available Ammonium-N= Recovery
						  fraction3 x
						  %NH4-N4 x 2000 lbs/ton
lbs NH4-N/ ton residual
3.
Available Inorganic N/ton residual = Available
						  NH4 [line 2] + NO3-N [line 1]
lbs Inorganic N / ton residual
4.
Organic N = [Total N - Inorganic N [line 3]] x 2000
						  lbs/ton
lbs Organic N / ton residual
5.
Available Organic N = Organic N [Line 4] x
						  mineralization rate5
lbs Available Organic N / ton residual
6.
Available N from the residual that was applied in
						  previous years6
lbs Available Organic N / ton residual
7.
Total Plant Available N = Inorganic N [line 3] + Avail
						  Org N [line 5]
lbs Available N / ton residual
8.
Total Available N required from residual = N needs of
						  crop7 - Credits from Crop
						  History8 - Mineralized N from previous years
						  application [line 6]
lbs Available N/ acre-yr
9.
Residual Application (dry) Rate = N required from
						  residual / Avail N from residual [line 8 / line 7]
dry tons residual / acre-yr
10.
Residual Application (wet) Rate = Dry Residuals Rate
						  [line 9] / % Solids
wet tons residual / acre-yr
11.
If Applicable: Residual Application (wet) Rate per cut
						  of hay = [line 10] / 2 cuttings
wet tons residual / acre-cutting
Line
Parameter
Value
Unit
1.
Available Nitrate-N = %NO3-N2 x
				  2000 lbs/ton
lbs NO3-N / ton residual
2.
Available Ammonium-N= Recovery
				  fraction3 x
				  %NH4-N4 x 2000 lbs/ton
lbs NH4-N/ ton residual
3.
Available Inorganic N/ton residual = Available
				  NH4 [line 2] + NO3-N [line 1]
lbs Inorganic N / ton residual
4.
Organic N = [Total N - Inorganic N [line 3]] x 2000
				  lbs/ton
lbs Organic N / ton residual
5.
Available Organic N = Organic N [Line 4] x mineralization
				  rate5
lbs Available Organic N / ton residual
6.
Available N from the residual that was applied in previous
				  years6
lbs Available Organic N / ton residual
7.
Total Plant Available N = Inorganic N [line 3] + Avail Org N
				  [line 5]
lbs Available N / ton residual
8.
Total Available N required from residual = N needs of
				  crop7 - Credits from Crop
				  History8 - Mineralized N from previous years
				  application [line 6]
lbs Available N/ acre-yr
9.
Residual Application (dry) Rate = N required from residual /
				  Avail N from residual [line 8 / line 7]
dry tons residual / acre-yr
10.
Residual Application (wet) Rate = Dry Residuals Rate [line 9]
				  / % Solids
wet tons residual / acre-yr
11.
If Applicable: Residual Application (wet) Rate per cut of hay
				  = [line 10] / 2 cuttings
wet tons residual / acre-cutting
NOTE
: References Cited and Other guidance on
				  agronomic rate calculations:
Boub, Tom, George O. Estes, James R. Mitchell and David
				  Seavey, June 1995, "Best Management Practices: Biosolids" (University of New
				  Hampshire Cooperative Extension, UNH, Durham, NH).
EPA, December 1994, "Land Applications of Sewage Sludge: A
				  Guide for Land Appliers on the Requirements of the Federal Standards for the
				  Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge", 40 CFR 503 as amended up to July 1, 2014
				  (EPA/831-B-93-002b, USEPA, OECA, Washington, DC).
EPA, October 1983, Process Design Manual: Land Application
				  of Municipal Sludge (USEPA, Environmental Research Laboratory, Cincinnati OH,
				  EPA-625/1-83-016).
Hoskins, Bruce R., 1997, "Soil Testing Handbook for
				  Professionals in Agriculture, Horticulture, Nutrient and Residuals Management,
				  3rd edition (Formerly Soil Testing Handbook for Professional Agriculturists),
				  (Maine Soil Testing Service, 5722 Deering Hall, University of Maine, Orono,
				  ME).
Huddleston, J.H. and M.P. Ronayne, September 1995, Manual 8:
				  Guide to Soil Suitability and Site Selection for Beneficial Use of Domestic
				  Wastewater Biosolids (Cooperative Extension Service, Agricultural
				  Communications, Oregon State University, Administrative Services A422,
				  Corvallis, OR 97331-2119).
2.
Pollutant Loading Calculations
A.
Annual Pollutant Loading Rate Calculation.
To
				  determine the annual loading rate of heavy metals or other pollutants at a
				  utilization site, use equation 419.1 as follows
(Equation 419.1)
APLR = LR * RPc * .001
where:
APLR - Annual Pollutant Loading Rate in
				  kg-pollutant/ha
LR - Residual loading rate in mt-residual/ha (amount of
				  residual applied in a year)
RPc - Pollutant concentration in the
				  residual in mg-pollutant/kg-residual
.001 - Conversion factor = 1,000 kg/mt * 0.000001
				  kg/mg
B.
Cumulative Pollutant Loading Rate Calculation.
To determine the cumulative pollutant loading rate of heavy metals or other
				  pollutants at a utilization site, sum the annual pollutant loading rates for
				  the site, as shown in equation 419.2.
(Equation 419.2)
CPLR = APLR1 +
				  APLR2 + ... APLRn
(Equation 419.4)
where:
CPLR - Cumulative Pollutant Loading Rate in kg-pollutant/ha
				  at the site
APLR1 - Annual Pollutant Loading Rate
				  during the first year in kg-pollutant/ha
APLR2 - Annual Pollutant Loading Rate
				  during the second year in kg-pollutant/ha
APLRn - Annual Pollutant Loading Rate
				  during the nth, or most recent, year in kg-pollutant/ha
C.
Estimation of Soil Pollutant Concentration Increase
				  Based on Residual Pollutant Concentration.
To estimate the pollutant
				  concentration in soil that will result from the cumulative loading of a
				  pollutant in a residual at a site, use equation 419.3.
(equation 419.3)
SI = (RPc * LR * SL) / (2000)
Where:
SI - Cumulative soil concentration increase in
				  mg-pollutant/kg-soil
RPc - Pollutant concentration in the
				  residual in mg-pollutant/kg-residual
LR - Residual loading rate in mt-residual/ha/yr (amount of
				  residual applied in a year)
SL - Site Life, or the number of times the residual will be
				  applied at the site in 100 years, in years.
2000 - is the assumed dry mass of soil in mt/ha (dry weight)
				  in a plow layer 15 cm thick (based on a bulk density of 1.33
				  g/cm3)
D.
Common Conversions
(1) Dry tons / acre * 2.24 = Dry metric tons / hectare
(2) Wet tons * (% solids * 0.01) = Dry Tons
(3) Approximation based on weight of water: wet tons/acre *
				  239.7 gallons/ton = gallons/acre
(4) Approximation based on weight of water: 1
				  yd3 sludge =
				  27ft3/yd3 * 63.0
				  lb/ft3 = 1700 lbs
(5) Approx. based on weight of water: 1
				  yd3 sludge = 1700 lbs/yd3
									÷ 2000 lb/ton = 0.85 tons
(6) Approx. based on weight of soil: lb/acre ÷ 2 =
				  ppm
(7) lb/acre * 1.121 = kg/ha
(8) 1 acre = 43,560 ft2
(9) 1 acre of soil six inches deep = approx. 2,000,000
				  lbs
(10) 1 lb = 0.453 kg
(11) 1 lb P = 2.29 lb
				  P2O5 (phosphoric acid)
(12) 1 lb K = 1.2 lb K2O
				  (potash)
(13) 1 ppm (in water) = 1 mg/l
(14) 1 ppm (in soil) = 1 mg/kg
(15) soil metal concentration in soil (ppm) = loading rate
				  (lbs/acre) / 2
1 Modified from Boub,
et
				  al
. 1995.
2 From Residual Analysis
3 When surface applied,
				  approximately 50% of the Ammonium NH4-N Nitrogen will be lost to
				  volatilization. Recovery fraction is the portion of Ammonium that does not
				  volatilize.
4 From Residual Analysis
5 Mineralization rates are
				  specified in appendix A, section 1.A above. A weighted average of these
				  percentages may be used for combined sludges.
6 See Appendix A, section 1.A or
				  Section 1.B above
7 See Hoskins, Bruce R., 1997,
				  "Soil Testing Handbook for Professionals in Agriculture, Horticulture, Nutrient
				  and Residuals Management, 3rd edition (Formerly Soil Testing Handbook for
				  Professional Agriculturists), (Maine Soil Testing Service, 5722 Deering Hall,
				  University of Maine, Orono, ME).
8 This includes the pounds of
				  nitrogen per acre available to the crops from corn silage, animal manure, and /
				  or cover crops.