40 C.F.R. § 503.13   Pollutant limits.

Title 40 - Protection of Environment


Title 40: Protection of Environment
PART 503—STANDARDS FOR THE USE OR DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE SLUDGE
Subpart B—Land Application

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§ 503.13   Pollutant limits.

(a) Sewage sludge. (1) Bulk sewage sludge or sewage sludge sold or given away in a bag or other container shall not be applied to the land if the concentration of any pollutant in the sewage sludge exceeds the ceiling concentration for the pollutant in Table 1 of §503.13.

(2) If bulk sewage sludge is applied to agricultural land, forest, a public contact site, or a reclamation site, either:

(i) The cumulative loading rate for each pollutant shall not exceed the cumulative pollutant loading rate for the pollutant in Table 2 of §503.13; or

(ii) The concentration of each pollutant in the sewage sludge shall not exceed the concentration for the pollutant in Table 3 of §503.13.

(3) If bulk sewage sludge is applied to a lawn or a home garden, the concentration of each pollutant in the sewage sludge shall not exceed the concentration for the pollutant in Table 3 of §503.13.

(4) If sewage sludge is sold or given away in a bag or other container for application to the land, either:

(i) The concentration of each pollutant in the sewage sludge shall not exceed the concentration for the pollutant in Table 3 of §503.13; or

(ii) The product of the concentration of each pollutant in the sewage sludge and the annual whole sludge application rate for the sewage sludge shall not cause the annual pollutant loading rate for the pollutant in Table 4 of §503.13 to be exceeded. The procedure used to determine the annual whole sludge application rate is presented in appendix A of this part.

(b) Pollutant concentrations and loading rates—sewage sludge.—(1) Ceiling concentrations.

             Table 1 of § 503.13_Ceiling Concentrations------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                              Ceiling                                                           concentration                        Pollutant                           (milligrams                                                           per kilogram)                                                                \1\------------------------------------------------------------------------Arsenic..................................................            75Cadmium..................................................            85Copper...................................................          4300Lead.....................................................           840Mercury..................................................            57Molybdenum...............................................            75Nickel...................................................           420Selenium.................................................           100Zinc.....................................................          7500------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ Dry weight basis.

(2) Cumulative pollutant loading rates.

       Table 2 of § 503.13_Cumulative Pollutant Loading Rates------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                              Cumulative                                                              pollutant                                                               loading                         Pollutant                               rate                                                              (kilograms                                                                 per                                                               hectare)------------------------------------------------------------------------Arsenic....................................................           41Cadmium....................................................           39Copper.....................................................         1500Lead.......................................................          300Mercury....................................................           17Nickel.....................................................          420Selenium...................................................          100Zinc.......................................................         2800------------------------------------------------------------------------

(3) Pollutant concentrations.

            Table 3 of § 503.13_Pollutant Concentrations------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                              Monthly                                                              average                                                           concentration                        Pollutant                           (milligrams                                                           per kilogram)                                                                \1\------------------------------------------------------------------------Arsenic..................................................            41Cadmium..................................................            39Copper...................................................          1500Lead.....................................................           300Mercury..................................................            17Nickel...................................................           420Selenium.................................................           100Zinc.....................................................          2800------------------------------------------------------------------------\1\ Dry weight basis.

(4) Annual pollutant loading rates.

         Table 4 of § 503.13_Annual Pollutant Loading Rates------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                               Annual                                                              pollutant                                                            loading rate                         Pollutant                           (kilograms                                                             per hectare                                                             per 365 day                                                               period)------------------------------------------------------------------------Arsenic...................................................          2.0Cadmium...................................................          1.9Copper....................................................         75Lead......................................................         15Mercury...................................................          0.85Nickel....................................................         21Selenium..................................................          5.0Zinc......................................................        140------------------------------------------------------------------------

(c) Domestic septage. The annual application rate for domestic septage applied to agricultural land, forest, or a reclamation site shall not exceed the annual application rate calculated using equation (1).

Where:

AAR=Annual application rate in gallons per acre per 365 day period.

N=Amount of nitrogen in pounds per acre per 365 day period needed by the crop or vegetation grown on the land.

[58 FR 9387, Feb. 19, 1993, as amended at 58 FR 9099, Feb. 25, 1994; 60 FR 54769, Oct. 25, 1995]

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