Table 18.3
Typical permissible heavy metal concentrations (mg/kg) in organic fertilizers in different countries (Source: Mupambwa and Mnkeni 2018)
Element
(mg/kg)
USA
a
EU range
b
EU standard
a
Canada
a
India
c
Malaysia
d
Municipal compost and
bio-solids
Municipal
compost
Municipal
compost
Municipal
compost
City
compost
Vermicompost
Municipal
compost
Pb
300
70–1000
150
150
100
100
300
Cu
1500
70–600
100
100
300
–
Zn
2800
210–4000
400
500
1000
–
Cr
1200
70–200
100
210
50
50
200
Ni
420
20–200
50
62
50
50
150
Cd
39
0.70–10.0
2.0
3
5
5
2
Hg
17
0.70–10.0
0.5
0.8
0.15
–
–
As
41
–
–
13
–
–
–
Se
36
–
25
2
–
–
–
B
–
–
300
–
–
–
–
Mo
–
–
10
–
–
–
–
a
Wood’s End Research Laboratory (2005)
b
Brinton (2000)
c
http://ncof.dacnet.nic.in/Training_manuals/Training_manuals_in_English/BF_and_OF_in_FCO.pdf
d
Fan et al. (2016)
316
H. A. Mupambwa et al.