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A spatial multicriteria decision making tool to

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sludge amendment
Article in Environment international January 2012
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2011.07.013 Source: PubMed

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Environment International 38 (2012) 19

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Environment International
j o u r n a l h o m e p a g e : w w w. e l s ev i e r. c o m / l o c a t e / e n v i n t

A spatial multicriteria decision making tool to dene the best agricultural areas for
sewage sludge amendment
Ana Passuello a, Oda Cadiach a, b, Yolanda Perez b, Marta Schuhmacher a,
a
b

Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Pasos Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
Research Group of Territorial Analysis and Tourist Studies, Laboratory of Cartography, Department of Geography, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Received 1 June 2011
Accepted 20 July 2011
Available online 10 September 2011
Keywords:
Environmental management
Decision making
Land classication
Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)
Geographic Information System (GIS)
Sensitivity analysis

a b s t r a c t
Sewage sludge amendment on agricultural soils has recently become a practice of heightened interest, as a
consequence of sewage sludge production increase. This practice has benets to soil and crops, however it
may also lead to environmental contamination, depending on the characteristics of the elds. In order to
dene the suitability of the different agricultural elds to receive sewage sludge, a spatial tool is proposed.
This tool, elaborated in GIS platform, aggregates different criteria regarding human exposure and
environmental contamination.
The spatial tool was applied to a case study in the region of Catalonia (NE of Spain). Within the case study,
each step of the tool development is detailed. The results show that the studied region has different suitability
degrees, being the appropriate areas sufcient for receiving the total amount of sewage sludge produced. The
sensitivity analysis showed that groundwater contamination, distance to urban areas, metals
concentration in soil and crop type are the most important criteria of the evaluation.
The developed tool successfully tackled the problem, providing a comprehensive procedure to evaluate
agricultural land suitability to receive sewage sludge as an organic fertilizer. Also, the tool implementation
gives insights to decision makers, guiding them to more condent decisions, based on an extensive group of
criteria.
2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction
Sewage sludge (SS) is a residue produced as a consequence of
contaminants removal in different parts of the wastewater treatment
plants. Its production has recently risen in several countries due to
population increase and improvements in the collection and treatment
systems. In consequence, the management of an enlarged production of
sewage sludge has become an environmental problem. One of the most
applied disposal alternatives is its reuse as an agricultural fertilizer. This
alternative is encouraged by the European Community because of the
recycling of organic matter and nutrients to soils.
However, SS matrix contains also some contaminants of concern,
such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (Clarke et
al., 2010; De La Torre et al., 2011; Eljarrat et al., 2003; Harrison et al.,
2006; Khadhar et al., 2010; Martnez et al., 2007; Metcalf and Eddy, Inc.,
2003; Wong et al., 2001) that may move between the environmental
matrices, leading to contamination of soil, crops, groundwater, open
waters, and nally reaching the human food chain (Passuello et al.,
2010). The likelihood of contaminating each of these compartments is
Corresponding author at: Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i
Virgili, Av. Pasos Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. Tel.: + 34 977 559
653; fax: + 34 977 559 621.
E-mail address: marta.schuhmacher@urv.cat (M. Schuhmacher).
0160-4120/$ see front matter 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.envint.2011.07.013

strongly related not only to SS parameters but to local characteristics of

the elds. Therefore, the use of spatial tools for land classication is
essential to identify different suitability degrees in the existing
agricultural elds of a dened study region. In addition, these tools
allow evaluating the amount of land which is appropriate to be
amended with SS.
In recent years, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been
extensively applied in several environmental elds such as vulnerability
assessment (Kattaa et al., 2010), human health (Nadal et al., 2006,
Poggio and Vrscaj, 2009), and ecological exposure and risk models
(Johnson et al., 2009, Schriever and Liess, 2007). Another area of
increased use of GIS platform is in the development of environmental
decision support systems (Passuello et al., 2011, Prez et al., 2010).
Spatial multicriteria decision analysis (SMCA) refers to the application of
Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tools in a GIS platform, to solve
spatial decision problems. MCDA is a tool of increased interest in the
environmental eld, as it allows the combination of quantitative and
qualitative inputs, like risks, costs, benets and stakeholders views
(Giove et al., 2009).
In this kind of problems, the decision involves the selection of the
best option among several potential alternatives that are associated
with geographical locations. Two considerations have been cited as
important to solve spatial decision problems: (i) GIS capabilities of data
acquisition, storage, retrieval, manipulation and analysis, and (ii) the

A. Passuello et al. / Environment International 38 (2012) 19

models' capabilities of combining the geographical data and the decision

maker's preferences into unidimensional values of alternative decisions
(Malczewski, 2004).
Several examples of SMCA application in environmental management are reported in the literature. Among these, agriculture is one of
the major application areas of SMCA (Malczewski, 2006). For instance,
Ceballos-Silva and Lpez-Blanco (2003) applied SMCA to identify
areas with optimal growth conditions for the production of maize and
potato crops. Also, Morari et al. (2004) applied SMCA for selecting
criteria of best management practices in agricultural sites, considering
yield production and environmental effects. However, to the best of
our knowledge, the management of sewage sludge on agricultural
soils has not yet been studied through a spatial analysis.
The objective of this work was to develop a land classication tool
to determine the suitability of different agricultural areas to be
amended with sewage sludge. To facilitate the understanding of the
study, this tool was applied to a case study in Catalonia (northeast of
Spain).
2. Case study
The geographic region of Catalonia (NE of Spain) is characterized
by a diverse morphology, being mostly mountainous in the north
(Pyrenees) and at at the center and the coast. The region is also
characterized by the presence of a littoral mountain system, between
the central depression and the coast. The Ebro catchment is the largest
basin of Catalonia (Fig. 1). The region has a temperate climate, with
warm summers and cold winters. The mean annual temperature
varies between 5 C (in the colder regions of the Pyrenees) and 17 C
(in coastal zones). The precipitation levels vary along the territory.
The northern and mountainous regions present the higher mean

precipitation levels (between 700 and 1250 mm yr 1), while the

southern and the coastal regions present lower rainfall levels
(between 450 and 700 mm yr 1).
Among the crops produced in the region, wheat, rice, barley, olive,
grapes, fruits, nuts and vegetables are the most representative ones
(IDESCAT, Institut d'Estadistica de Catalunya, 2009). The available
agricultural area has more than 1 million ha. More than 85% of this
area is covered by fruit and cereal elds (DMAiH, Departament de
Medi Ambient i Habitatge, 2009), especially at the central depression.
Sewage sludge amendment is a common practice in this area, as a
consequence of the increased production of this residue in the last
few years. Reported data for the year 2007 show that between
the 140,000 tons dry weight (dw) produced in Catalonia, 83%
(114,000 tons dw) are applied on agricultural soils (ACA, Agncia
Catalana de l'Aigua, 2008). An important constraint regarding the
organic amendment in the area is groundwater contamination by
nitrates. In fact, several areas are classied by the local environmental
agency as highly vulnerable to groundwater contamination (ACA,
Agncia Catalana de l'Aigua, 2005). Other related issues to take into
account are open waters and soil protection, as well as human
exposure to the contaminants present in the sludge matrix.
3. Development of the spatial multicriteria decision support tool
Complex spatial decision problems are difcult to structure as they
involve the consideration of intangible factors related to multiple
groups with conicting objectives. In order to avoid erroneous
judgments of the results, a clear denition of the framework for the
assessment of the decision problem must be performed at the beginning
of the evaluation. Fig. 2 shows the main steps of the analysis. First, the
problem must be precisely characterized and the objectives dened. The

Fig. 1. Location map of Catalonia.

A. Passuello et al. / Environment International 38 (2012) 19

Problem definition
Selection

Criteria

Alternatives

Preferences assignment
U
1
7
5 6 7 8 9

pH

0.5

8
7

0.0

1.0

0.5

0.5

1.0

Model development
Decision rules
Criteria weights

Results

Sensitivity Analysis
Fig. 2. Framework for SMCA.

next point is the selection of the alternatives and criteria denition.

In this step, the type of data needed for the study is specied and the
maps are elaborated or treated. Then, the alternatives and criteria are
crossed, and the preferences assigned. After that, the decision rules and
the criteria weights are elaborated and applied. At the end of the
analysis, the results are evaluated through a sensitivity analysis and
the model is adjusted when necessary. In the following paragraphs,
each of these sequential processes is described for the specic case
study.

wish to increase their production without compromising the quality

of their product. The environmental agencies want to keep good
environmental levels on the different matrices (soil, open waters,
groundwater), and the general population expects not to be exposed
to contamination as well as to the bad odors caused by the
amendment. In order to respect all the stakeholders' concerns, two
groups of criteria were dened: (i) environmental, and (ii) human
exposure. These criteria are described as follows.
3.2. Alternative and criteria selection

3.1. Problem denition

SS amendment of agricultural soils is an activity that affects several
groups of interests, such as farmers, environmental agencies and the
general population. Each of these groups of stakeholders is concerned
about different issues regarding this practice. For example, farmers

The denition of the most suitable agricultural land for sewage

sludge application is a complex issue that involves a large set of
aspects or criteria. Criteria selection was based on literature data,
legislation and experts' opinion. Experts' opinion refers to the
estimation of potential impacts or alterations in the environmental

A. Passuello et al. / Environment International 38 (2012) 19

matrices (soil, open waters, groundwater) based on an understanding

of the properties of the contaminants of concern present on sewage
sludge, soil characteristics and landscape parameters.
The human exposure criterion was mainly related to the
likelihood of causing damage to human health. This criterion had
two subcriteria: distance to urban areas, and crop type. Several
crops are produced in the region (IDESCAT, Institut d'Estadistica de
Catalunya, 2009). To ease model implementation, these are grouped
into four classes: cereal, fruit, cabbage, and pasture. The classes are
dened according to the expected accumulation levels related to each
crop type. For example, the transference of organic contaminants
(such as POPs) to cereal seeds is much lower than to vegetable leaves.
The environmental criteria express the likelihood of contaminating soils, surface water and groundwater, when soils are amended
with SS. Fig. 3 shows the environmental criteria tree.
For the soil criteria, two subcriteria are considered: soil structure
and soil characteristics. The subcriterion soil structure considers
the ability of the soils to receive SS (organic soils with a ne texture
are preferred due to their buffer properties), and the subcriterion soil
characteristics regards metal concentration and mobility in soil
(lower mobility and bioavailability for high pH and carbonate
content).
To avoid the contamination of open waters, two groups of subcriteria
were considered: climatology, which evaluates contaminant degradation and mobility due to the local temperature and precipitation
values; and relief, which evaluates the likelihood of the contaminant
to reach open waters. For this criterion, two subcriteria are considered:
the terrain slope and the proximity to open waters (hydrology). All
the criteria applied in the evaluation are described in Table 1.
Finally, as the last step, the alternatives are selected. The
alternatives are the spatial regions that represent a possible solution
for the problem. In this case, these are represented by the available
agricultural elds.

3.3. Building the preference value function

In this step, each of the 12 previously selected criteria must be
dened as a raster map of standardized values. These values are
dened by the each criterion's preference. The preference denotes the

Soil texture
Soil structure
Soil organic
matter
Soil
pH
Soil
characteristics

Carbonates

Table 1
Description of the model input parameters.
Input
Distance to
urban areas

Motivation

Considered an important factor

for reducing human health risk
and bad odors.
Crop type
Different crop types have
different potentials for
accumulating contaminants.
Texture
Soil texture was classied
according to the European Soil
Database (European
Communities, 2006). In this
regard, soil with high clay
content was considered to have
a better structure than sandy
soil.
Organic matter Organic matter provides a better
(OM) content soil structure. OM is related to
soil organic carbon by the Van
Bemmelen factor.
pH
Between soil parameters, pH is
the most important factor in
metals mobility and
bioavailability in soil.
Carbonates
Carbonates decrease metal
mobility in soil.
Metals
Soils with lower metal content
are preferred for SS amendment.
These levels are controlled by
the Spanish Royal Decree 1310
(1990).
Temperature
Considers the mean annual
temperature. Zones with higher
temperatures present a higher
rate of organic contaminant
degradation.
Rainfall
Regards the mean annual
precipitation values. Higher
precipitation rates are
responsible for contaminant
movement through lixiviate and
surface runoff.
Slope
Higher slope values lead to
higher rates of surface runoff.
The classication of the
European Digital Archive on Soil
Maps of the World was
considered.
Hydrology
Fields far from water bodies are
considered more suitable for
sewage sludge amendment. The
Euclidean distance (m) from the
eld to the open waters was
measured.
Groundwater
In accordance with the Nitrate
Directive (European
Commission, 2010), the
vulnerability map elaborated by
the local environmental agency
was employed in this study.

Source
Dened by experts

Legind and Trapp (2009)

European Communities
(2006)

Jones et al. (2004)

Porta Casanellas et al. (2003)

Porta Casanellas et al. (2003)

MAPA (Ministerio de
Agricultura and Pesca y
Alimentacin de Espaa)
(1990)
MAPA (Ministerio de
Agricultura, Pesca y
Alimentacin de Espaa)
(2008)
MAPA (Ministerio de
Agricultura, Pesca y
Alimentacin de Espaa)
(2008)

EuDASM (European Digital

Archive on Soil Maps of the
World) (2008)

Metcalf and Eddy Inc. (2003)

ACA (Agncia Catalana de

l'Aigua) (2005)

Metals
Environmental
Temperature
Climatology
Rainfall
Open waters
Slope
Relief
Groundwater

Fig. 3. Environmental criteria tree.

Hydrology

degree to which a value satises a specic requirement. These values

vary between zero (not satised) and one (fully satised).
To characterize the preference of maps with continuous attributes,
two types of function were employed (Fig. 4). The preference value
(P) is a function of the input value (d). For each criterion, q is a
threshold of indifference and p is a threshold of strict preference
(Brans and Marechal, 2005). In those cases where criteria are
preferred to be maximized (e.g., in the organic matter map), the top
(P1) preference function was applied. For criteria to be minimized
(e.g., contaminants concentration in soil), the preference function is
reversed and the bottom function of Fig. 4 is applied (P2).
The preference values presented in Tables 2 and 3 were dened
based on the results of several workshops, with the participation of

A. Passuello et al. / Environment International 38 (2012) 19

Fig. 4. Types of preference functions. Adapted from Brans and Marechal (2005).

stakeholders and environmental experts. The objective of these

workshops was to identify the main problems related to practice,
investigating the corresponding impacts according to different soil
and landscape characteristics. The main problem identied by the
stakeholders is the accomplishment of the legislation, especially
regarding the areas affected with groundwater contamination. Also,
the possibility of contaminating the human food chain, due to the
contamination of crops and water, was pointed out by some
stakeholders. The experts' group gave a broader and deeper evaluation
of the problem. This group was formed by chemists, ecologists,
environmental scientists, engineers, geographers and experts in soil
science.
In the cases where the maps were already classied, preference
values were directly assigned to the dened classes (Table 3).
The normalized input maps are shown in Fig. 5. All the input
factors were assumed to be independent of each other.

3.4. Model development

The twelve selected criteria were aggregated through the Logic
Scoring of Preference (LSP) method. The LSP method is based on
mathematical models that use Generalized Conjunction/Disjunction
(GCD) and other continuous preference logic functions (Dujmovic,

Table 2
Preference values for continuous attributes.
Map

Unit

Function type

Distance urban areas

Rainfall
Temperature
Organic matter
pH
Carbonates
Metals
Slope
Hydrology

km
mm yr 1
C
% dw
UpH
%CaCO3
mg kg 1
%
m

P1
P2
P1
P1
P1
P1
P2
P2
P1

0
1000
5
1
5
5
M*
15
0

2
400
17
6
8
20
0
8
500

*M is the maximum level dened by the legislation (MAPA, Ministerio de Agricultura

and Pesca y Alimentacin de Espaa, 1990), and it is dependent on each specic
element.

2007), taking into consideration the different levels in the hierarchy of

criteria, weights and constraints, over these criteria. As the aggregation of partial preferences is based on GCD logic, the simultaneity and
replaceability of the criteria are assessed (Dujmovic and Larsen,
2007). This was considered a key point for method selection, as the
stakeholders had previously described some criteria as replaceable
and others as complementary. Other strength points that were
considered in method selection are: exibility in the number of
criteria to be inserted; versatility in the model's design; and the
model's capacity to generate correct logic results in all points of the
attribute space.
Three LSP aggregators were selected for the present case study:
partial disjunction (DA), arithmetic mean (A) and partial conjunction
(CA). The DA aggregator translates the replaceability of the criteria,
and a high value in only one input leads to a high output value. For
instance, a good soil structure (Fig. 6) is characterized by a high
organic matter value or by an appropriate texture (complementarity).
Soil with a poor texture (sandy, sandy loam soil), that has been
amended for several years, may have a high OM content and, in
consequence, an appropriate structure. In this case, a high value
should be assigned to the subcriterion soil structure, due to the high
preference of the organic matter subcriterion.
In contrast, the CA aggregator represents a partial conjunction
between the factors. This means that both inputs must be high to
result in a high output (simultaneity). For example, a good score in
slope and hydrology is needed to get a good score in the relief
subcriterion (Fig. 6). I.e., to avoid surface water contamination a low
terrain slope is needed but also the distance to water bodies must be
sufciently high. Finally, for the A aggregator, weighted arithmetic
mean is applied.

Table 3
Preference values for classied attributes.
Crop type

Preference

GW vulnerab.

Preference

Soil texture

Preference

Cereal
Fruit
Cabbage
Pasture

1.00
0.90
0.60
0.30

No aquifer
Low
Medium
High

1.00
0.90
0.60
0.20

Very ne
Fine
Medium ne
Medium
Coarse

1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20

A. Passuello et al. / Environment International 38 (2012) 19

Fig. 5. Normalized input maps of the evaluation.

The aggregation was performed through a weighted power mean

aggregator, as can be seen in the equation (Dujmovic and Nagashima,
2006):
k

eout =

!
r

Wi ei

i=1

1
r

; r +

0 Wi 1; i = 1; ; k;

Wi = 1

i=1

For each criterion i, Wi denotes the weights, ei denotes the inputs

(normalized input map). eout is the output of an aggregation, k is the
number of criteria to be integrated and r the exponent, which is related
to the aggregator. The values of the aggregators are described in Table 4.

The model rules (aggregators and weights), selected based on the

results of the performed workshops, are shown in Fig. 6. The model
was implemented on GIS, structured in different aggregation levels. In
this case, the normalized maps (Fig. 5) were used as inputs. The
weights and aggregators were applied in each level, according to the
rules described in Fig. 6, to obtain the suitability map. A minimum
acceptable level of satisfaction of requirements, between 67% and 75%,
was dened by Dujmovic (2007). Based on this range, a minimum of
70% was assigned to this case study.
To perform model implementation, the software Idrisi Andes v.15
(Clark Labs, 2001) was selected. The software was chosen due to its
vast availability of operators designed to be applied in raster format.
These operators were used for data homogenization, normalization
and model integration. The raster grid denition was 200 200 m, and
the total number of evaluated pixels (alternatives) was approximately
260,000.

A. Passuello et al. / Environment International 38 (2012) 19

Fig. 6. Schematic representation of the model implementation. The values (numbers) indicate the weights of each map (in %) and the letters in the circles the aggregator: partial
disjunction (DA), arithmetic mean (A), partial conjunction (CA).

3.5. Sensitivity analysis

Several methods to perform sensitivity analysis (SA) have been
described in the literature. For instance, Campolongo et al. (2000)
identied three main settings for SA: factor screening, local SA and
global SA. Factor screening refers to the task of identifying the
inuential factors of the system. Local SA has an emphasis on the local
(point) impact of the model factors while global SA evaluates the
relation of the output uncertainty with all the input factors.
The application of these methods in spatial decision making is still
limited. Sensitivity analysis is crucial in this type of models, due to the
high subjectivity related to the selection of criteria and model rules.
Among the existent methods, global sensitivity analysis (GSA) has
been applied successfully in spatial decision making. For instance,
Gomez-Delgado and Tarantola (2006) applied global sensitivity
analysis in a case study to dene the best location for a hazardous
waste landll site. Also, Crosetto and Tarantola (2001) applied GSA to
a hydrologic model to provide real-time ood forecasting.
GSA methods study how the uncertainty in the output of a model
can be apportioned to different sources of uncertainty in the model
input (Campolongo et al., 2000). While local approaches emphasize
the local (point) impact of the model's factors, GSA methods consider
the full range of uncertainty of the inputs, which are varied
simultaneously (Lilburne and Tarantola, 2009). The method also
allows the user to quantify the importance of groups of inputs.
Depending on the adopted setting, GSA techniques provide rstorder and/or higher-order sensitivity measures, including total effects

Table 4
Description of the aggregators applied in this case study. Adapted from Dujmovic and
Nagashima (2006).
Aggregator

Symbol

Description

Aggregator
Partial disjunction
Neutrality
Partial conjunction

Symbol
DA
A
CA

Description
Medium replaceability
Neutrality
Medium simultaneity

r
3.929
1
0.72

(Saltelli et al., 2004). First-order sensitivity measures are considered

suitable for linear models. Among GSA techniques, standardized
regression coefcients ( values) may be applied when the inputs are
independent. This method is sensitive to all input distributions, and
provides a decomposition of the output variance according to the
input factors. Campolongo et al. (2000) stated that estimators such as
the standardized regression coefcients have a limit of being as good
as the regression on which they are based. Because of that, to give an
indication of the model behavior (linearity, monoticity), the model
coefcient of determination (R 2) should always be calculated.
According to Campolongo et al. (2000), standardized regression
coefcients are effective for linear or quasi-linear models (R 2 0.70).
In this study, standardized regression coefcients were calculated
by means of the sensitivity analysis library of the software Analytica
(Lumina, 2008). The software allowed a exible application of the
model and its friendly interface eased model development and
adjustment. Then, a rst order index of sensitivity (Si) was calculated.
This index represents the part of the variation of the output that is
explained by each input (%). For the case of linear models, this index
can be determined as Si (%) = 2/100.
4. Results and discussion
4.1. Suitability map
Based on the previously described method, the integrated model
was applied to the Catalan agricultural areas. The results are shown in
Fig. 7. For this particular case study, the areas that accomplish more
than 70% of the requirements (values above 0.7) were considered
suitable for receiving sewage sludge. It should be noted that these
areas represent more than 680,000 ha., being sufcient for managing
the present amount of sludge produced in Catalonia. The suitable
areas are mainly located in the central depression (center-west) and
in the Ebro River catchment (south). The central depression was
found to be the best area for sewage sludge amendment in Catalonia.
In fact, this region represents the most important agricultural area of
Catalonia nowadays.

A. Passuello et al. / Environment International 38 (2012) 19

helping decision makers to perform more condent decisions,

considering a broad group of criteria. The general structure of the
tool may be applied to other regions, especially in the Europe's
Mediterranean area, if a careful adaptation is performed, taking into
account the local problems and knowledge. In this case, more
uncertainty is inserted in the model, and the application of sensitivity
analysis is advised.
Sensitivity analysis procedures are of great help in model
evaluation and calibration. The application of sensitivity analysis in
the developed decision support system allowed evaluating and
checking model appropriateness to the problem. Also, these results
were useful to improve the understanding of the model outcomes.
The sensitivity analysis applied in this work gave the general trends
of the model, without considering the geographical relationship
between the alternatives. In the future, a spatial evaluation tool will
be developed to evaluate these relationships.

Acknowledgments
Fig. 7. Spatial representation of the suitability of Catalan agricultural areas.

4.2. Sensitivity analysis

The analysis took into account the variability of the results in the
whole studied region, based on the map histograms. Monte Carlo
sampling was performed for 5000 iterations and high correlation
values (R 2 = 0.80) were obtained, indicating that the model acts
linearly and higher order effects are not important. SA results are
shown in Table 5.
Most of the output variability is explained by 4 criteria:
(i) groundwater (23%), (ii) distance to urban areas (19%),
(iii) metals (11%), and (iv) crop type (9%). In fact, the regions
classied as unsuitable (Fig. 7) also presented low preferences for these
criteria (Fig. 5), justifying the outputs obtained for the Ebro river delta,
the central depression and northeast areas of Catalonia.
The other 8 criteria presented a lower inuence (Table 5), for
different reasons. The criteria slope, hydrology, rainfall and
temperature preference values presented a low variation in the
studied areas. The criteria pH and carbonates presented some
degree of variation, especially in the NE area of Catalonia. However,
this inuence is masked by the low preference of the criterion
metals in the same region. The criteria texture and organic
matter have also presented a low correlation with the results.
5. Concluding remarks
The elaborated spatial decision making tool provided a comprehensive procedure to evaluate agricultural land suitability to receive
sewage sludge as an organic amendment. The presented methodology
implemented a set of inference rules including expert judgment,
Table 5
Global sensitivity analysis results.
Map

value

S value

Groundwater
Distance to urban areas
Metals
Crop type
Slope
Carbonates
Organic matter
Rainfall
pH
Texture
Hydrology
Temperature

0.48
0.43
0.33
0.30
0.28
0.22
0.15
0.10
0.10
0.09
0.07
0.02

23%
19%
11%
9%
8%
5%
2%
1%
1%
1%
0%
0%

Financial support was provided by the Ministry of Science and

Innovation, Spain, through grant No. CTM2007-64490, and the
SOSTAQUA project, founded by CDTI in the framework of the Ingenio
2010 Program under the CENIT call. A. Passuello received a PhD
studentship from AGAUR (Commissioner for Universities and Research
of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Enterprises of the
Generalitat de Catalunya and the European Social Fund).
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