Alternative Uses For Sewage Sludge

The treatment and disposal of sewage sludge is an expensive and environmentally sensitive problem that is growing worldwide. Sludge production is increasing whilst previously accepted methods for disposal are coming under pressure or even being phased out altogether so there is now an urgency to find cost-effective and innovative solutions that appease environmental and public pressures. The purpose of the conference recorded in these proceedings was to review the range of alternative disposal/recycling options for sewage sludge. The alternative uses considered are in land reclamation, forestry, compost and soil production, landfill, incineration, and energy and resource recovery. The papers presented include recent research findings and technological developments, as well as operational implementation of schemes, showing that beneficial re-use of sludge can be entirely compatible with a cost-effective and environmentally sensitive approach to sludge disposal.

Sewage is mainly a liquid waste containing some solids, produced by humans. It typically consists of washing water, faeces, urine, laundry waste and other material which goes down drains and toilets from households and industry. Sewage sludge is an end product of the wastewater treatment process. This material can be a wonderful source of nutrients for the soil. This book provides current studies and research on the treatment and use of sewage. Using this material as a fertiliser can benefit the environment by turning wastes into valuable resources. These sludges would otherwise have to be disposed of by landfilling, lagooning, incineration, or ocean dumping. On the other hand, heavy metals sometimes found in sewage sludge may present environmental problems as there is filtration of metals towards the aquifers which get contaminated. This book addresses these concerns as well as benefits.

Treatment and Reuse of Sewage Sludge: An Innovative Approach for Wastewater Treatment: Developments in Waste Water Treatment Research and Processes series, focuses on the exploitation of various treatment technologies and their use to treat sewage sludge to detoxify/stabilize toxic and hazardous contaminants and restore contaminated sites, which lacks in a more comprehensive manner in currently existing titles on similar topics. The book includes current beneficial sludge utilization practices such as land application, energy recovery, use as an alternative fuel source, use as a construction material and resource recovery from sewage sludge using emerging technologies. In addition, the book includes numerous current and advanced sewage sludge treatment and reuse technologies and associated microbes to effectively treat and manage hazardous industrial wastes/or wastewater pollutants for environmental safety, sustainability and public health protection. The book is a reference for all researchers working in the field of environmental engineering, bioengineering, waste management, and related fields. Provides natural and eco-friendly solutions to deal with the problem of sewage sludge treatment and its reuse Details underlying mechanisms of nanotechnology associated microbes for the treatment and reuse of sewage sludge Includes numerous tables and flow diagrams to assist in the comprehension of new and existing sludge treatments and resource recovery technologies Covers biogas production by continuous thermal hydrolysis and thermophilic anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge Presents information on the recovery of valuable metals from sludge Includes opportunities and challenges in the bio refinery-based valorization of sewage sludge

Proceedings of the Second European Symposium held in Vienna, Austria, 21-23 October, 1980

Municipal Sludge Use in Land Reclamation is a new state-of-the-science reference that combines data from recent research and case studies in an effort to examine the use of municipal sludge in the reclamation of disturbed land, particularly land disturbed by surface mining. This important resource examines current regulations concerning surface mining and the use of sludge on mined lands. It also provides an overview of current land reclamation projects and presents vital information on the environmental effects of sludge use on vegetation, soil quality, water quality, and animal nutrition and health. Mining professionals, regulatory agencies, scientists, municipal and industrial managers, environmental consultants, foresters, and ecologists will find Municipal Sludge Use in Land Reclamation to be an invaluable reference.

With the increased volume of sewage sludge generated as a result of extended sewerage and advanced wastewater treatments, its management is becoming of ever greater concern in both industrialised and emerging countries.During recent years there has been a worldwide movement toward a strategy of reusing and taking advantage of the energy content of residues, in particular of transforming a waste material produced by a treatment works (sludge) into a useful and usable product (biosolid). The selection of a use/disposal method or management system is often based on factors such as local traditions, personal experience, public opinion, etc., with less emphasis on the much more important technical factors, such as local geography, climate, land use, availability of disposal sites and regulatory constraints.Sludge into Biosolids gives up-to-date coverage of sludge treatments and of its use and disposal, focusing on the practical aspects of sludge/biosolids management. Operational variables and sludge properties affecting each management operation are discussed.Sludge into Biosolids provides a comprehensive overview for practitioners, graduates and researchers as well as politicians, decision-makers and public administrators, not only of the different options for using/disposing of sewage sludge and the requirements to be met for each of them, but also of the different methods for processing sewage sludge in order to modify its physical, chemical and biological properties, to meet the requirements for its utilization.ContentsPart I: Sludge Production and CharacterizationPart II:Options for Biosolids Utilization and Sludge Disposal Part III: Treatments and Operations