Management and Disposal of Sewage Sludge

A special issue of Recycling (ISSN 2313-4321).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2018) | Viewed by 10499

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Cements and Materials Recycling Department, Eduardo Torroja Institute of Construction Sciences, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), c/ Serrano Galvache, 4, Madrid, Spain
2. Joint Research Centre, European Commission, c/ Inca Garcilaso, 3, Seville, Spain
Interests: ecolabels; Circular Economy; Green Public Procurement; sewage sludge incineration; sewage sludge ash; cement chemistry; alkali-activated cement; material science; leaching

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The focus of this Special Issue is on the management and disposal of sewage sludge. Historically, sewage sludge has been identified as a problematic waste due to its odour, pathogen content, sheer volume and potential proximity to urban and sub-urban areas. Irresponsible management and disposal of sewage sludge can lead to point source or diffuse pollution of ground water and surface water bodies, potential contamination of agricultural crops and the gradual build-up of heavy metals in soils. This has led to a number of legal restrictions on how sewage sludge can be disposed of – prompting water utilities to investigate a number of possible alternatives to sea disposal, landfilling and land-spreading of untreated sludge.

As the concepts of resource efficiency, the circular economy and the waste hierarchy exert an increasingly influence on society, a major shift has occurred in the attitudes and practices associated with sewage sludge management and disposal.

Sewage sludge is no longer being perceived as a problematic waste, but as a potentially valuable resource. The nitrogen and phosphorus contents are now perceived as being potentially valuable fertiliser instead of a possible eutrophication risk. The organic matter content is now considered as a potential soil conditioner, feedstock for methane production or combustible fuel instead of an odorous and putrescible health risk.

Now that the perception issues are being improved, companies are faced with a wide range of choices of how exactly to improve their sewage sludge management. Each region has its own legislative landscape and each sewage treatment plant has its own site-specific logistical challenges and opportunities. There is no one optimum solution to sewage sludge management but, by building up evidence in the literature on a case-by-case basis, it will be possible to create a mosaic of scientifically validated and real-life experiences that can serve as a practical road-map for the entire industry.

The following topics are of particular interest for this Special Issue are:

  1. The government perspective: Development and subsequent impact of regional/national/international legislation relating to sewage sludge disposal and management.
  2. The water utility perspective: Strategies and decision making processes for deciding how to approach sewage sludge management and disposal. Associated cost-benefit analysis, life cycle costs, life cycle environmental impacts and lessons learned.
  3. The technical perspective-1: Possible future developments and the state-of-the art in advanced treatment for land-spreading of sewage sludge (e.g., anaerobic digestion, composting, lime stabilisation with alkaline wastes).
  4. The technical perspective-2: Possible future developments and the state-of-the art in thermal treatment of sewage sludge (e.g., thermal drying, mono-incineration, co-incineration, gasification).
  5. The technical perspective-3: Niche processing of sewage sludge to produce moderate to high-value products (e.g., fertilizer, activated carbon, bio-based feedstocks).
  6. A holistic perspective: Comparison of different sewage sludge management options in specific cases from a life cycle assessment perspective.

Dr. Shane Donatello
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

  • Policy and regulatory impacts
  • Corporate strategy
  • Advanced anaerobic digestion
  • Composting
  • Fertiliser production
  • Thermal treatment
  • Value-recovery
  • Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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13 pages, 4802 KiB  
Article
The Feasibility of Using Marble Cutting Waste in a Sustainable Building Clay Industry
by Medhat S. El-Mahllawy, Ayman M. Kandeel, Mahmoud L. Abdel Latif and Abdeen M. El Nagar
Recycling 2018, 3(3), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling3030039 - 3 Sep 2018
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5549
Abstract
This study evaluates the feasibility of stabilizing clay bricks with marble cutting waste (MCW). This waste is currently discarded in huge quantities as sludge resulting from the sawing of marble blocks to slabs and the processes of disposing of grinding and polishing marble [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the feasibility of stabilizing clay bricks with marble cutting waste (MCW). This waste is currently discarded in huge quantities as sludge resulting from the sawing of marble blocks to slabs and the processes of disposing of grinding and polishing marble in landfills located around the marble processing factories in the Shaq El-Thoban industrial zone, Cairo governorate, Egypt, which causes negative impacts on the environment, health, and sustainable development. Experimental investigations were carried out to explore the effect of the addition of MCW in different clay–base mixes using varying percentages of up to 20% at the expense of the hydrated lime. Cement, hydrated lime, and MCW are the three types of solidification agents used, and clay and sand were also added in the formulations of the unfired clay brick specimens. Laboratory cylindrical stabilized and compressed specimens were made; then, they were cured in a humidity chamber for two weeks and four weeks. Afterwards, they were air dried, tested, and evaluated according to the Egyptian code for the building by the stabilized and compressed earth soil (ECBS, 2016). To enhance the durability of the cured specimens, transparent silicon-based paint was used. The results demonstrated that the optimum content of marble sludge waste (MCW) was 15% when used as replacement for hydrated lime in the production of stabilized clay brick. For all of the samples, the use of silicon-based paint was found to improve the strength and water resistance of the stabilized clay bricks. The use of local waste materials as a substitute for a hydrated lime binder reduces both the cost and environmental impact associated with block production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management and Disposal of Sewage Sludge)
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8 pages, 1635 KiB  
Case Report
Agricultural Use of Sewage Sludge in Paraná State, Brazil: A Decade of National Regulation
by Simone Bittencourt
Recycling 2018, 3(4), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/recycling3040053 - 22 Nov 2018
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4305
Abstract
The agricultural use of sewage sludge brings benefits to soil and plant crops, but due to the possible presence of contaminating substances and pathogenic organisms it is necessary to follow the criteria for safe use for health and the environment. In Brazil, the [...] Read more.
The agricultural use of sewage sludge brings benefits to soil and plant crops, but due to the possible presence of contaminating substances and pathogenic organisms it is necessary to follow the criteria for safe use for health and the environment. In Brazil, the Conama 375/06 Resolution established criteria and procedures for agricultural use of sewage sludge and Paraná is one of the few states in the country to use this alternative. This case study presents the management process and the results of the agricultural destination of the sludge in Paraná State, Brazil, from 2007, year in which the resolution came into force, to 2017. The management is carried out in two spheres of action: one in the context of the sludge management units (SMU) and another in the agricultural sphere. The sludge is provided free of charge to farmers, which reduces expenses with fertilizers and soil acidity correctives, resulting in economic and social benefits to the communities where it is used. However, from the year 2011 there was a reduction in the amount destined for agricultural use. The requirements of the national regulation make the process complex, overly bureaucratic and burdensome, requiring a review of its criteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management and Disposal of Sewage Sludge)
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