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Resource Use of Sewage Sludge for Soil Application
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Resource Use of Sewage Sludge for Soil Application

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Wastewater Treatment and Reuse".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2024) | Viewed by 7386

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Le Fang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
RDC for Watershed Environmental Eco-Engineering, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, No. 18 Jinfeng Road, Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai 519080, China
Interests: sewage sludge; pyrolysis; sewage sludge biochar; phosphorus recovery; renewable phosphate fertilizer
Dr. Siqi Tang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
Interests: efficient utilization of phosphorus resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fast urbanization leads to gigantic volumes of municipal wastewater arising from human dietary life being discharged to municipal wastewater treatment plants. After wastewater is purified via aerobic and anaerobic treatments, a commensurate volume of sewage sludge (SS) finally in the form of a solid cake with a moisture of ~78% is generated. With the surge in efforts towards carbon neutrality, transforming SS into valuable products in via efficient and sustainable manners is becoming a pressing challenge the wastewater industry is facing. Intensively reported studies demonstrate that a considerable amount of phosphorus (P), a life-essential and non-renewable element, in SS could be mined to alleviate the supply chain pressure of phosphate rocks that are becoming increasingly scarce.

Before exploiting this P resource from SS, however, inherent hazardous substances such as heavy metals (HMs) should be tackled, which indeed hamper SS valorization and P recovery and recycling. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a facile, efficient, and process-tunable approach to mining and reusing SS-included P while accommodating prospective ecological risks induced by those accompanying HMs prospects to maximize the SS resource value beyond the waste property. Relevant thermodynamic evidences unraveled the roles of biomass, alkali, and their binary in steering the balance of phosphorus bioavailability enhancement and heavy metal stabilization in the progress of SS pyrolysis, which advances the knowledge of a facile co-pyrolysis strategy to maximally leverage SS resource property.

Dr. Le Fang
Dr. Siqi Tang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sewage sludge
  • pyrolysis
  • phosphorus recovery
  • heavy metal stabilization
  • biochar

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 865 KiB  
Article
Microbiological Characterization and Pathogen Control in Drying Bed-Processed Sewage Sludge
by Laid Bouchaala, Nedjoud Grara, Nabil Charchar, Heidar Nourine, Kamal Dahdah, Youssouf Driouche, Abdeltif Amrane, Huda Alsaeedi, David Cornu, Mikhael Bechelany and Ahmed Barhoum
Water 2024, 16(22), 3276; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16223276 - 14 Nov 2024
Viewed by 416
Abstract
This study investigated the microbiological and parasitic quality of sewage sludge treated in drying beds in Algeria, aiming to contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing sludge safety for potential agricultural applications in the Algerian context. The research focused on various [...] Read more.
This study investigated the microbiological and parasitic quality of sewage sludge treated in drying beds in Algeria, aiming to contribute to a better understanding of the factors influencing sludge safety for potential agricultural applications in the Algerian context. The research focused on various sludge types (liquid, semi-solid, and solid) and their behavior across different seasons. Standard microbiological methods were employed to quantify total coliforms, fecal streptococci, E. coli, and Clostridium. Controls were implemented to ensure accuracy, with positive controls validating detection methods using known quantities of microorganisms and parasites, while negative controls confirmed the absence of contamination in the testing environment. Parasitic contamination was assessed through microscopic examination for protozoa and helminths. Results revealed substantial variation in microbial concentrations across sludge types and seasons. Liquid sludge, particularly during summer, exhibited the highest levels of total coliforms (up to 7.021 log10) and E. coli (up to 6.049 log10), while solid sludge showed lower counts. Seasonal trends indicated increased microbial levels during warmer months. Parasitic contamination was prevalent in 81% of samples, with protozoan cysts (e.g., Giardia intestinalis and Endolimax nanus) and helminth eggs detected. Despite reducing microbial loads, drying processes alone were insufficient, leaving significant contamination. Enhanced protocols are needed, such as longer drying periods, chemical disinfectants, or advanced technologies like anaerobic digestion or composting. This highlights the need for locally adapted treatment strategies. Furthermore, this research provides specific recommendations for improving sewage sludge management practices in Algeria, taking into account the unique environmental and agricultural context of the country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Use of Sewage Sludge for Soil Application)
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15 pages, 3242 KiB  
Article
Identification and Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance Genes and Antibiotic Resistance Bacteria in the Feces Treatment Process: A Case Study in a Dairy Farm, China
by Hailun Wang, Yongchao Gao, Liwen Zheng, Lei Ji, Xue Kong, Jianhua Du, Hui Wang, Luchun Duan, Tian Niu, Jianhui Liu and Ming Shang
Water 2024, 16(11), 1575; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16111575 - 31 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 780
Abstract
The overuse of antibiotics has resulted in the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) in the environment. High-density livestock farming is one of the major industries for antibiotic overuse. In this study, we sampled wastewater and manure at [...] Read more.
The overuse of antibiotics has resulted in the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic resistance bacteria (ARB) in the environment. High-density livestock farming is one of the major industries for antibiotic overuse. In this study, we sampled wastewater and manure at different stages of the feces treatment process from a dairy farm, as well as the soil in the farmland where the treated wastewater was being used for irrigation purpose. High-throughput Illumina sequencing was used to analyze the profiles of bacteria communities and ARGs. The results showed that the main ARG types were multidrug, aminoglycoside, glycopeptide, and tetracycline resistance genes, and Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the main host bacteria phyla of these ARGs. The genus Nocardioides sp. and Ornithinimicrobium sp. were closely associated with the ARGs in the investigated samples. The relative abundances of ARGs in wastewater and manure were reduced by 68.5% and 62.1%, respectively, by the existing feces treatment process. Anaerobic fermentation and high-temperature fermentation were the most efficient treatment steps; the relative abundances of ARGs were reduced by 29.3% and 33.6% in the treated wastewater and manure, respectively. Irrigation with the treated wastewater significantly increased the abundance and diversity of ARGs and ARB in the surface soil of the farmland. The residual ARGs were found to transit through vertical gene transfer (VGT) and horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in soil. Therefore, the direct application of this inadequately treated wastewater and/or manure could risk spreading ARGs into the environment, and potentially impact human health. In order to effectively restrain the spread of ARGs, it is necessary to modify the wastewater and manure treatment processes and improve the regulations and guidelines of applying treated wastewater for irrigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Use of Sewage Sludge for Soil Application)
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17 pages, 2857 KiB  
Article
The Assessment of Sewage Sludge Utilization in Closed-Loop Economy from an Environmental Perspective
by Agata Janaszek, Alessandra Furtado da Silva, Nebojša Jurišević, Maria Kanuchova, Ľubica Kozáková and Robert Kowalik
Water 2024, 16(3), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16030383 - 24 Jan 2024
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2309
Abstract
Sewage sludge, a by-product of wastewater treatment, is garnering increasing attention in the pursuit of closed-loop economy practices due to its highly beneficial fertilizing properties. However, like any technique, using sewage sludge as fertilizer has potential and limitations. Heavy metals within sewage sludge [...] Read more.
Sewage sludge, a by-product of wastewater treatment, is garnering increasing attention in the pursuit of closed-loop economy practices due to its highly beneficial fertilizing properties. However, like any technique, using sewage sludge as fertilizer has potential and limitations. Heavy metals within sewage sludge are a primary limitation curtailing its application as a fertilizer. This study collected sewage sludge samples from four wastewater treatment plants and soil from potential application sites. The mobility of heavy metals was then examined using a sequential BCR analysis. Furthermore, a comprehensive environmental risk assessment associated with the agricultural use of sewage sludge was conducted, using various risk indicators such as Igeo and Nemerov, to compare the cumulative metal concentrations in the sewage sludge and soil. Additionally, risk assessment codes, ecological risk indices of metal mobility, and environmental risk indices were calculated, specifically focusing on the mobility of metals in the soil environment. This research demonstrates that sewage sludge failing to meet conventional criteria for agricultural use based on total metal content does not necessarily pose a high-risk application. Understanding the mobility forms of metals in sewage sludge is crucial, influencing the analysis of their potential utilization. Importantly, sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants utilizing biological bed technology tends to exhibit a higher tendency of heavy metals to exist in mobile forms, migrating within the soil environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Use of Sewage Sludge for Soil Application)
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14 pages, 4757 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Heavy Metal Contaminants and Mobility in Sewage sludge-soil Mixtures for Sustainable Agricultural Practices
by Agata Janaszek and Robert Kowalik
Water 2023, 15(22), 3992; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15223992 - 16 Nov 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1850
Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the potential utilization of sewage sludge in agriculture, focusing on the assessment of heavy metal contaminants and their mobility in sewage sludge-soil mixtures. The innovative approach of investigating heavy metal fractions in these mixtures sheds light [...] Read more.
This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the potential utilization of sewage sludge in agriculture, focusing on the assessment of heavy metal contaminants and their mobility in sewage sludge-soil mixtures. The innovative approach of investigating heavy metal fractions in these mixtures sheds light on their environmental implications. In this study, sludge and soil samples from three different soil categories were collected, and the mobility of heavy metals was investigated using sequential BCR analysis. A thorough assessment of the risk of environmental contamination associated with the agricultural use of sludge was also carried out. This study included the calculation of various risk indicators, such as the Geoaccumulation Index of heavy metals in soil (Igeo), the risk assessment code (RAC), and the author’s element mobility ratio (EMR), which included a comparison of the overall metal concentrations in sludge, soil, and mixtures. This study demonstrates that the key to using sludge is to know the form of mobility of the metals present in the sludge and how they behave once they are introduced into the soil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Use of Sewage Sludge for Soil Application)
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Review

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38 pages, 1050 KiB  
Review
Sludge Composting—Is This a Viable Solution for Wastewater Sludge Management?
by Elena Elisabeta Manea and Costel Bumbac
Water 2024, 16(16), 2241; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16162241 - 8 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1265
Abstract
Wastewater treatment plants generate significant amounts of sludge, a residual product that is rich in nutrients, usually considered waste, and traditionally eliminated by storage or incineration, methods that are expensive, environmentally damaging, and often unsustainable. Composting is increasingly recognized as an ecological and [...] Read more.
Wastewater treatment plants generate significant amounts of sludge, a residual product that is rich in nutrients, usually considered waste, and traditionally eliminated by storage or incineration, methods that are expensive, environmentally damaging, and often unsustainable. Composting is increasingly recognized as an ecological and durable solution for managing biodegradable waste, including sludge resulting from wastewater treatment. The composting of residual sludge usually requires mixing with bulking agents, such as green waste or agricultural residues, to ensure a well-balanced carbon–nitrogen ratio. This mixture undergoes a controlled aerobic decomposition, sometimes followed by post-treatment, resulting in a stabilized final product that is nutrient-rich and pathogen-free and can be used as soil amendment or fertilizer in different agricultural or landscaping applications. By using composting, communities can reduce elimination costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize the environmental impact of sludge management. This paper reviews recent reported experiences in the laboratory regarding full-scale sludge composting, highlighting the particularities of the processes, the influence factors, the quality of the final product, and the environmental and regulatory constraints. Composting is a sustainable and ecological solution for managing wastewater sludge, contributing to nutrient circularity, and minimizing the environmental impact. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Use of Sewage Sludge for Soil Application)
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