scholarly journals Sewage sludge as fertiliser – environmental assessment of storage and land application options

2016 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1034-1050 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Willén ◽  
C. Junestedt ◽  
L. Rodhe ◽  
M. Pell ◽  
H. Jönsson
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Large Impact ◽  
Storage Duration ◽  
Ammonia Addition ◽  
Reduce Emissions

Sewage sludge (SS) contains beneficial plant nutrients and organic matter, and therefore application of SS on agricultural land helps close nutrient loops. However, spreading operations are restricted to certain seasons and hence the SS needs to be stored. Storage and land application of SS are both potential sources of greenhouse gases and ammonia, leading to global warming, acidification and eutrophication. Covering the stored SS, treating it with urea and choosing the correct time for land application all have the potential to reduce emissions from the system. Using life cycle assessment (LCA), this study compares storage and land application options of SS in terms of global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential, eutrophication potential and primary energy use. The system with covered storage has the lowest impact of all categories. Systems with autumn application are preferable to spring application for all impact categories but, when nitrate leaching is considered, spring application is preferable in terms of eutrophication and primary energy use and, for some SS treatments, GWP. Ammonia addition reduces nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions during storage, but increases these emissions after land application. Storage duration has a large impact on GWP, while amount of chemical nitrogen fertiliser substituted has a large impact on primary energy use.

scholarly journals Using bioleaching to remove metals from sewage sludge intended for land application

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Nie
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Metal Removal ◽  
Heavy Metal Removal ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Sulphur Compounds ◽  
Recommended Level

Removal of heavy metal contaminants from sewage sludge is a necessity before it is used as an agricultural fertilizer (biosolid), due to environmental concerns and municipal, provincial and federal regulations. The bioleaching method is recommended as an economical and effective process for the removal of heavy metals from the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant (ABTP) sludge, some of them with concentrations exceeding the recommended level by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs guidelines. The Gram-negative thiobacilli is a group of organisms with physiological and morphological similarity and grows by oxidizing ferrous ion and reduced sulphur compounds. One species of thiobacillus, T. ferrooxidan , was recommended as an effective bacterium for the heavy metal removal from sewage sludge. This research involved the incubation of adapted sludge using fresh raw digested sludge and activated sludge of ABTP. Using adapted sludge for the bioleaching process, the method was tested in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) in combination with a series of jar tests. Results showed that the metal removal efficiency increases with decreasing pH, and the solids content does not affect the removal efficiency of cupper and zinc very much during short term jar test. The results from the long-term (20-day) CSTR test demonstrated that the high T ferrooxians-contained adapted sludge could remove copper from the sewage sludge of ABTP very effectively, by as much as 79.2%. In comparison, the simultaneous removal efficiency of zinc and cadmium were also studied for the same process and, they are 82.0% and 83.9% respectively. The TSS degradation constant rate during the 20 days' bioleaching was found to be 0.0522 day -1. It is concluded that Ontario should continue to apply sludge to agricultural land, as sludge is an economic alternative, promotes recycling of resources, and is a valuable fertilizer. However, the toxic metals in sludge should be removed from sewage sludge using the bioleaching process to recommended level before it is disposed as a fertilizer for land application.

Implementation of Codigestion and sludge management system in Portugal

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Santino Di Berardino
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Degradation ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Anaerobic Sludge ◽  
Local Agriculture ◽  
Set Up

Anaerobic digestion is carried out to stabilize biosolids so that it is acceptable for land disposal. Although no precise definition A solution based on sludge and Olive oil mill effluent (OME) codigestion, coupled with a management plan, has been implemented, to treat and dispose safely, the mixed residues, into the natural forest and agricultural land. The mixture of up to 25 % OME to the sludge improved anaerobic degradation of phenols and fats. High density fats compounds, presents in OME, enhanced aggregation, settling and acetoclastic activity of anaerobic sludge. The full scale unit, obtained by modification of a cold digester, allowed to set-up a low capital cost system. The system produced large quantity of biogas and electric energy. Anaerobic degradation of the mixture improved fertilizing properties, making feasible land application of the digested mixture. Regional plan based in Geographical Information System (GIS) selected 800 ha of adequate land area for application near the WWTP. The experience is technically and economically successful. Main incomes are provided by energy use and OME charge. Sludge application in local agriculture does generate any income, but eliminated landfill costs and reduced transportation costs.

Potential for Municipal Sewage Sludge Application on Agricultural Lands in Southern Quebec

1999 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 469-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Vasseur ◽  
W Shipley ◽  
C Ansseau
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
System Modeling ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Municipal Sewage ◽  
Municipal Sewage Sludge ◽  
Agricultural Lands ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Sludge Application

Abstract In the present study, sludge composition from 112 municipalities in southern Quebec, Canada, were studied in order to examine the potential of alternative, environmentally sound sludge disposal, such as land application. Twenty-four municipalities with complete data set produced 24,000 dry tons of sludge per year. Of this amount, 47% (11,000 dry tons) could potentially be used for agricultural land application, according to Quebec standards. The other municipalities could not use their sludge for agricultural land application because of heavy metal contamination. The available areas of agricultural lands in southern Quebec are limited to about 149,454 ha. Considering that only 15% of this surface is adequate for sludge application and that a large part is already applied with manure, only 86,683 ha could be used for sludge application. Geographical Information System modeling in a smaller portion of this region showed that another 38% of land must be removed for other reasons, e.g., buffer zones around water bodies and roads. This left a surface area of approximately 54,000 ha or 5.4% of all agricultural land available for sewage sludge application in this region. Land application of sewage sludge may be possible but not without some limitations in some regions of southern Quebec. Other factors, such as pathogens contamination, climatic constraints and economic costs for the transportation and storage of sludge, must also be considered.

Land application of sewage sludge: scientific perspectives of heavy metal loading limits in Europe and the United States

1994 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. McGrath ◽  
A. C. Chang ◽  
A. L. Page ◽  
E. Witter
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
The United States ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Soil Protection ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Balance Approach ◽  
Basic Approaches

Heavy metals in sewage sludges accumulate in soils after successive sludge applications and can be toxic to plants, soil organisms, as well as humans and animals along the food chain. Because of this potential threat, many countries have set limits to the additions of metals in sludges to agricultural land, based on (i) the concentrations of metals in sludge itself, (ii) the loading, or total amount, of metal that can be added and often how quickly this can be applied, and (iii) the maximum concentrations of metals in soil which are allowed to build up after sludge applications. This review, based on regulations in the United States and some west European countries, shows that at present three basic approaches to setting limits can be distinguished: (i) a comprehensive analysis of the pathways of pollutant transfer to selected target organisms and an assessment of the likely harmful effects that metals may have on the target; (ii) setting limits consistent with the lowest observed adverse effect concentrations, which are actual cases of effects due to metals, but not necessarily derived from studies that involved land application of sewage sludge; and (iii) attempting to match the metal inputs to soil to the small losses of metals due to crop removal, soil erosion, and leaching ("metal balance approach"). These approaches are shown to result in widely different numerical limits being set for the same constituent, which is creating unease among the regulatory authorities worldwide. These differences appear to arise from at least two main sources. The first is whether, by a policy decision, zero impact is desired. This leads to very low limits, and is the philosophy behind the metal balance approach. The second is that those approaches that allow some increase in metal concentrations in soils often adopt different target organisms and these models suffer from the limited supply of relevant toxicity data, particularly information obtained from metals applied in sewage sludge. Differences in the philosophy behind environmental protection and in the choices of which organisms to protect explain the different metal limits for sewage sludge which have been adopted in the countries examined.Key words: zinc, cadmium, copper, chromium, nickel, lead, mercury, soil microbes, ecotoxicology, soil protection.

scholarly journals Influence of global warming on primary energy consumption for heating and cooling in public buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (Suppl. 5) ◽  
pp. 1719-1726
Author(s):  
Dusan Gordic ◽  
Jelena Nikolic ◽  
Vladimir Vukasinovic
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Temperature Variation ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Primary Energy Consumption ◽  
Public Buildings ◽  
Heating And Cooling

The implications of global warming on energy uses for heating and cooling in buildings are analysed in the paper. The research methodology is based on monitoring data on average daily temperature variation during a certain period and expected future temperature variation of existing mean daily temperatures according to a certain climate model. Developed model also uses the current real energy consumption of public buildings at a location and envisaged variation of cooling and heating degree day influenced by global warming. Based on the model, authors examine the influence of global warming on primary energy consumption for heating and cooling in public buildings in a city of Kragujevac, Serbia. The results show that a consequence of global warming should be a significant reduction of total primary energy consumption for heating and cooling in the public buildings. Possible increase in mean annual temperature of 3.8?C till the end of the century has an impact to the reduction of primary energy use for heating for 35.7% in public buildings in Kragujevac, while predicted consumption of primary energy for cooling will be almost five times higher than nowadays.

scholarly journals Using bioleaching to remove metals from sewage sludge intended for land application

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Nie
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Removal Efficiency ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Metal Removal ◽  
Heavy Metal Removal ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Sulphur Compounds ◽  
Recommended Level

Removal of heavy metal contaminants from sewage sludge is a necessity before it is used as an agricultural fertilizer (biosolid), due to environmental concerns and municipal, provincial and federal regulations. The bioleaching method is recommended as an economical and effective process for the removal of heavy metals from the Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant (ABTP) sludge, some of them with concentrations exceeding the recommended level by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs guidelines. The Gram-negative thiobacilli is a group of organisms with physiological and morphological similarity and grows by oxidizing ferrous ion and reduced sulphur compounds. One species of thiobacillus, T. ferrooxidan , was recommended as an effective bacterium for the heavy metal removal from sewage sludge. This research involved the incubation of adapted sludge using fresh raw digested sludge and activated sludge of ABTP. Using adapted sludge for the bioleaching process, the method was tested in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) in combination with a series of jar tests. Results showed that the metal removal efficiency increases with decreasing pH, and the solids content does not affect the removal efficiency of cupper and zinc very much during short term jar test. The results from the long-term (20-day) CSTR test demonstrated that the high T ferrooxians-contained adapted sludge could remove copper from the sewage sludge of ABTP very effectively, by as much as 79.2%. In comparison, the simultaneous removal efficiency of zinc and cadmium were also studied for the same process and, they are 82.0% and 83.9% respectively. The TSS degradation constant rate during the 20 days' bioleaching was found to be 0.0522 day -1. It is concluded that Ontario should continue to apply sludge to agricultural land, as sludge is an economic alternative, promotes recycling of resources, and is a valuable fertilizer. However, the toxic metals in sludge should be removed from sewage sludge using the bioleaching process to recommended level before it is disposed as a fertilizer for land application.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Land Potential for Use of Biosolids in the Coastal Mediterranean Karst Region

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1035
Author(s):  
Vito Horvatić ◽  
Helena Bakić Begić ◽  
Davor Romić ◽  
Marko Černe ◽  
Smiljana Goreta Ban ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Karst Region ◽  
Identification System ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Biosolids Application

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of agricultural land in the coastal Adriatic Karst region (Šibenik region, Croatia) for biosolids application by integrating spatial data from different sources: digital maps and remote sensing, parcel identification system, GIS field observations and measurements focusing on specific land and soil properties. Due to the rapid development of the wastewater treatment industry, excessive accumulation of sewage sludge (SS) in wastewater treatment plants is a growing problem worldwide. Management options for land application of biosolids require a comprehensive characterization of both SS and SS-amended soils. The assessment of agricultural land in the study area for SS disposal was based on EU and national legislation. The evaluation revealed that agricultural land in the study area accounts for only 10% of the total area (25,736 ha), but only a quarter of the existing land (6065 ha) is suitable for biosolids application. Furthermore, the data indicate that the sewage sludge can be safely applied to the soil in terms of soil metals according to the Croatian legislation. The short-term potential of the soil to sustain this ecosystem service, namely soil improvement with biosolids, should be used to determine the inherent long-term potential based on resistance to soil degradation and resilience. However, caution is needed and the long-term effects should be investigated before biosolids are continuously used for soil application.

scholarly journals Legislation for the Reuse of Biosolids on Agricultural Land in Europe: Overview

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Collivignarelli ◽  
Alessandro Abbà ◽  
Andrea Frattarola ◽  
Marco Carnevale Miino ◽  
Sergio Padovani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Sludge ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
Land Application ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Member States ◽  
National Regulation ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Landfill Disposal

The issues concerning the management of sewage sludge produced in wastewater treatment plants are becoming more important in Europe due to: (i) the modification of sludge quality (biological and chemical sludge are often mixed with negative impacts on sludge management, especially for land application); (ii) the evolution of legislation (landfill disposal is banned in many European countries); and (iii) the technologies for energy and material recovery from sludge not being fully applied in all European Member States. Furthermore, Directive 2018/851/EC introduced the waste hierarchy that involved a new strategy with the prevention in waste production and the minimization of landfill disposal. In this context, biological sewage sludge can be treated in order to produce more stabilized residues: the biosolids. In some European countries, the reuse of biosolids as soil improver/fertilizer in arable crops represents the most used option. In order to control the quality of biosolids used for land application, every Member State has issued a national regulation based on the European directive. The aim of this work is to compare the different approaches provided by European Member States for the reuse of biosolids in agricultural soils. A focus on the regulation of countries that reuse significant amount of biosolids for land application was performed. Finally, a detailed study on Italian legislation both at national and regional levels is reported.

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