Sewage sludge is the product resulting from wastewater treatment plants and aquaculture systems. It is an abundant waste biomass, as its production keeps increasing due to population growth, particularly in developing countries and intensified wastewater treatment plants in the developed world due to industrialisation. Effective management and handling of sewage sludge in an environmentally friendly way has become a matter of increasing importance globally, due to the potential health risks on the environment. Importantly, sewage sludge contains large amounts of organic components and nutrients; hence, resource recovery from such an abundant biomass is necessary. This comprehensive book presents an assessment into the impact of sewage sludge on the environment and provides the various treatment options for converting the sludge into useful resources. Biochemical (or biological) and thermochemical (or thermal) methods of sewage sludge treatment are covered. Through contributions from experts in diverse fields, this book has been organised to suit a variety of readers, including professionals and students who are interested in sewage sludge treatment as well as resource recovery from sewage sludge by using different and innovative technologies.

This book is devoted to sewage sludge, its sustainable management, and its use and implications on soil fertility and crop production. The book traces the main chemical and biological properties of sewage sludge, and covers topics such as sewage sludge biostabilization and detoxification, biological and thermochemical treatment technologies, emerging nutrient recovery technologies, the role of microorganisms in sewage sludge management, and the sustainable use of sewage sludge as fertilizer in agriculture. The book offers a valuable asset for researchers, scholars and policymakers alike.

Sludge Treatment and Disposal is the sixth volume in the series Biological Wastewater Treatment. The book covers in a clear and informative way the sludge characteristics, production, treatment (thickening, dewatering, stabilisation, pathogens removal) and disposal (land application for agricultural purposes, sanitary landfills, landfarming and other methods). Environmental and public health issues are also fully described. About the series: The series is based on a highly acclaimed set of best selling textbooks. This international version is comprised by six textbooks giving a state-of-the-art presentation of the science and technology of biological wastewater treatment. Other titles in the series are: Volume 1: Waste Stabilisation Ponds; Volume 2: Basic Principles of Wastewater Treatment; Volume 3: Waste Stabilization Ponds; Volume 4: Anaerobic Reactors; Volume 5: Activated Sludge and Aerobic Biofilm Reactors

The adoption of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive requires sewage sludge to be subsequently treated and the Sewage Sludge Directive regulates the uses and properties of stabilised sludge for being either recycled or disposed. Both directives drive specific actions in two complementary ways. Reduction, Modification and Valorisation of Sludge aims at developing strategies for the disposal and reuse of waste sludge. It aims to develop several processes for reducing both amount and toxicity of sludge, with simultaneous transformation into green energy vectors such as methane or hydrogen. Mesophilic and mainly thermophilic and autothermophilic conditions are explored as classical alternatives for sludge stabilisation, assuring sanitary conditions of the treated sludge. Valuable materials are obtained from sludge, such as activated carbons, which are used in conventional adsorption processes and in innovative advanced oxidation processes. Guidelines are provided for technology selection in agreement with the geographic, economic and technical characteristics of the sewage plants, demonstration of the feasibility of new applications for the sewage sludge, manufacturing of activated carbon from sludge sewage as innovative recycling of sludge waste, and a deep understanding of the methods involved. Visit the IWA WaterWiki to read and share material related to this title: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/GLOBALATLASOFEXCRETAWASTEWATERSLUDGEANDBIOSOLIDSMANAGEMENTMOVINGFORWARDTHESUSTAINABLEANDWELCOMEUSESOFAGLOBALRESOURCE

Creating decent living conditions for all people while decoupling economic growth from the increasing use of virgin resources and environmental impacts is the major challenge of this millennium. There are many approaches suggested for solving these problems, including changing consumption behavior from material products to services, finding technological solutions to create more closed loops for materials, and using fewer virgin resources and energy obtained from clean renewable sources. A main issue to address is sludge formation during wastewater treatment. As such, this book, over seven chapters divided into two sections, investigates the application of biosolids or sewage sludge together with possible resources for sustainable development. It also presents information on resource efficiency from a more complex perspective, looking at several resources and the causal links between them in order to point out new pathways towards a more sustainable use of resources.