Sludge Handling Methods Specially on Agricultural

Application , Probable Problems & Solutions.

MD. MASUD ALAM, FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY, UAM.

 Educational & Professional
Background:
YEAR INSTITUTION / PARTICULARS
WORKSTATION

2015 University of Chittagong, B.Sc Engg.(Textile)

Bangladesh. (Under
Faculty of Engineering)

2015 Fakir Apparels Ltd, Trainee Engineer

Narayangonj, (Internship, 3 months)
Bangladesh.
2016-2018 Paramount Textile Ltd, Dyeing Production
Dhaka, Bangladesh Engineer
 Others Information:
Publication:
-Paper Title: Knit Fabric Scouring With Soapnut: A
Sustainable Approach Towards Textile Pre-Treatment.
-Paper Name: American Journal of Environmental
Protection.(Link:http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/pape
rinfo?journalid=163&paperId=10029651)

Research Interest:
-Environment Friendly Technology.
-Waste Water Treatment Technology.
Website: www.cu.ac.bd
 Notable Persons:

1. Dr. Muhammad Yunus

2. Dr. Jamal Nazrul Islam
 Dr. Muhammad Yunus:
Birth Place: Chittagong, Bangladesh (28 June 1940).
Education: University of Dhaka, Vanderbilt University.
Profession: Middle Tennessee State University, University
of Chittagong, Glasow Caledonian University.
Nobel Prize: Nobel Prize Winner in peace (2006).
Founder: Micro-credit Bank (Grameen Bank).
Other Awards: World Food Prize, International Pfeffer
Peace Prize, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Volvo
Environment Prize, Congressional Gold Medal etc.
 Dr. Jamal Nazrul Islam:
Birth Place: Jhenaidah, Bangladesh (24 February 1939 - 16
March 2013).
Education: University of Calcutta, University of Cambridge.
Profession: Cambridge Institute of Astronomy, California
Institute of Technology, University of Washington, City
University London, University of Chittagong.
Other Awards: Medal Lecture award from Accademia
Nazionale delle Scienze, Gold award from Bangladesh
Academy of Sciences, Razzak-Shamsun Lifetime
Achievement Award in Physics etc.
 Dr. Jamal Nazrul Islam:

Books:
1.The Ultimate Fate of the Universe, Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, England.
2.Rotating Fields in General Relativity, Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, England.
3. An Introduction to Mathematical Cosmology, Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, England.
Faculty of Engineering
 Introduction

The management of sewage sludge is becoming an

issue of growing concern in Eu countries. In all countries
of the European Union, directives are introduced on the
basis of which each member state has to create
relevant.
According to European regulations management
methods involving storage are now being replaced by
methods leading to waste stabilization and safe
recycling.
 Sewage Sludge What Is It?

Sewage sludge is the residual, semi-solid material

that is produced as a by-product during sewage treatment of
industrial or municipal wastewater. Before recycling it needs to be
stabilized.
Treatment of sludge is a very expensive process
and can even reach 50% of total operation cost of WWTPs
(Waste Water Treatment Plants).
 Statistical Overview of Poland

In recent years in Poland there has been

observed an increase of sludge amount resulting from
improvements of WWTPs. During the last 13 years the
amount of sludge produced in Poland has increased by
33.4% from 359,800 to 540,300t of dry matter.

According to the National Waste Management

Plan 2014 (NWMP, 2014) this trend will be maintained in the
coming years . It is estimated that in 2022 the amount of
sludge will achieve 750,000t of dry matter.
Overall review of sewage sludge
management
 Agricultural Application

There are several types of sludge handling process.

Among them, European Commission (EC) & European Environmental
Agency (EEA) prefer mainly to agricultural application of sludge.
Sewage sludge contains nitrogen and phosphorous, resulting
especially from nitrification–denitrification phases in waste water
treatment process. This gives sludge unique fertilizing benefits, since
those elements, contained in sludge, are essential to plants for
growing.
 Graphical
Representation
 Abridgements
.

 Bacteria
 Disinfection
 Heavy Metals
 Bacteria

The most important pathogens in sewage sludges are

bacteria, viruses (e.g. poliovirus) and parasites (worm eggs, e.g.
taenia). Full detection of pathogens is difficult, expensive and time
consuming. Therefore, for orientative investigations, indicator
organisms are often used: enterobacteria, faecal coliforms, or E. coli
for the detection of bacteria.
 Disinfection
Various investigations, especially in Germany and
Switzerland, have shown that salmonella diseases in animals may
originate from infective sewage sludges used in agriculture.
Salmonella diseases are still a problem in Europe, even in countries
that are "highly developed".

The official number of salmonella infections in Germany has

increased during the past twenty years from 10,000 to more than
80,000 per year. With disinfection as part of the sewage-treatment
process, the cycle of infection, man -> sewage sludge -> agriculture ->
plants/animals -> food -> man, can be broken.
 Heavy Metals
Heavy metals contents in sewage sludge constitute creates a
significant problem in terms of agricultural application. Heavy metals
(eg: Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn) , grease, phenolic compounds and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons can cause drastic changes in the flora and
fauna of the soil reducing its fertility and changing the other
parameters. The occurrence of heavy metals in sludge is mainly due
to the share of industrial waste water in total waste water load.
 Probable
Solutions

 Stabilization On The Sludge Drying

Bed.
 Anaerobic Stabilization With Biogas
Recovery.
 Stabilization Using Earthworms.
 Stabilization on the sludge drying
bed:

Processes of disinfection and stabilization on

drying bed are designed, apart from the removal of pathogenic
bacterial flora, to prepare the sludge for use as a fertilizer or for
other treatments. Beside hygienization this process cause
dewatering of the sludge. In contrast to thermal processing
investment and operating cost are significantly lower. Drying is very
important operation despite the fact excess sludge is generally 97-
99 % hydrated.
 Anaerobic stabilization with biogas
recovery:

Anaerobic stabilization may be an alternative to aerobic

stabilization. In this case, in addition to the previously
mentioned limitation of development of pathogenic fauna, the
content of organic carbon in the sludge is also reduced and as a
result, a product with a lower C:N ratio is obtained. The sludge
after fermentation may also be suitable for use in agriculture.
.

Stabilization using earthworms:

When earthworms are used for stabilization of sewage sludge, the
amount of organic carbon is reduced, while the amount of bioavailable
phosphorus increases. Due to that, after about 100 days of stabilization, the
carbon to nitrogen ratio is reduced, which improves its quality as a fertilizer.

During this process, the content of potentially dangerous

compounds like heavy metals is also reduced. This is probably due to the
fact that these compounds are accumulated in the bodies of earthworms,
which at the end of the process are removed from the finished product.
 Conclusion
In accordance with the principles of the closed-
circular economy, sustainable development in sewage sludge
management should primarily be based on recovery and,
subsequently, on disposal. This particularly applies to the use of by-
products generated in the process of processing sewage sludge:
organic matter, carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen or volatile acids. This
type of material is great for agricultural purposes (granulates,
fertilizers, compost) and natural use(after removal of, for example,
heavy metals).
 Compost obtained from sewage sludge processing
can be used for soil preservation or recultivation of degraded areas.
The materials obtained for the treatment of sewage sludge are a
valuable resource, for example the recycling of phosphorus, which is a
rare resource.
Thanks For Attention