Biosolids and Sludge Management

Abstract

This review section covers journal articles and conference papers related to biosolids and sludge management that were published in 2004. The literature review has been divided into the following sections: •Biosolids management issues,• Biosolids and sludge quality, marginal or contaminated lands: such applications have been classified under nonagricultural uses. BIOSOLIDS MANAGEMENT ISSUESSpinosa (2004) provided an overview of more sustainable sludge management through the recovery and reuse of valuable products including both materials and energy. Because the selection of an appropriate sludge management system is influenced by many other factors, such as local economy and geography, climate, land use, regulatory constraints and public acceptance of the various practices, only general indications were given. Rulkens (2004) examined the challenges facing sustainable sludge management, providing a survey of the most relevant sludge treatment options and separate treatment steps. Rulkens (2004) paid special attention to those processes that are concurrently focused on the elimination of the risks for environment and human health and on the recovery or beneficial use of valuable sludge components such as organic carbon compounds, etc. Jiminez et al. (2004) discussed sustainable sludge management in developing countries where unsanitary conditions are responsible for more than three million deaths annually. They indicated that sludge management plays an important role in sanitation programs by helping reduce health problems and associated risks particularly because of the high microbial concentrations in sludge. Policies on sludge (or biosolids) management vary widely, particularly when decisions must be made on what to do with the final product. Dentel (2004) examined the two principal rationales with which such decisions are made: these are risk analysis (risk assessment and management), and the criterion of sustainability. Both were found to be potentially arbitrary due to the difficulty in defining the individual constituents necessary to relate environmental phenomena to environmental policy. Dentel (2004) presented research results from three recent projects concerned with contaminants in sludge (phosphorus, flocculent polymers, and polymer-surfactant aggregates), used the findings to 1467