Wastewater and sludge management and research in Oman: An overview

Abstract

Wastewater treatment and sludge management in Oman have been evolving over the years. Sludge utilization has been a challenge due to its association with human waste. Therefore, composting of sewage sludge is the best option in agriculture activities. Sludge and wastewater utilization can add up positively in the economic aspects of the country in terms of creating jobs and improving annual income rate. The number of research projects done on wastewater reuse and other ongoing ones related to the land application of sewage sludge should encourage revision of existing standards, regulations, and policies for the management and beneficial use of sewage sludge in Oman.

The effect of municipal sewage sludge on the quality of soil and crops

“…Because of the rapid growth in Oman's water demand, studies were conducted to improve the suitability of using treated wastewater for irrigating crops without having any adverse impact of heavy metals. On the other hand, municipal sewage sludge (the end products of treated domestic wastewater) comprises heavy metals and organic chemicals which can cause risk to the food chain and subsequently to human health (Harrison et al 2006;Zhao et al 2012;Baawain et al 2014aBaawain et al , 2014bJaffar Abdul Khaliq et al 2017). Therefore, studies are needed for land application of sewage sludge to avoid any serious risk to the environment.…”

“…Therefore, studies are needed for land application of sewage sludge to avoid any serious risk to the environment. Municipal sewage sludge fertilizers can improve the physiochemical properties of soil and affect crop yields and its growth (Antonkiewicz and Pelka 2014;Onwudiwe et al 2014;Baawain et al 2014a, b;Jaffar Abdul Khaliq et al 2017). These fertilizers are very rich in macro and micronutrients, which can supply nutrients to plants and increase their fertility (Al-Busaidi 2014b; Zhao et al 2012).…”

Effectiveness of wastewater treatment systems in removing microbial agents: a systematic review

“…Due to this water shortage crisis, water from wastewater treatment need to be reused increasingly in the near future [6]. Wastewater reuse requires treatment and application of appropriate wastewater treatment systems [7]. In recent years, increased research has been done on wastewater treatment using simple, low-cost, easy-to-use methods in developing countries [8,9].…”

Assessing the presence of pharmaceuticals in soil and plants irrigated with treated wastewater in Oman

“…On the other hand, significant fractions of the unmetabolized drugs are excreted from the bodies through urine and feces as active compounds. Wastewater treatment systems are not specifically designed to remove pharmaceuticals, as a consequence, pharmaceuticals are partially removed from wastewater during treatment process which contribute to release into the environment (Carballa et al 2004;Wang et al 2005;Joss et al 2006;Chefetz et al 2008;Kraigher et al 2008;Islam, 2013;Weng et al 2014). Pharmaceuticals have been detected in wastewater effluents, biosolids, biosolid-amended soils, runoff from effluent-irrigated fields, surface and groundwater systems receiving treated wastewater (Kolpin et al 2002;Pedersen et al 2005;Kinney et al 2006;Chefetz et al 2008;Xu et al 2009;Miller et al 2016).…”

“…As a consequence, it is a significant activity to evaluate the presence of the pharmaceuticals in water (Wang et al 2005). However, in case of Oman, there are few studies undertaken by researchers on use of treated wastewater for irrigation and growing crops on experimental basis including the assessment on qualities of treated wastewater (Baawain et al 2014a(Baawain et al , b, 2015Jaffar Abdul Khaliq et al 2017;Abdul Khaliq et al 2017;AlKhamisi et al 2017). It is pertinent to mention that based on the literature review in the recent past, there are no studies conducted in Oman on understanding the PPCPs in treated wastewater and its translocation into plant root systems.…”