Anna Grosser

Sewage sludge disposal strategies for sustainable development

ABSTRACT The main objective of the present review is to compare the existing sewage sludge management solutions in terms of their environmental sustainability. The most commonly used strategies, that include treatment and disposal has been favored within the present state‐of‐art, considering existing legislation (at European and national level), characterization, ecotoxicology, waste management and actual routs used currently in particular European countries. Selected decision making tools, namely End‐of‐waste criteria and Life Cycle Assessment has been proposed in order to appropriately assess the possible environmental, economic and technical evaluation of different systems. Therefore, some basic criteria for the best suitable option selection has been described, in the circular economy “from waste to resources” sense. The importance of sewage sludge as a valuable source of matter and energy has been appreciated, as well as a potential risk related to the application of those strategies. HighlightsEnvironmental sustainability in sewage sludge management.Investigation of eco‐innovations in wastewater treatment.Assessment of ecological consequences of sewage sludge disposal.

Efficacy of Biosolids in Assisted Phytostabilization of Metalliferous Acidic Sandy Soils with Five Grass Species

The role of sewage sludge as an immobilising agent in the phytostabilization of metal-contaminated soil was evaluated using five grass species viz., Dactylis glomerata L., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., F. rubra L., Lolium perenne L., L. westerwoldicum L. The function of metal immobilization was investigated by monitoring pH, Eh and Cd, Pb, and Zn levels in column experiment over a period of 5-months. Grasses grown on sewage sludge-amendments produced high biomass in comparison to controls. A significant reduction in metal uptake by plants was also observed as a result of sewage sludge application, which was attributed to decreased bioavailability through soil stabilisation. We have observed that the sludge amendment decreased metal bioavailability and concentrations in soil at a depth of 25 cm, in contrast to untreated columns, where metal concentrations in the soil solution were very high.

Determination of the performance of vermicomposting process applied to sewage sludge by monitoring of the compost quality and immune responses in three earthworm species: Eisenia fetida, Eisenia andrei and Dendrobaena veneta

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of vermicomposting process applied on three different sewage sludge (precomposted with grass clippings, sawdust and municipal solid wastes) using three different earthworm species. Selected immune parameters, namely biomarkers of stress and metal body burdens, have been used to biomonitor the vermicomposting process and to assess the impact of contaminants on earthworms physiology. Biotic and abiotic parameters were also used in order to monitor the process and the quality of the final product. Dendrobaena veneta exhibited much lower resistance in all experimental conditions, as the bodyweight and the total number of circulating immune cells decreased in the most contaminated conditions. All earthworm species accumulated heavy metals as follows Cd>Co>Cu>Zn>Ni>Pb>Cr: Eisenia sp. worms exhibited the highest ability to accumulate several heavy metals. Vermicompost obtained after 45days was acceptable according to agronomic parameters and to compost quality norms in France and Poland.

Anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge with grease trap sludge and municipal solid waste as co-substrates ☆

&NA; The feasibility of simultaneous treatment of multiple wastes via co‐digestion was studied in semi‐continuous mode at mesophilic conditions. The obtained results indicated that sewage sludge, organic fraction of municipal waste (OFMSW) and grease trap sludge (GTS) possess complementary properties that can be combined for successful anaerobic digestion. During the co‐digestion period, methane yield and VS removal were significantly higher in comparison to digestion of sewage sludge alone. Addition of GTS to digesters treating sewage sludge resulted in increased VS removal and methane yield up to 13% (from 50 to 56.4) and 52% (from 300 to 456,547 m3/Mg VSadd), respectively. While the use of OFMSW as the next co‐substrate in the feedstock, can boost methane yield and VS removal up to 82% (300–547 m3/Mg VSadd) and approximately 29% (from 50% to 64.7%), respectively. Moreover, the results of the present laboratory study revealed that the addition of co‐substrates to the feedstock had a significant influence on biogas composition. During the experiment methane content in biogas ranged from 67% to 69%. While, the concentration of LCFAs was increasing with the gradual increase in the share of co‐substrates in the mixtures, wherein only the oleic acid was higher than some inhibition concentrations which have been reported in the literature. However, it did not significantly affect the efficiency of the co‐digestion process. HighlightsAddition of two waste into the sewage sludge digester improves process efficiency.Co‐digestion of 3‐component mixtures increases VS removal up to 29%.While, methane yield increased up to and 82% relative to the control digester.Effectiveness of the process depends on OLR and the content of waste in the feedstock.

The Impact of PAHs Contamination on the Physicochemical Properties and Microbiological Activity of Industrial Soils

The aim of this article is the study of the potential relationships between PAHs contamination, physicochemical parameters, and microbial activity in industrial soils. The research was based on two series of measurements. The first was conducted in June 2013 and the second in November 2013. Samples used in study were collected from the area of fuel handling and a loading station, located in the Silesia region of Poland. All collected samples were characterized by the following analytical procedures: PAHs content analysis, the basic physical and chemical parameters determinations (pH, CEC, humic acids content, TC, TN, TP) and microbial activity analysis. The obtained results were also subjected to statistical analysis, based on the Pearsons correlation coefficient calculations. Results collected during described above procedure show that: the PAHs content was highly positively correlated with C and N contents (p < 0.001) and moderately correlated with humic acids and P contents (p < 0.01). This phenomenon confirms the thesis that the increase of soil organic matter content promotes accumulation of hydrophobic organic compounds such as PAHs. Microbiological analysis shows that bacteria from the mesophilic group are most resistant to PAHs contamination. This information indicates that the organisms belonging to this group should be considered as potentially useful in the soil bioremediation processes.

The potential of biosolid application for the phytostabilisation of metals

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the suitability of a biosolid originated from food industry for land remediation as well as the influence of soil heavy metal bioavailability on the Pb, Zn and Cd stabilisation/removal potential of five grass species to assess their potential use as phytoremediation agents. A column device assessment was conducted using contaminated soil from a site surrounding the zinc smelter. The application of sewage sludge from food industry decreased the bioavailability of metals (particularly of Pb and Cd). The shoot biomass of the investigated plant species increased in the following order: Festuca rubra L. < Dactylis glomerata L. < Lolium perenne L. < Lolium westerwoldicum L. < Festuca arundinacea Schreb. An analysis of the biomass confirmed that used amendment promoted plant growth and significantly increased plant yield. A significant decrease in the metals’ uptake in plants was achieved, reflecting a decrease in bioavailability and stabilisation of heavy metals in...