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Municipal sludges as sources of energy or nutrients – What is the best?

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  • Raclavská, Helena
  • Růžičková, Jana
  • Šafář, Michal
  • Kucbel, Marek
  • Slamová, Karolina
  • Švédová, Barbora
  • Juchelková, Dagmar
  • Kantor, Pavel

Abstract

The decision on the optimal use of sludges from wastewater treatment plants is still very complex, even when applying the principles of sustainability and circular economy. Interest in the energy use of sludges is conditioned not only by their inclusion among biowaste but also by the availability of technologies that meet emission limits and newly by the possibility of extending anaerobic digestion processes to hydrogen production. The use of sludges in agriculture as a source of carbon and nutrients is limited by concerns about the occurrence of anthropogenic organic compounds and especially micropollutants that can migrate in individual environmental compartments. Based on information from the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, 287 compounds of anthropogenic origin in sludge were divided into five groups: compounds causing environmental risk, health risk, acute toxicity, irritant, and no impact. The group of compounds causing environmental risk (highly toxic for the aquatic environment) includes 42 compounds. Phytotoxicity tests (Lepidium sativum) in relation to other parameters characterising sludge stability have shown that the key parameter for achieving a germination index >85% is the amount of organic matter expressed as chemical oxygen demand (COD) and conductivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Raclavská, Helena & Růžičková, Jana & Šafář, Michal & Kucbel, Marek & Slamová, Karolina & Švédová, Barbora & Juchelková, Dagmar & Kantor, Pavel, 2023. "Municipal sludges as sources of energy or nutrients – What is the best?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:275:y:2023:i:c:s0360544223008630
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2023.127469
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Fonts, Isabel & Gea, Gloria & Azuara, Manuel & Ábrego, Javier & Arauzo, Jesús, 2012. "Sewage sludge pyrolysis for liquid production: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 2781-2805.
    2. Moni Silva, Ana Paula & Barros, Regina Mambeli & Silva Lora, Electo Eduardo & Díaz Flórez, Carlos Andrés & Silva dos Santos, Ivan Felipe & Cassia Crispim, Adriele Maria de & Grillo Renó, Maria Luiza, 2023. "Characterization and evaluation of the life cycle of energy use from drying bed sludge," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PB).
    3. Jumoke Oladejo & Kaiqi Shi & Xiang Luo & Gang Yang & Tao Wu, 2018. "A Review of Sludge-to-Energy Recovery Methods," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-38, December.
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    1. Chunyu Liu & Changtao Yue & Yue Ma, 2024. "Pollutant Emissions and Heavy Metal Migration in Co-Combustion of Sewage Sludge and Coal," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-15, May.

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