Characterization, Spatial Variation and Management Strategy of Sewer Sediments Collected from Combined Sewer System: A Case Study in Longgang District, Shenzhen

Yongpeng Luo, Shenxu Bao, Siyuan Yang, Yimin Zhang, Yang Ping, Chao Lin and Pan Yang
Additional contact information
Yongpeng Luo: School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Shenxu Bao: School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Siyuan Yang: School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Yimin Zhang: School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Yang Ping: Shenzhen Water Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518116, China
Chao Lin: Shenzhen Water Planning and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Shenzhen 518116, China
Pan Yang: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 205 N Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL 61820, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-17

Abstract: In the urban drainage system, the formation of sewer sediments is inevitable, and the removal of sewer sediments is necessary for system maintenance. Disposal of arisings from sewer sediment removal is becoming a serious environmental issue. The current knowledge of sewer sediments is limited, which is restrained to sewer sediments management. To better understand this municipal waste, the sewer sediments of a combined sewer system in Longgang District, Shenzhen were collected and characterized, and the spatial distribution characteristics of contaminants were analyzed. Based on the bivariate correlation analysis, it is found that many contaminants in sewer sediments have a strong relationship with spatial variables. Compared to the sewer sediments in industrial areas, those in residential areas contain higher concentrations of Hg and phosphorus. The sediments in the sewage conduit also contain more organic matter (OM), phosphorus, Cu, and Ni, and the sediments in the rainwater conduit contain a higher concentration of Cd. Moreover, the sediments produced in different catchments also show huge differences in the content of contaminants. These spatial distribution characteristics may provide help for the further classification of sewer sediments, thereby making the disposal of sediments more targeted. According to the local standards of sludge disposal, land application and incineration are not suitable for managing sewer sediments due to the low OM content and poor lower heating value (LHV). Although sanitary landfill is feasible for sewer sediments disposal, the complicated composition of sewer sediments still poses the risk of polluting the surrounding environment. The management of sewer sediments via the production of building materials is a promising technical route that can avoid the migration of hazardous contaminants and produce valuable products. This study may improve our understanding of sewer sediments and provide a reliable recommendation for sewer sediment management.

Keywords: sewer sediment; combined sewer system; hazardous contaminants; spatial distribution; municipal sludge management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7687/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7687/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7687-:d:597530

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().