The Evaluation of Hazards to Man and the Environment during the Composting of Sewage Sludge

Konstantia-Ekaterini Lasaridi, Thrassyvoulos Manios, Stamatis Stamatiadis, Christina Chroni and Adamantini Kyriacou
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Konstantia-Ekaterini Lasaridi: School of Environment, Geography and Applied Economics, Harokopio University, 17671 Athens, Greece
Thrassyvoulos Manios: Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Estavromenos Heraklion, 71410 Crete, Greece
Stamatis Stamatiadis: Goulandris Natural History Museum, 14562 Kifissia, Greece
Christina Chroni: School of Environment, Geography and Applied Economics, Harokopio University, 17671 Athens, Greece
Adamantini Kyriacou: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, 17671 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: Composting is considered an effective treatment option to eliminate or substantially reduce potential hazards relating to the recycling of sewage sludge (SS) on land. The variation of four major types of hazards (heavy metals, instability, pathogenic potential and antibiotic resistance) was studied during laboratory-scale composting of two mixtures of sludge and green waste (1:1 and 1:2 v / v ). The heavy metal content of the final compost was governed by the initial contamination of SS, with the bulking agent ratio having practically no effect. The composts would meet the heavy metal standards of the United States of America (USA) and the European Union member states, but would fail the most stringent of them. A higher ratio of bulking agent led to a higher stabilisation rate, nitrogen retention and final degree of stability. A good level of sanitisation was achieved for both mixtures, despite the relatively low temperatures attained in the laboratory system. The antibiotic resistance was limited among the E. coli strains examined, but its occurrence was more frequent among the Enterococcus spp. strains. The type of antibiotics against which resistance was mainly detected indicates that this might not be acquired, thus, not posing a serious epidemiological risk through the land application of the SS derived composts.

Keywords: sewage sludge composting; heavy metals; stability; sanitization; antibiotic resistance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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