Use of Sands from Wastewater Treatment Plants as a Substitute for Natural Aggregate in the Context of a Circular Economy

Monika Czop (), Elwira Zajusz-Zubek and Beata Łaźniewska-Piekarczyk
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Monika Czop: Department of Technologies and Installations for Waste Management, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, The Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Elwira Zajusz-Zubek: Department of Air Protection, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, The Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 22B, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Beata Łaźniewska-Piekarczyk: Department of Building Processes and Building Physics, Faculty of Civil Engineering, The Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 5, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: In light of the global raw material crisis and the ongoing degradation of the natural environment, this study provides a significant contribution to the advancement of the circular economy in the construction sector. The authors conducted a comprehensive analysis of the feasibility of using waste sands originating from wastewater treatment plants as substitutes for natural fine aggregates in concrete mixtures. The investigation included the evaluation of the physicochemical, environmental, and mechanical properties of the analyzed waste sands. The results demonstrate a high application potential for sewer cleaning sand (SC), which, in its current form, can be used in non-structural applications. The key advantages of the sand that was examined include a high sand-equivalent value (98.2%), low contents of impurities (LOI < 1.5%), and a favorable chemical composition. Leaching tests for harmful substances, including heavy metals, for both the sand and the mortar samples, did not indicate any significant environmental risk. One principal conclusion of the study is the identification of the possibility of closing the waste life cycle at the wastewater treatment plant stage, which could significantly contribute to the reduction of landfilled waste volumes and operational costs.

Keywords: waste sand; circular economy; recycled aggregate; fine aggregate; physicochemical properties; flexural strength; compression strength; leaching characteristics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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