Optimization of sewage sludge: an integrated approach to sustainable compost production
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Abstract
The management of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants is a significant environmental and economic challenge. This study presents an integrated approach for the optimization of sewage sludge through the application of pre-composting, aerobic composting and lumber farming, with the objective of transforming it into high quality organic fertilizer. Initial analyses indicated that the sludge has a high organic matter content (53.5 %) and heavy metal levels within regulatory limits, but a high pathogen and moisture load that requires specific treatments. The results show that pre-composting reduced moisture by 20 % and prepared the sludge for subsequent stages. During composting, temperatures up to 65°C were reached, eliminating pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and helminths, in addition to stabilizing the carbon/nitrogen ratio at 10:1. Finally, lumbriculture increased the levels of essential nutrients such as nitrogen (4.2 %) and phosphorus (2.5 %), guaranteeing an organic fertilizer with superior agronomic properties and safe for use on agricultural crops.
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