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Utilization of urban sewage sludge: Chinese perspectives

  • Urbanization in China and its Environmental Impact
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Urbanization and industrialization in China has resulted in a dramatic increase in the volume of wastewater and sewage sludge produced from wastewater treatment plants. Problems associated with sewage sludge have attracted increasing attention from the public and urban planners. How to manage sludge in an economically and environmentally acceptable manner is one of the critical issues that modern societies are facing.

Methods

Sludge treatment systems consist of thickening, dewatering, and several different alternative main treatments (anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, drying, composting, and incineration). Agricultural application, landfill, and incineration are the principal disposal methods for sewage sludge in China. However, sewage sludge disposal in the future should focus on resource recovery, reducing environmental impacts and saving economic costs.

Results

The reuse of biosolids in all scenarios can be environmentally beneficial and cost-effective. Anaerobic digestion followed by land application is the preferable options due to low economic and energy costs and material reuse.

Conclusion

It is necessary to formulate a standard suitable for the utilization of sewage sludge in China.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like thank Dr P.N. Williams for proofreading the manuscript. This work was supported by Hangzhou Administration of Science and Technology (20091633F12) and Wenzhou Administration of Science and Technology (H20100051). Y-G Z is partly supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-Q02-06) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (2009DFB90120).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    H. Chen, S-H. Yan & H-J. Meng

  2. Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China

    Z-L. Ye & Y-G. Zhu

  3. Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China

    Y-G. Zhu

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  1. H. Chen
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  2. S-H. Yan
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Correspondence to H. Chen.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Chen, H., Yan, SH., Ye, ZL. et al. Utilization of urban sewage sludge: Chinese perspectives. Environ Sci Pollut Res 19, 1454–1463 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0760-0

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