Study on the characteristics and utilization of urban sewage sludge

In order to propose an effective method for the reclamation of sewage sludge, sewage sludge from three waste water treatment plants were sampled and analyzed. The results show that the digested sludge samples are alkalescent, and the undigested sludge samples are acidic. The moisture content ranged from 78% to 83%. The samples have plenty of organic matter, N, P, K, and the heavy metals are relatively low in content and are up to the Control Standards for Pollutants in Sludge from Agricultural Use (China). Landfilling of the sewage sludge should lead to the loss of nutrient and produce some problems in safety, processing, and leakage disposal, etc. The best approach to utilizing the sludge is to use as a fertilizer in forestry and flower gardens after compost.