TY - JOUR AU - Catherine N. Mulligan, AU - Mehdi Sharifi-Nistanak, PY - 2021/11/22 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - CONVERSION OF SLUDGE FROM A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT TO A FERTILIZER JF - GEOMATE Journal JA - INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOMATE VL - 11 IS - 23 SE - Articles DO - UR - https://geomatejournal.com/geomate/article/view/2532 SP - 2194-2199 AB - <p>Preventing wastage of resources is an important priority for sustainability. Sludge from a <br>wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is such a resource that it often wasted. It is a source of nutrients and <br>organic materials that can be used as a fertilizer. At a waste water treatment plant in Montreal, the sludge is <br>currently incinerated and sent for disposal. Alternatives to the practice are thus desirable. Elevated<br>concentrations of cadmium, copper, cobalt and selenium are found in the sludge and therefore a treatment <br>process is required before use as a fertilizer according to the Province of Quebec regulations. Leaching was <br>selected as there is potential for heavy metal removal. However, nutrient loss must be minimized to preserve <br>its use as a fertilizer. To meet these goals, a new leaching agent (K2HPO4) was proposed, and investigated for <br>heavy metal removal efficiency on the sludge. A correlation of heavy metal removal and preserved nutrient <br>concentration with time and pH was found. Removal efficiencies of cadmium, copper, cobalt and selenium of<br>80%, 44%, 70% and 93%, respectively were determined. In addition, concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus <br>and potassium of 17%, 17% and 25%, respectively, resulted in the treated sludge. In conclusion, the use of <br>dipotassium phosphate is an effective leaching method to remove heavy metals and simultaneously increase <br>the primary macro nutrients at an acceptable cost.</p> ER -