Environmental management of sanitary wastewater sludge (bio-solids) to produce compost and compare it for replacement with conventional chemical fertilizers

Currently, the environmental management of wastewater sludge is a major challenge in environmental engineering. New effective solutions for wastewater treatment lead to improved final effluent quality but significantly increase the volume of wastewater sludge produced. This study investigated the environmental management status of the sewage sludge of the sanitary treatment plant of the Mahmoudabad Cultural, Recreational, and Sports Complex affiliated to the National Oil Company to produce compost and compare it for replacement with conventional chemical fertilizers.The present study is descriptive-cross-sectional. The required sludge was prepared from the sludge dryer beds of the wastewater treatment plant of Mahmoudabad Cultural, Recreational, and Sports Complex, and the method used was aerobic sludge compost by the wind. Windrow size was 1/2 m high, 1.5 m wide, and 2.5 m long and was performed in 3 stages of 20 days.This study showed that the percentage of organic matter in the compost obtained from the municipal sewage sludge of Mahmoud Abad is of good quality. Changes in temperature, pH, percentage of carbon and nitrogen in the samples were in the acceptable range. Considering the environmental conditions and nutritional needs of plants, it can be said that bio fertilizers and especially compost from wastewater treatment, can play a positive role in plant growth and yield under drought stress.