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Reduction, modification and valorisation of sludge

Objective

The adoption of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive 91/271/EEC imposes the sewage sludge to be subsequently treated so it is expected by 2005 to increase twofold in comparison whit 1992. However, classical incineration to treat this vast amount of sludge must be no longer accepted from an environmental point of view. In addition, the Sewage Sludge Directive 86/278/EEC regulates the uses and properties of stabilised sludge for being either recycled or disposed. Both directives drive specific actions in two complementary ways.

Firstly, a deep knowledge of current sludge treatment, such as mesophilic, thermophilic or autothermophilic processes, must be promoted to solve that problem in the UE ambit, taking in account the particular considerations of each treatment facility. In second place, the development of new processes must be supported to open new alternatives that could valorise that waste.

The proposal aims at developing strategies for the disposal and reuse of waste sludge. The scope envisages developing several processes for reducing both amount and toxicity of sludge, with simultaneous transformation into green energy vectors such as methane or hydrogen. In outline, mesophilic and mainly thermophilic and autothermophilic conditions will be deeply explored as classical alternatives for sludge stabilisation, assuring sanitary conditions of the treated sludge.

Also, valuable materials will be obtained from sludge, such as activated carbons, which will be used in conventional adsorption processes and in innovative advanced oxidation processes. The main outcomes expected at the end of the projects are guidelines for technology selection in agreement with the geographic, economic and technical characteristics of the sewage plants, demonstration of the feasibility of new applications for the sewage sludge, manufacturing of activated carbon from sludge sewage as innovative recycling of sludge waste, and a deep understanding of the methods involved.

Fields of science

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

FP6-2004-GLOBAL-3
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project

Coordinator

UNIVERSITAT ROVIRA I VIRGILI
EU contribution
No data
Address
C/ de l'Escorxador s/n
TARRAGONA
Spain

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Total cost
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Participants (17)

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Last update: 23 July 2009

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/18525

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