Current situation and future possibilities for the sewage sludge valorization

Abstract

Thermal treatment is an efficient solution for the sewage sludge disposal, able to deal with the environmental problems related to some harmful elements inside sludge itself, as heavy metals, hormones, pharmaceutical derivates etc. This presentation wants to show the several reliable technologies available today, able to fulfil the requirements for efficiency and cheapness. Other solutions with interesting potentialities are now in a research phase, and they show promising future possibilities of application also from the point of view of the environmental acceptability related to these technologies. In addition to the solutions for the sludge thermal treatment, it will be shown the issue of the phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge, a topical issue that will influence the choices for the sludge disposal in the next years.