Effect of ambient temperatures on disinfection efficiency of various sludge treatment technologies.

Sewage sludge produced during municipal wastewater treatment has to be treated efficiently in order to reduce impacts on the environment and on public health. In Germany and many countries, large quantities of sludge are reused in agriculture in order to recycle nutrients and organic material. In order to quantify the effect of different ambient temperatures on conventional and advanced sludge treatment technologies as well as on disinfection efficiency, a comprehensive research study was performed at Braunschweig Institute of Technology. The detailed results show that ambient temperature has a strong effect on biological liquid sludge stabilization and on natural dewatering and drying technologies, although microbiological quality of treated sludge, indicated by Escherichia coli concentration, does not meet the requirements for unrestricted reuse in agriculture. Composting and lime treatment of sludge are most efficient on reducing E. coli, as high temperatures and high pH values arise in the material respectively.