Ensuring Sustainable Development of Agriculture Based on the Use of Sewage Sludge

Abstract

Topicality. The events of recent years (the Covid-19 pandemic, hostilities in Ukraine) have led to a significant increase in world food prices. Thus, the FAO price index in February 2022 reached a historic high of 140.7 percentage points. One of the significant factors in this situation is a significant increase in prices for fertilizers for agriculture, which leads to their shortage. This actualizes the search for a solution to the problem of using sewage sludge as biological resource for sustainable agriculture and ensuring the implementation of sustainable development goals, including goals 2, 6, 11, 12, 15.Aim and tasks. The purpose of the article is to analyze various aspects of the use of sewage sludge in agricultural production as one of the promising ways to achieve sustainable development goals.Research results. The content of organic matter in the sludge can improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil by ensuring better soil cultivation and water retention capacity, especially when dehydrated sewage sludge is used. Biosolids reduce runoff and increase surface water retention. Organic nitrogen in sludge is much less likely to cause groundwater pollution than chemical nitrogen fertilizers. The use of sewage sludge on agricultural land is the best way to recycle the nutrients it contains. Sewage sludge can therefore be considered an important biological resource for sustainable agriculture. Physico-chemical characteristics of sewage sludge of different origin were compared. The concentration of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were similar. Nevertheless, there are some site-specific factors that make each sewage sludge unique and must be taken into account to predict the outcome of sewage sludge treatment. To achieve the goal, an analysis was made of the effect of sewage sludge on the physico-chemical and microbial properties of the soil; its impact on plants and their productivity; the problems of using soil sludge in agriculture, taking into account its contamination with various substances (heavy metals, microplastics and pharmaceuticals), have been studied.Conclusions. Sewage sludge is a promising fertilizer for sustainable agriculture, taking into account the need for an effective technology for its purification from hazardous substances.