The specificities of the circular economy (CE) in the municipal wastewater and sewage sludge sector—local circumstances in Poland

Kacprzak, Małgorzata; Kupich, Iwona

doi:10.1007/s10098-021-02178-w

Cited by 10 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Many authors [7,[19][20][21] have stated that SS as a waste is perfectly in line with the assumptions of circular economy. Is this position actually justified and confirmed in practice?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Current Trends in Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management—A Case Study for Poznań County, Poland

Jakubus

2024

Sustainability

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The formation of sewage sludge (SS) is directly related to the number of people served by municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), while it is also impacted by increasingly upgraded sewage treatment technologies used in such installations. The presence of SS in our environment raises a number of concerns regarding its proper and sustainable management. In practice, the choice of a specific SS disposal method is determined by a number of factors and, as this research has shown, it may vary significantly both on the national and regional scale. This study analyzed this phenomenon in relation to Poznań County, located in the Wielkopolskie province, Poland. As part of this study, the SS chemical composition was assessed based on data obtained directly from local municipal WWTPs over the course of several years (the last 7 years). The currently used SS management methods were analyzed in terms of SS chemical composition. Moreover, in view of the importance of public involvement in decision-making processes related to sustainable management of SS, an original survey was developed to assess local residents’ knowledge concerning SS management in Poznań County. Based on the obtained data, it was found that the generated SS, constituting a form of fertilizer, was primarily used for agricultural and reclamation purposes (over 41% of total SS mass in the case of Poznań County). It is facilitated by the chemical composition of this waste, characterized by high contents of organic matter (380–730.3 g·kg−1), nitrogen (13.3–78 g·kg−1), and calcium (9.5–350 g·kg−1), while the amounts of heavy metals were within the permissible ranges. A survey of the local community revealed that although respondents recognized and could accurately identify SS as a waste, their knowledge concerning harmfulness of this waste and its management was fragmentary. Regardless of the age of the respondents, 48 to 66% of them had no opinion concerning problems related to SS in their area. The youngest people (aged 18–25) showed the lowest level of knowledge on SS and its management. People with elementary education were the least knowledgeable about sewage sludge management. Regardless of the above, a majority of respondents (28–56% for different age groups and 7–18% for various educational backgrounds) were convinced of the validity of agricultural SS use. To sum up, research on sewage sludge is an indispensable element of activities aimed at sustainable development, combining aspects of environmental protection, circular economy, and social awareness and acceptance. Additionally, the study results indicated the need for social education to increase environmental awareness and co-responsibility for SS management.

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“…Many authors [7,[19][20][21] have stated that SS as a waste is perfectly in line with the assumptions of circular economy. Is this position actually justified and confirmed in practice?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Current Trends in Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management—A Case Study for Poznań County, Poland

Jakubus

2024

Sustainability

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“…Due to its high calorific value (approx. 23 MJ/m 3 ), biogas is a prominent energy source (Kacprzak and Kupich, 2021). Moreover, biogas obtained from sewage sludge is considered as a renewable energy source (Piwowar, 2020).…”

Section: Biogas Production Indicator From Sewage Sludge (Ibss)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Indicators for resource recovery monitoring within the circular economy model implementation in the wastewater sector

Preisner

Smol

Horttanainen

et al. 2022

Journal of Environmental Management

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“…Nowadays, both raw sewage sludge and its processing products are beginning to be perceived not only as waste but also as a valuable material [1,2]. One of the modern methods of post-fermentation sludge management, thanks to which it is possible to both recover energy and obtain potentially useful raw material, is thermal utilization by combustion in fluidized bed furnaces.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Analysis of Laboratory-Made and Industrial-Made Sewage Sludge Ash: Implications for Effective Management Strategy Development

Cieślik,

Ronda,

Grządka

et al. 2024

Toxics

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In the pursuit of environmentally and economically sustainable sewage sludge ash (SSA) management methods, researchers often employ laboratory-made SSA (L-SSA) as a substitute for industrial-made SSA (I-SSA) produced in fluidized bed furnaces. To check whether L-SSA is a material that imitates I-SSA well, the fractionation of metals whose presence is a significant problem during SSA management was performed. In addition, the grain distribution, specific surface area, and textural properties of the tested materials were examined. Differences in total Pb and Hg content and mobility of Cu, Ni, Mn, and Zn were observed between I-SSA and L-SSA. Larger particle sizes of L-SSA compared to I-SSA were confirmed, while comparable textural properties and specific surface area of both types of materials were maintained. Based on the results, it was concluded that L-SSA is chemically different compared to I-SSA, and that L-SSA should not be used as a reference in research focused on the design of SSA management methods. Moreover, fractionation of metals was performed in disposed fluidized beds (FBs), which are diverted to non-hazardous waste landfills without prior analysis. It has been proven that studied metals are present in FBs as abundantly as in SSA, while Cu, Mn, and Ni may show higher mobility than in I-SSA.

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The specificities of the circular economy (CE) in the municipal wastewater and sewage sludge sector—local circumstances in Poland

Cited by 10 publications

References 27 publications

Current Trends in Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management—A Case Study for Poznań County, Poland

Current Trends in Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management—A Case Study for Poznań County, Poland

Indicators for resource recovery monitoring within the circular economy model implementation in the wastewater sector

Comparative Analysis of Laboratory-Made and Industrial-Made Sewage Sludge Ash: Implications for Effective Management Strategy Development

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