Agroecological Characterization of Sewage Sludge of Kharkov

Abstract

The high rate of urbanization in the second half of the last century led to not only to the growth of urban population, but also as a result to increasing of amount of production wastes. During solving problems with municipal wastewater treatment inevitably the problem of disposal of sewage sludges is arised. Purpose is to provide agroecological substantiation of possibility of application of sewage sludge of Kharkov in the agricultural sector. Methods. Analytical, laboratory modeling and statistics. Results. Agrochemical and ecological assessment of sewage sludge of WWTP "Bezlutskiy" at Kharkov are given, compliance with the requirements of normative documents and substantiation of possibility of application of sewage sludge in the agricultural sector are established. Conclusions. It is found that sewage sludge contain sufficiently high amount of organic matter (more than 52 %) and major nutrients (total nitrogen and phosphorus) as well as acceptable concentrations of micronutrients and heavy metals according to the requirements of normative documents. Prospects of sewage sludge application as fertilizer is established.

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