Sludge treatment wetlands: a review on the state of the art

Abstract

Sludge management has become a key issue in wastewater treatment, representing some 20–60% of the operational costs of conventional wastewater treatment plants. The high water content of the sludge results in large daily flow rates to be handled and treated. Thus, the search for methods to improve sludge volume reduction continues to be of major interest. The technology known as sludge treatment wetlands has been used for sludge dewatering since the late 1980s. Major advantages include its low energy requirements, reduced operating and maintenance costs, and a reasonable integration in the environment. However, the number of plants in operation is still low in comparison with conventional technologies. This study represents a review of the state of the art of sludge treatment wetlands. The main characteristics and operational aspects of the technology are described, including a summary of the main results reported in the literature. Finally, the efficiency of sludge treatment wetlands versus conventional treatments is compared.