Quality Assessment of the Anaerobic Composting of Dehydrated Sludge from Wastewater Treatment Plant for Agriculture Application

Recycling biodegradable waste is one of the crucial stages in sustainable waste management. Recycling them for agricultural purposes can have a beneficial impact on environmental protection, with more organic amendment and fewer chemical fertilizers contaminating farmland and groundwater. This will support food production of the right nutritional quality, by increasing yields. The aim of this research was the biotechnological valorization of dewatered sludge as compost for agricultural soil fertilization. Compost was applied using the windrow method. The materials used for composting are dewatered sludge from the wastewater treatment plant, mixed with fillers, such as green and brown waste. The obtained results suggest that the finished products from heaps A, B and C show a significant level of stability. These results reinforce the viability of composting products as soil improvers, highlighting their stability, effective disinfection and compliance with environmental standards. This study showed that the compost from dewatered sludge can be a promising alternative to the use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural crops, with a view to improving yields.