Impact of Water Treatment Plant Sludge on the Growth of Native Vegetation: An Experimental Approach

• Grant number: 23/14910-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: December 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Sanitary Engineering - Environmental Sanitation
• Principal Investigator: Rosane Freire Boina
• Grantee: Roberta Bueno Martins
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Population and industrial growth have demanded high-quality water. The process of purifying raw water for public use is governed by a series of treatment techniques and stages. In a conventional water treatment plant (WTP), after the coagulation and flocculation stage, the Water Treatment Plant Sludge (WTPS) is generated, which is a solid waste, and its disposal is a challenge faced by sanitation companies. Conventional disposal practices, such as landfilling, are more common, but they lack promising perspectives. Additionally, the discharge of WTPS into water bodies causes imbalances in the aquatic environment and nearby ecosystems, resulting in significant negative impacts. This leads to various problems, both economic and environmental, as well as for human and animal health. Therefore, transformative research in which the waste can be utilized as a raw material in the market should be strongly encouraged. Considering this perspective, the aim of this research proposal is to assess the effects of different dosages of WTP sludge applied to the soil, considering three different states (liquid, semi-solid, and dry), on the development of a native species. It is expected that the results of this study can contribute to the sanitation sector, as well as the development of effective and sustainable guidelines related to the management and disposal of WTP sludge, proposing its use in degraded soil for the growth of native vegetation as a promising, viable, and safe alternative.