Plants need nutrients to grow, but what happens when these nutrients come from sewage sludge? Spring barley, a common cereal crop, was studied to see how it absorbs copper and zinc from soil mixed with digested sewage sludge. The focus was on the zone near the plant's roots and how these metals behave there. Copper and zinc are essential for plants, but too much c...

Water treatment is a big deal. It's even more challenging when dealing with waste from burning trash and sewage. These wastes produce a nasty mix of chemicals and pollutants. We are talking about stuff like chlorine and organic pollutants. This stuff is hard to get rid of. Researchers have found a clever way to clean up this mess. They use something cal...

Did you know that sewage sludge, the stuff left over after treating wastewater, could be a treasure trove of biogenic carbon? It's true! In the EU alone, over 10 million dry tons are produced each year, containing about 30% carbon by dry weight. The problem? It's wet and full of ash, making it tough to use sustainably. So, scientists set out to find a new way. They ...

In a fascinating study, scientists modified sewage sludge from an enhanced membrane coagulation process. They tried out different alkaline conditions, temperatures, and time durations to see what worked best. The ideal mix turned out to be a high pH level, a warm temperature of 55°C, and a full day of pre-treatment. This combo broke down the solid waste into a more u...