The disparities found in studies on sewage sludge management, aggravated by the high financial investment required, may lead to decision-making uncertainty and hesitancy. This research, basing on seven different sludge treatment and disposal routes that are widely used in China (thickening-anaerobic digestion-dewatering-land application, thickening-condi- tioning-dewatering-sanitary landfill; thickening-conditioning-dewatering- anaerobic digestion-land application, thickening-conditioning-dewatering- drying-incineration; thickening-conditioning-dewatering-drying-land application; thickening-conditioning-dewatering-incineration-sanitary landfill and thickening-conditioning-dewatering-drying-sintering-building materials), and a contextual assessment of major influencing indicators in Bujumbura through a review of priorities defined in the country National Development Plan 2018-2027 and other relevant reports from the government and different local and international organizations, selected five key factors such as energy recovery, local policies and priorities, weather conditions, environmental impact rate, and capital investment, and analyzed which routes are more adapted for this city. Thus, an assessment matrix for suitability of each of the seven routes to each factor was developed to summarize the advantages and disadvantages for each scenario. The analysis results demonstrated that the financial capacity excludes incineration process. Energy recovery-oriented routes are likely to be particularly attractive due to their potential of producing electricity which is scarce in this city. The treatment should apply drying before disposal, a cost-free process using natural drying to reduce the cost and eventual environmental impact during sludge transportation to the disposal site. Landfilling is preferable over land application, to prevent the potential risk posed by the geographic position and topographic condition of the city. The study concluded that a route using anaerobic digestion, drying and landfilling would be a good choice for the area studied.
Cite this paper
Bizimana, A. , Wu, B. and Idriss, A. A. (2021). Analysis of Adapted Sewage Sludge Treatment and Disposal Routes in Bujumbura, Burundi. Open Access Library Journal, 8, e7319. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1107319.
Yoshida, H., Christensen, T.H. and Scheutz, C. (2013) Life Cycle Assessment of Sewage Sludge Management: A Review. Waste Management & Research, 31, 1083-1101.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X13504446
Mohammadi, Z., Azhdarpoor, A. and Dehghani, M. (2017) Stabilization and Dewatering of Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge Using Combined Bio/Fenton-Like Oxidation Process. Drying Technology, 35, 545-552.
https://doi.org/10.1080/07373937.2016.1190938
Tarrago, M., Garcia-Valles, M., Aly, M.H. and Martínez, S. (2017) Valorization of Sludge from a Wastewater Treatment Plant by Glass-Ceramic Production. Ceramics International, 43, 930-937. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2016.10.083
Kumar, A., Chopra, A.K. and Kumar, V. (2017) A Review on Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) a Resource for Sustainable Agriculture. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 2, 340-347. https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2017.020417
Gherghel, A., Teodosiu, C. and De Gisi, S. (2019) A Review on Wastewater Sludge Valorisation and Its Challenges in the Context of Circular Economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 228, 244-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.240
Sommer, K., Guiébo, J., Vignol, R., Maréchal, N., Sublet, M. and Kuria, F. (2012) Burundi: Profil urbain de Bujumbura. ONU-Habitat.
https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/download-manager-files/Burundi%20-%20Bujumbura.pdf
Bigumandondera, P., Nsavyimana, G., Ndikumana, T. and Vasel, J.-L. (2012) Vers une meilleur compréhension de l’assainissement non collectif en Afrique Subsaharienne intégrant les trois maillons de la chaine: Application à la ville de Bujumbura.
Plisnier, P.-D., Nshombo, M., Mgana, H. and Ntakimazi, G. (2018) Monitoring Climate Change and Anthropogenic Pressure at Lake Tanganyika. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 44, 1194-1208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2018.05.019
Polisi, A., Ntahorwaymiye, A.C., Agostini, P., Migraine, J.B., Kobayashi, M., Vaislic, M.D.H., Silverstein, S.J. and Jumaine, H. (2017) Burundi-Country Environmental Analysis: Understanding the Environment within the Dynamics of a Complex World: Linkages to Fragility, Conflict, and Climate Change. The World Bank.
Quansah, A., Ntaryamira, T. and Rwemera, J. (2018) Sludge Wastewater Management by Conventional Treatment Process: Case Study—Bujumbura Municipal Sewage. International Journal of Sciences, 4, 52-65. https://doi.org/10.18483/ijSci.1542
Oh, S.H., Park, K.H., Yu, B.H. and Kim, S.I. (2018) Drying Characteristics of Wastewater Sludge According to Outside Air Inflow Conditions. IDS’2018: 21st International Drying Symposium, València, Spain, 11-14 September 2018, 1815-1821.
https://doi.org/10.4995/IDS2018.2018.7790
Li, B., Wang, F., Chi, Y. and Yan, J.H. (2014) Study on Optimal Energy Efficiency of a Sludge Drying-Incineration Combined System. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 16, 684-692. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-014-0293-3
Bennamoun, L. (2012) Solar Drying of Wastewater Sludge: A Review. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16, 1061-1073.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2011.10.005
Collard, M., Teychene, B. and Lemee, L. (2017) Comparison of Three Different Wastewater Sludge and Their Respective Drying Processes: Solar, Thermal and Reed Beds—Impact on Organic Matter Characteristics. Journal of Environmental Management, 203, 760-767. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.05.070
Bai, H., Zhu, R., An, H., Zhou, G.Y., Huang, H., Ren, H.Q. and Zhang, Y. (2019) Influence of Wastewater Sludge Properties on the Performance of Electro-Osmosis Dewatering. Environmental Technology, 40, 2853-2863.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2018.1455744
Pradel, M. (2019) Survey Data of Sewage Sludge Treatment and Disposal Routes Originated from Activated Sludge Water Treatment in France. Data in Brief, 26, Article ID: 104541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2019.104541
Stoll, U. and Parameswaran, K. (1996) Treatment and Disposal of Domestic Sewage Sludge and Nightsoil Sludge for Bangkok. Water Science & Technology, 34, 209-217.
https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1996.0282
Yasui, H., Matsuhashi, R., Noike, T. and Harada, H. (2006) Anaerobic Digestion with Partial Ozonation Minimises Greenhouse Gas Emission from Sludge Treatment and Disposal. Water Science & Technology, 53, 255-263.
https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2006.104
Hatziconstantinou, G.J. and Efstathiou, H. (2003) Sludge Dewatering and Disposal Practices for Small Activated Sludge Wastewater Treatment Plants. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 38, 2401-2412.
https://doi.org/10.1081/ESE-120023444
Werle, S. and Dudziak, M. (2014) Influence of Wastewater Treatment and the Method of Sludge Disposal on the Gasification Process. Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S, 21, 255-268. https://doi.org/10.2478/eces-2014-0020
Bennamoun, L., Arlabosse, P. and Leonard, A. (2013) Review on Fundamental aspect of Application of Drying Process to Wastewater Sludge. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 28, 29-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2013.07.043
Winkler, M. (1997) SLUDGE 6—Developments in Sludge Treatment and Disposal. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 75, 58-59.
https://doi.org/10.1205/095758297528689
Shaddel, S., Bakhtiary-Davijany, H., Kabbe, C., Dadgar, F. and Østerhus, S. (2019) Sustainable Sewage Sludge Management: From Current Practices to Emerging Nutrient Recovery Technologies. Sustainability, 11, 3435.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su11123435
Pradel, M., Reverdy, A., Richard, M. and Chabat, L. (2014) Environmental Impacts of Sewage Sludge Treatment and Disposal Routes: A Life Cycle Assessment Perspective. 4th European Conference on Sludge Management, Izmir, Turkey, May 2014, 8 p.
Yang, G., Zhang, G. and Wang, H. (2015) Current State of Sludge Production, Management, Treatment and Disposal in China. Water Res, 78, 60-73.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2015.04.002
Tehrani, F. and Haghi, E. (2015) Techno-Economic Assessment of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Plant—Case Study of Tehran, Iran. The First Sustainable Development Conference of Engineering Systems in Energy, Water and Environment, Tehran, 21 May 2015, 1-4.
Ding, A., Zhang, R., Ngo, H.H., He, X., Ma, J., Nan, J. and Li, G. (2021) Life Cycle Assessment of Sewage Sludge Treatment and Disposal Based on Nutrient and Energy Recovery: A Review. Science of the Total Environment, 769, Article ID: 144451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144451
Neyens, E. and Baeyens, J. (2003) A Review of Thermal Sludge Pre-Treatment Processes to Improve Dewaterability. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 98, 51-67.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3894(02)00320-5
Tarantini, M., Butol, P. and Marorino, L. (2007) An Environmental LCA of Alternative Scenarios of Urban Sewage Sludge Treatment and Disposal. Thermal Science, 11, 153-164. https://doi.org/10.2298/TSCI0703153T
