ABSTRACT
The fate of organic compounds during wastewater treatment processes is controlled by physical, chemical, and biological processes. The presence of compounds in the sludge will be determined predominantly by their partitioning to the solid phase during earlier stages of the wastewater treatment processes. Sludge treatment processes have a number of objectives that are aimed at altering bulk properties of the material to convert it to a form more suitable for subsequent reuse. The objectives are: Render it less offensive and reduce associated health hazards and reduce the volume of material. Sewage sludge produced as a result of wastewater treatment are known to contain a range of organic micropollutants. Wastewater treatment plants produce primary sludges from initial separation of solids from influent streams, and biological sludges from the aerobic treatment of wastewater, secondary sludge, or humus sludge. Regulations in some European countries do state maximum allowable concentrations of contaminants in sludges for agricultural use.
