ECOLOGICAL AND HYGIENIC ASPECTS OF THE USE OF SEWAGE SLUDGE OF LARGE CITIES AND INDUSTRIAL CENTRES OF UKRAINE AS UNCONVENTIONAL ORGANIC FERTILIZERS

Abstract

Objective. Study ecological, hygienic and radio-ecological parameters of sewage sludge (SS) of large cities and industrial centres of Ukraine, which were formed under the influence of constantly growing technogenesis; establish the degree of waste pollution and give ecological and hygienicassessment of their suitability for systemic use in agriculture as unconventional organic fertilizers. Methods. Sanitary-microbiological, helminthological, toxicological (physical, radiochemical), comparative-analytical, statistical. Results. It was shown that under the conditions of constantlygrowing technogenesis, ecological and hygienic parameters of the studied SS after the final keepingon sludge beds were predominantly suitable for application as fertilizers. A group of cities whereSS have a high level of biological pollution and require more effective disinfection has been allocated. At the same time, in terms of the level of radioactive contamination, these SS predominantlycorrespond to the modern regional γ-background and belong to the category of radioactively contaminated. Conclusion. Ecological, hygienic and radioecological parameters of SS of large citiesand industrial centres of Ukraine, which were formed under the conditions of growing technogenesis in the pre-crisis period (and man-made accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant), afterfinal keeping on sludge beds generally meet the requirements for use as unconventional organic fertilizers. A group of cities where SS should be subject to more efficient decontamination due to biological pollution, a sufficient level of which can be achieved by adhering to technological processesin the treatment cycle at treatment plants, longer holding period on sludge beds (3 years or more),or biothermal processing with carbon-containing fillers to biocompost has been established.