ANALYSIS OF THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF USE IN AGRICULTURE OF SLUDGE FROM WATER TREATMENT STATIONS WITH HIGH MANGANESE

Abstract

The proper destination of the sludge generated at the water treatment stations is a fundamental factor for a supply system to fully achieve its public health, social and environmental responsibility objectives. Agricultural use has been presented as a potential destination option, as this sludge can present significant concentrations of iron and manganese, which is applicable in agriculture as a correction of soil micronutrients. In this sense, the objective of the work is to analyze the technical feasibility of using in agriculture the sludge of water treatment plants with high manganese content in Sengés/PR. The steps developed in the research were: pilot study to verify the occurrence of manganese concentration in the sludge, determination of total solids and fixed solids of the collected samples, determination of the chemical composition of the collected samples, and evaluation of the potential concentration of manganese ore for compose fertilizer matrix. The verified ratio of total solids between the wet sludge and the dry sludge was about 9%. For the dry material, the determined average percentage of fixed solids (mineral aggregate) was 89.85%, with an average concentration of manganese, detected at 45.34%. It was concluded that the sludge from the water treatment stations can be an alternative source of manganese supply to compose the soil fertilizer matrix, being able to meet the demand of small producers, being an alternative for the destination of the waste generated in the water treatment process. supply that incorporates added value to the waste and encourages the reduction of environmental degradation in the production of fertilizers.