The most significant environmental concern associated with landfilling treated sludge is the potential for leachate contamination of groundwater. Sludge, also known as biosolids, is the solid or semi-solid residue remaining after wastewater treatment. Wastewater treatment plants remove pollutants from water, and the resulting sludge contains organic matter, inorganic solids, and potentially heavy metals and other contaminants absorbed from the wastewater. While sludge is often treated to reduce pathogens and stabilize organic matter – processes like anaerobic digestion (breaking down organic matter in the absence of oxygen) or lime stabilization (adding lime to raise th....
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