Friday, December 07, 2012

PRESTO project seminar on sustainable sludge management in Daugavpils, Latvia


More than 80 representatives of wastewater sector in the Baltic Sea Region gathered to discuss sustainable solutions for sludge management on the “Sustainable sludge management” seminar on 23 – 24 October 2012 in Daugavpils, Latvia.

Waste to resource approach has to be applied to sludge management in order to follow the principles of sustainable development. With sewage sludge this is a great challenge all over the world as it contains well recognized contaminants such as heavy metals, pathogens and poorly biodegradable trace organic compounds. At the same time, sludge is rich in nutrients (N & P) and contains valuable organic matter that is useful when soils are depleted or subject to erosion and can be used in renewable energy production.  

“Digestion of municipal sludge is an efficient way to reduce emission of greenhouse gases and produce renewable energy” said in his presentation Jukka Lehtovuori from Kemira Ltd.

Seminar addressed technical aspects of sludge treatment including latest trends, practical solutions as well as safe sludge reuse and disposal alternatives. During the site visit to the hosting waste water treatment plant of Daugavpils udens Ltd. the participants had a chance to familiarize themselves with the lately modernized post-soviet waste water treatment plant and hear about the reconstructions that have been done to improve the nutrient removal and sludge handling.

“Thanks to the investments already finalized within PRESTO project, we have now well-equipped workstation for testing samples of wastewater and sludge” said Aleksandra Vasiljeva from Daugavpils udens Ltd.

The seminar continued next day in Kaunas, Lithuania, with Laboratory Clinique, an interactive learning session for laboratory practitioners, led by Technical University of Berlin.

New fume cupboard purchased within PRESTO project

Old fume cupboard
Text by: Agnieszka Ilola, UBC Environmental Commission, Project Officer, PRESTO Project

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