In the temperature range of 10 to 80 ºC and in a batch digester, a typical activated SLUDGE was digested aerobically. Reaction rate constants were determined by measuring the amounts of volatiles removed from the suspended solids at different time intervals during the process. The maximum value of the reaction rate constant (0.45 d -1) occurred in the temperature range of 55-60˚C. Removal of indicator organisms (pathogens) in the SLUDGE, during the batch digestion, was also studied. SLUDGE digestion at 60 ºC provided a noticeable difference in reduction of the indicator organisms as compared to digestion carried out at 55 ºC. Optimum thermophilic aerobic digestion for high rate removal of volatile suspended solids and effective inactivation of pathogens happened in temperature range of 60-65 ºC.

Introduction: The Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) produces ~800–1, 000 kg of treated sewage SLUDGE per day at its Manchinchi wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The biosolids are used for land application purposes although the contaminant and pathogen composition and quality of the biosolids have been unknown until this study. Zambia does not have legal standards and guidelines for biosolids management or application. The Manchinchi plant in Lusaka suffers from constant breakdowns such that the effectiveness of the plant to produce quality grade biosolids for land application use is questionable. In peri-urban areas, the problem of poor sanitation is being addressed using different technologies including urine diversion ecosan toilets. The effectiveness of ecosan toilets to stabilize faecal SLUDGE has not been assessed in Zambia. The purpose of this study was to stabilize and characterize the biosolids from Manchinchi plant and ecosan toilets. Stabilization was done by use of drying beds and irradiation. The parametres that were used for characterization were microbiological, parasitological and heavy metals.Results: Biosolids from the Manchinchi WWTP sun drying bed, ecosan toilets and from an experimental plasticcovered drying bed were found to contain different PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS and contaminant levels. A radiation dose and time-related declining trend in pathogens loads in biosolids were observed. By the third week, no viable Ascaris eggs were detected. Based on controlled conditions, the biosolids quality was found to be within the internationally acceptable standards for restricted use.Conclusions: Both the untreated LWSC biosolids and ecosan SLUDGE contained pathogen levels with the potential to cause environmental and public health hazards if used for agriculture purposes. Under plastic-covered drying beds, viable Ascaris eggs were not detected by the fourth week of treatment and the biosolids were stabilized to levels equivalent to Class C of the Australian standards for restricted land application. Covered drying beds can be considered as cost effective stabilization treatment technology for biosolids in developing countries. The technology has potential benefits for improving public health and reducing environmental pollution in Zambia, especially during the rainy season when biosolids are directly discharged into the environment.

Purpose: Municipal sewage SLUDGE generated from three operational wastewater treatment plants, located in the Bekaa valley of Lebanon, was assessed for its potential use as agricultural soil amendment. Methods: SLUDGE samples were taken from three treatment plants located in the villages of Iaat, Ablah and Joub Jannine during the summer season of 2018, from June to September, on a monthly basis. The evaluation was based on characterizing the physicochemical parameters such as the metal content, the PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS (Salmonella, E. Coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Helminth eggs, Ascaris, Acinetobacter) and the phytotoxicity– stability indicators of the SLUDGE samples. Results: The obtained results were compared to the Lebanese guidelines for SLUDGE reuse in agriculture. For the physicochemical analysis, all the samples showed a possibility to be used in agriculture due to the high content of minerals and organic matter. Considering the metal content of SLUDGE, Iaat and Ablah SLUDGE were classified as Class A according to the Lebanese guidelines; however, SLUDGE from Joub Janine was classified as B due to its high content of zinc that exceeded the limit of 700 ppm. Helminth eggs and Salmonella were absent in the SLUDGE samples. PATHOGENIC organisms, mainly E. coli, were detected in Iaat dry SLUDGE, Staphylococcus aureus was present in Joub Jannine SLUDGE and Acinetobacter in Ablah station (> 100 CFU/100 g). Conclusion: It is recommended to submit the SLUDGE which did not meet the required criteria, for further treatments, particularly the composting process to reduce the metal content and PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS for a safer reuse in agriculture.

Sewage SLUDGE is an inevitable byproduct of wastewater treatment plants and a valuable source of essential plant nutrients. With inactivation of its PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS by gamma radiation can be recycled as soil organic fertilizer. This research evaluates the SLUDGE treatment by gamma irradiation with/without pasteurization on the removal of main indicators PATHOGENIC in the South of Tehran waste water treatment plant SLUDGE (WWPTs). Gamma irradiation (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 kGy), pasteurization (70 and 180 °C) and their combination were used to examine bacterial indicators such as Fecal Coliform, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, and Escherichia (E. coli). There were some PATHOGENIC bacteria in this organic fertilizer that exceeded the standards and could not be classified as class B or P3 according to the American and Iranian standards. Application of gamma irradiation at least 10 kGy dose, alone, and combination of gamma irradiation (at least 10 kGy) and pasteurization were sufficient for complete inactivation of four PATHOGENIC bacteria indicators, However, the pasteurization methods alone were not able for removal them completely. Generally, gamma irradiation of sewage SLUDGE to produce organic soil fertilizer is carried out in accordance with national and international standards. It is sufficient and cost-effective compared to two methods.

Background: Paint coating systems are widely implemented on different surfaces for both aspects of decoration and protection against corrosion. Due to the presence of organic compounds, the growth of MICROORGANISMS is more likely to take place in paints, such as automotive paint. In the process of automotive painting, 20%-60% of the paint does not expose to the automotive body, which is washed using water and would lead to the painting SLUDGE formation. Paint SLUDGE is considered one of the hazardous wastes from the automotive industry, which is finally landfilled or incinerated. Objectives: Despite the presence of inhibiting compounds in paint SLUDGE, such as heavy metals and biocides, the objective of this study was to isolate and identify MICROORGANISMS in the SLUDGE culture. Methods: The MICROORGANISMS were isolated using serial dilutions, direct cultivation, and enrichment methods in basic salt cultivation media. Then, their biochemical and molecular specifications were investigated. Results: The number of MICROORGANISMS counted in paint SLUDGE was approximately around 1  104 CFU/mL, and six isolated colonies were finally obtained. Conclusions: The main isolated microbial consortium from paint SLUDGE included Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Micrococcus yunnanensis, Rothia amarae, Gordonia terrae, and Brevibacillus agri. Nearly 83% of the isolated strains were Gram-positive.

Objective: Non-specific cervicitis or inflammatory changes in a smear report are common which are usually unclear for clinical approaches. To investigate the frequency of inflammation and PATHOGENIC vaginal MICROORGANISMS in cervical smears among an Iranian population sample.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on Pap smear samples of women referred to gynecological clinic of Taleghani Hospital in Tehran, Iran, between October 2008 and March 2009. This study was conducted on 528 conventional Papanicolaou cervical smears. The frequency and severity of inflammation and prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), and vaginal candidiasis (VC) was determined in the samples. Also co-infection of the MICROORGANISMS in Pap samples was evaluated. percentage, mean±standard deviation of the outcome parameters were calculated. The comparison between data was performed with the Pearson’s chi square or Fisher’s exact test.Results: The prevalence of BV, VC, and TV in Pap samples was 17%, 11%, and 0.4% respectively. Overall, the prevalence of these MICROORGANISMS in women of reproductive age was higher than menopausal women. There was a significant association between VC and the presence of inflammation in our samples.Conclusion: Based on our results, inflammation in the Pap smears can suggest an infection of VC and the patients should be considered for proper VC treatment.