Inactivation and risk control of pathogenic microorganisms in municipal sludge treatment: A review

Highlights

• Diversity and detection methods of pathogenic microorganisms in sludge.

• Control performance of sludge treatment processes on pathogenic microorganisms.

• Risk of pathogen exposure in sludge treatment and land application.

Abstract

The rapid global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has promoted concern over human pathogens and their significant threats to public health security. The monitoring and control of human pathogens in public sanitation and health facilities are of great importance. Excessive sludge is an inevitable byproduct of sewage that contains human and animal feces in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). It is an important sink of different pollutants and pathogens, and the proper treatment and disposal of sludge are important to minimize potential risks to the environment and public health. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of the diversity, exposure risks, assessment methods and inactivation techniques of pathogenic microorganisms in sludge. Based on this consideration, this review summarizes the control performance of pathogenic microorganisms such as enterovirus, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli by different sludge treatment technologies, including composting, anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, and microwave irradiation, and the mechanisms of pathogenic microorganism inactivation in sludge treatment processes are discussed. Additionally, this study reviews the diversity, detection methods, and exposure risks of pathogenic microorganisms in sludge. This review advances the quantitative assessment of pathogenic microorganism risks involved in sludge reuse and is practically valuable to optimize the treatment and disposal of sludge for pathogenic microorganism control.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Sludge treatment / Pathogenic microorganisms / Inactivation mechanisms / Exposure risks / Land application

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Acknowledgements

This study was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51925807 and 52091542) and the Excellent Innovation Project of Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (CAS RCEES-EEI-2019-02).

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