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Biodegradation of Land-Applied Sludge

Microbial Ecology Laboratory, 40 Oxford St., Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138.

^* Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

The economic and environmental costs of sludge disposal are escalating rapidly. There is a need to increase the rate of decomposition during and after sludge formation. Sludge formation often determines which environmental factors and enzymatic reactions are effective in further degrading this complex substrate. From activated waste treatment through anaerobic digestion to land application, there is a decrease in the volume but an increase in the stabilization of the remaining organic material. Before we can design better methods for land disposal or "engineer" better microbial decomposers, the limitations of sludge decay must first be addressed.