Sludge is associated with high concentrations of organic contaminants, unstable and difficult to manage. One of the methods to overcome this is by using the Solidification and Stabilization (S/S) method. However, this method is generally ineffective in treating organic compounds contained in sludge and requires additional treatment. Thus, this study evaluates the performance of the sequence treatment method of bioaugmentation and the S/S method to treat municipal sewage sludge. The fungi strain Aspergillus brasiliensis ATCC© 16404 was used in bioaugmentation treatment while Portland Cement (PC) was used as a binder for the sequence treatment. A series of laboratory tests for different ratios of S/S matrices are conducted which are a compressive strength test and a leaching test (pH, COD, and BOD test). As a result, sample C, with a ratio of 50% sludge and 50% cement, is the best ratio in this sequence treatment due to adequate compressive strength for safe disposal (above 0.35 Mpa) and also generates low COD and BOD levels. Results BOD/COD ratio indicate that all the samples after treatment show high stability. The findings improve the utilization of sludge waste for safe disposal and beneficial use, especially in the production of interlocking bricks. Partnering with manufacturers and waste companies can help integrate this method into existing facilities.
Khalid et al. (Wed,) studied this question.