Sludge management is a more and more complex problem due to increased
difficulties in locating disposal works and meeting more stringent env
ironmental quality requirements. The most recent notable developments
in conventional processing systems have regarded dewatering and stabil
ization, which remain essential prerequisites to any disposal method.
With the increasing pressure on disposal options, such as agricultural
use and landfilling, there has been a resurgence of interest in incin
eration. New processes and alternative uses have been proposed and exp
erienced, but most of them still require further investigations to eva
luate effectiveness and reliability. In ally case, it is not realistic
to search for a global solution to the problem, but the best solution
s must derive from local and site-specific considerations.