Potential role of intense ionising radiation sources in municipal sludge management and environmental protection

Magnitude of the problem of safe disposal of sewage and sludge is explained. With rapid increase in the quantum of generated municipal and industrial wastes, their disposal on land or in sea is becoming harmful to public health, hazardous to aquatic life and disturbing to ecological balance. These wastes can be recycled, but to make this recycling beneficial and at the same time harmless to public health, the wastes must be disinfected. Radiation disinfection of sewage and sludge is examined as one of the ways of disinfection. Irradiation can be carried out with gamma radiation or energised electrons. Techniques of radiation disinfection and radiation doses required for disinfection are discussed. Case studies of a few radiation plants for sludge disinfection are presented. They include the Palmdale Plant in Florida, Sandia Irradiator at Albuqurque, New Mexico, Energised Electron Facility at Deer Island, Boston - all these in U.S.A., and the Munich Plant in West Germany. Mention has been made to the work in progress in India on the design of irradiators. Reference has been made to the proposed electron irradiation system for destruction of toxic chemicals such as PCB in drinking water and for disinfection of secondary water. Economics of radiation disinfection is also discussed and it is noted that the radiation process can become economically competitive when cheap sources of radiation become available. (M.G.B.)