Mixture Of Sewage Sludge Research Articles

A mixture of sewage sludge and red gypsum as an alternative material for temporary landfill cover

This study proposed the recycling of sewage sludge (SS) and red gypsum (RG) as potential temporary landfill cover materials. Mixtures with different SS and RG compositions were prepared and tested in determining the most suitable design mix based on the resulting physical, mechanical, and geotechnical properties, namely the hydraulic conductivity, compressive strength, and plasticity. A maximum compressive strength of 524 kPa was achieved for the optimum SS:RG composition of 1:1, corresponding to Ca:Si composition of 2.5:1, which was appropriate to form the calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) gel. The SS and RG compositions did not affect the hydraulic conductivity, which was in the order 10−5 cm/s for all mixtures. Mixtures with RG greater than SS in composition exhibited plastic behaviour due to the Fe content in the RG, which helped minimize the risk of cracking. The optimum mixture had compressive strength greater than the specified minimum of 345 kPa, medium hydraulic conductivity, and moderate plasticity, thus appropriate for application as an alternative material for the temporary landfill cover in the tropics.

Soils and earthworms as a final chapter in the narrative of a steelworks

Hallside steelworks, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, employed thousands of people and constructed rails and ships for over a century, before this successful industry closed in the 1970s. The site,south-east of Glasgow, was then reclaimed from dereliction during the 1990s to produce biomass through Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) of willow trees (Salix spp.). On site, the contaminated soil was removed, and a rudimentary substrate created with a mixture of sewage sludge and colliery spoil, the latter moved from nearby tips to release land for housing. Trees were planted and earthworms (Annelida) added to potentially assist growth. Initially recognised as a flagship for reclamation, the site was then abandoned. In 2018, information was gathered on the development of soils and on earthworm communities. This was achieved by sampling across the 35 ha site below willow, other planted tree species and grassland. The results showed that reclaimed soils were very stony, compacted, resistant to water infiltration but relatively uncontaminated. Willow had grown, but coppicing had not occurred. Earthworm introduction was initially unsuccessful, but colonisation took place from adjacent unadulterated areas and 16 species from three ecological groups were recorded. Mean community density was 208 ± 18.1 earthworms m-2 with a mean mass of 71 ± 6.1 g m-2. Type of vegetation cover had a significant (P <0.05) effect on community density and biomass. The site is now used for recreation and is an effective greenspace close to Glasgow.

A risk assessment of leaching from artificial soil composed of fly ash and sludge

Mixture of fly ash (FA) and sewage sludge (SS) has been used as substrates to plant vegetables and turf grasses. Most studies chemically analyzed physiochemical properties of leachates from FA/SS mixtures, but did not considered the effects of plants growing on leaching properties, and the toxicity of leachates on aquatic animals were not well understood. In the present study, FA and SS were mixed in different ratios and then used to cultivate Zoysia matrella and Cynodon dactylon. After one month, these artificial soils were irrigated with water and leachates were collected for three months. Chemical analyses revealed that, although the heavy metal concentrations of FA and SS almost conformed to the relevant national standards, the levels of Cr, Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu in leachates still exceeded the limits in the Chinese Standard of Surface Water Quality, displaying potential environmental hazards. The effects of leachates on reproduction of Daphnia magna were evaluated and the results showed that leachates from high proportion of FA or SS would both negatively affect D. magna, demonstrating an environmental risk. However, leachates from mixture with FA: SS ratio from 1: 2 to 1: 6 did not significantly affect D. magna. Overall, the present results suggested that applications of FA/SS mixtures as artificial soil potentially contaminated aquatic environments and should be monitored carefully.

Использование смеси осадков сточных вод и отходов лесоперерабатывающего производства как почвенного субстрата для рекультивации нарушенных земель

Использование смеси осадков сточных вод и отходов лесоперерабатывающего производства как почвенного субстрата для рекультивации нарушенных земель

Biochar production from sewage sludge and microalgae mixtures: properties, sustainability and possible role in circular economy

In addition to the various options available for sewage sludge disposal, a possible process for sustainable resource recovery from this residue is its transformation into biochar, achieved by post-processing through pyrolysis. Biochar obtained from sewage sludge is considered one of the most interesting final products in a wastewater-based circular economy, as proven by the multitude of its possible uses tested so far in various applications. Recently, combined activated sludge (AS)-microalgae systems have been proposed to simultaneously remove both carbon and nutrients from wastewaters, as alternative to conventional technologies such as those based on denitrification and chemical phosphorus precipitation. Although this combined process could be efficient from the point of view of component removal from effluents, it generates potential issues to solid residue disposal practices, as algae normally respond poorly to traditional, mechanical drying processes. In this study, a disposal solution was investigated, consisting of pyrolysation of a mixed sludge/bioalgae matrix under different conditions: in such way, not only landfilled residuals are practically eliminated, but a material with multiple potential end uses is recovered. Process feedstock (algae, sludge and combinations thereof) and end-products (biochar and bio-oil) were characterised after pyrolysis under different conditions. Algae alone were also subject to preliminary solvent oil extraction to assess whether increased biochar production would result from such process variation (which it did, increasing biochar production by 25–33%). A comprehensive discussion on properties of end products as function of process design, possible applications in a circular economy cycle and advantages of co-pyrolysis follows.

Heat Energy and Gas Emissions during Composting of Sewage Sludge

The composting of sewage sludge and maize straw mixtures was investigated in this study. The aim was to analyze the influence of different proportions of sewage sludge and maize straw in the mixtures on composting process dynamics (expressed by heat production) and gas emissions. The results showed that all examined mixtures reached a strong thermophilic phase of composting; however, the lowest dynamic of temperature growth was observed in the case of the biggest sewage sludge content (60% of sewage sludge in the composting mixture). The ammonia concentration inside bioreactor chambers was directly related to the content of sewage sludge in the composted mixture. Excessive contents of sewage sludge had a considerable effect on very low C/N ratios and high losses through ammonia emissions. Tests were carried out in reactors with a capacity of 160 dm3 under controlled conditions. All mixtures were aerated by the average air-flow of about 2.5 dm3∙min−1, i.e., the minimum air-flow that allows a temperature of about 70 °C to be reached and a sufficiently long thermophilic phase, which ensures proper composting.

Biodegradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and the influence of environmental factors during the co-composting of sewage sludge and green forest waste

The main aim of this research was to study the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and the influence of environmental factors during composting in order to realize the utilization of PAHs contaminated sewage sludge. A production scale compost experiment was conducted with three mixtures of sewage sludge (SS): green forest waste (GFW) at quality ratios of 3:1 (T1), 3:2 (T2) and 3:3 (T3). The residual concentration of PAHs in the three treatments met the permissible limit prescribed by the Agricultural Sludge Pollutant Control Standard (GB 4284-2018). The biodegradation rates of PAHs were 0.0280, 0.0281 and 0.0218 mg/d, and removal efficiencies were 70.7%, 75.2% and 62.4% in T1, T2, T3, respectively, which followed the first-order rate kinetics. The residual concentration of PAHs in T2 was the lowest (1.81 mg/kg), while the germination index (GI) of Tall Fescues (~0.9) was the highest during 50 days of co-composting. The bacterial diversity negatively correlated with the residual PAHs content. The main genus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Methylotenera, with cellulose-degrading and PAHs co-metabolizing functions contributed significantly to sludge maturation and PAHs degradation. The dominant microorganisms, Pseudomonas, Sphingobacterium and Chitinophagaceae_uncultured, could support the high removal rate of PAHs in T2. Temperature, pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio had significant positive effect on the compost maturity and quality, and these parameters correlated with the PAHs biodegradation efficiency during composting, especially in T2.

Image Analysis of Sewage Sludge and Barley Straw as Biological Materials Composted under Different Conditions.

Composting is one of the most important methods of sewage sludge management. This paper describes the methods of computer image analysis used for objective comparison of the appearance of composted materials under diverse conditions in terms of size and thermal insulation of the composting chambers. The research material was a mixture of sewage sludge and barley straw. The composting process was performed under strictly controlled laboratory conditions, using 10 composting chambers with five different volumes. In half of them additional thermal insulation was used, while in the others no insulation was applied. A proper composting process run was observed only in the three chambers with the largest volume and with additional thermal insulation. The images of the materials were subjected to a wide analysis, wherein the values of 17 parameters regarding color and texture were estimated. Significant differences were observed in the appearances between materials obtained during the properly running composting processes and those obtained in the chambers of insufficient size and thermal insulation. The values of the considered parameters determined for images of the composted material under normal and abnormal conditions were significantly different from each other. Thus, these parameters may be used as indicators of a correctly conducted composting process. In the cases of 15 parameters, the values of these differences exceeded 10%, and in the cases of 10 parameters 50%, while in the cases of three parameters as much as 100%.

Kinetics Modelling of Batch Anaerobic Co-digestion of Domestic Primary Sewage Sludge and Food Waste in a Stirred Reactor

Anaerobic digestion was conventionally applied for treating sewage sludge. However, the accumulation of solid waste particularly food waste has reach the critical levels worldwide. In practice, the food waste was dumped into the landfill for ultimate disposal. However, the greenhouse gases produced in the landfill makes this is no longer a preferable option. Anaerobic digestion was seen as an alternative for managing the food waste in a sustainable way. Methane, a renewable energy is potentially in replacing fossil fuel. However, the methane yield from the digestion of food waste inefficient. Therefore, a study of the co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste was conducted to investigate the improvement of the methane yield. This study was conducted by using a mixture of domestic primary sewage sludge and food waste as a co-substrate for the anaerobic digester. The kinetics modified Gompertz modelling was applied to describe the anaerobic digestion process. A series of batch biochemical methane potential (BMP) assay was prepared using Automatic Methane Potential Test System (AMPTS II) to investigate the anaerobic digestibility of the mixture of domestic primary sewage sludge and food waste. The BMP assay showed that the co-digestion improved the ultimate methane yield by 32.6% higher than domestic primary sewage sludge alone, indicated that the co-substrate characteristics influencing the methane yield. Besides that, the greater VS/TS ratio of the substrate also resulted in the greater methane yield. The kinetics parameter from the modelling analysis were slightly lower as compared to the laboratory data.

Eisenia fetida and biochar synergistically alleviate the heavy metals content during valorization of biosolids via enhancing vermicompost quality

Impact of different biochars supplemented (10% w/w) to promote vermicomposting of sewage sludge (SS) and kitchen waste (KW) mixture (SS + KW, 70:30) was studied on the growth, reproduction and survival of earthworms, and ultimately the quality of vermicompost. Four types of biochar used as secondary material for preincubation (16 days) and vermicomposting (30 days) were: pine tree biochar (PTB), poplar plant biochar (PPB), wetland plant biochar (WPB) and yard waste biochar (YWB). Preincubation and vermicomposting of biomass mixture were undertaken in 60 L and 2 L capacity round-shaped bioreactors, respectively. Samples of biomass undergoing degradation were drawn after every 2 days during preincubation and with 5 days interval during vermicomposting to analyze them for plant nutrients and heavy metals contents. Amendment of vermicompost substrate (SS + KW) with biochars; PTB, PPB, WPB and YWB increased the reproduction rate of earthworms (Eisenia fetida) by 44.6, 53.9, 29.3 and 38.8%, respectively as compared to control (no biochar, NB). There has been significant reduction in total content of Cd (0.2–5.1%), Cr (7.3–10.8%), Cu (3.1–7.4%), Mn (3.2–8.4%), Pb (9.0–45.9%) and Zn (1.1–5.7%) by the application of different biochars as compared to NB after vermicomposting. The SEM/EDS images also reflected reduced concentration of these heavy metals in the final vermicompost as compared to initial mixtures. Progressively, biochar amendments increased the concentration of all macronutrients, viz., TN (15.8–31.0%), TP (8.6–9.9%), TK (2.8–17.3%), Ca (4.1–9.9%) and Mg (0.8–12.2%); while, reduced the pH (1.9–2.3%), content of Na (6.6–22.3%), TOC (6.6–15.4%), OM (5.0–8.2%) and C:N ratio (2.6–18.9%). Earthworm body accumulation factor (BAF) of heavy metals was: Cd > Zn > Pb > Cu > Mn > Cr at the termination stage of experiment. In conclusion, amending the SS + KW mixture with 10% (w/w) PPB for vermicomposting rendered higher count of cocoons, growth rate and reproduction rate of earthworms, which ultimately produce nutrients-rich vermicompost lower in heavy metals.

Preincubation and vermicomposting of divergent biosolids exhibit vice versa multielements stoichiometry and earthworm physiology

Sewage sludge and kitchen refuse are ubiquitously mounting wastes with high organic load, which if reprocessed they could salvage the environment. Reckoned with this certitude, an incubating study was initiated on sequential preincubation of sewage sludge with kitchen waste in 100:0, 70:30, 50:50, and 30:70 ratios for 16 days ensued by vermicomposting of 30 days using Eisenia fetida. Concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn) in the biosolid mixtures increased during preincubation but reduced progressively through vermicomposting due to bioaccumulation of these metals in the earthworm tissues. Earthworm growth parameters data reflected that sewage sludge and kitchen waste mixture with 70:30 ratio increased the number of cocoons (10.6%), biomass (8.2%), growth rate (8.3%), reproduction rate (12.2%), and decreased their mean mortality rate (80.1%) as compared to that in sole sewage sludge (control). Results of chemical analysis and SEM/EDS imaging, showed that alkalinity, organic carbon, C/N ratio, organic matter and concentration of trace elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn) reduced while macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) increased in the final vermicompost as compared to that in initial mixtures. The FT-IR analysis also revealed that various biochemical functional groups underwent biodegradation during combined preincubation-vermicomposting. Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of all trace elements in the earthworm tissues was higher with 70:30 ratio of substrates, with the trend of Cd > Zn > Cu > Mn > Pb > Cr. Hence, this study concludes that combined preincubation-vermicomposting is the most efficient and ecofriendly technique for biodegradation, stabilization, and conversion of sewage sludge and kitchen waste into organic fertilizer. The nutrient rich vermicompost can be safely used as horticultural substrate and soil conditioner for efficient management of degraded soils. Finally, combined preincubation-vermicomposting is a sustainable system of recycling the sewage sludge along with kitchen waste.

Carbon dioxide as a carrier gas and biomass addition decrease the total and bioavailable polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in biochar produced from sewage sludge

Organic-solvent extractable (Ctot) and freely dissolved (Cfree) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (US EPA 16 PAHs) were determined in biochars produced from the mixture of sewage sludge and sewage sludge and willow (8:2 or 6:4, w/w). The pyrolysis was carried out at 500, 600, and 700 °C using two different carrier gases (N2 or CO2). Addition of willow and the change of carrier gas from N2 to CO2 reduced Ctot PAHs (from 7.0 to 52%) and Cfree PAHs (15–29%) content. Co-application of willow and SSL and the use of CO2 as a carrier gas also beneficially affected the PAHs profile. The biochars produced with willow addition and/or in a CO2 atmosphere were characterized by a lower (from 9.0 to 62.8%) percentage of 3-6-ring PAHs (Ctot) than the biochars derived from sewage sludge alone in N2 atmosphere. The contribution of individual Cfree PAHs did not differ significantly between biochars. The presence of willow during pyrolysis influenced the direction of the changes in the Ctot PAH content depending on the pyrolysis temperature. For SSL alone, regardless of the carrier gas used, the content of Ctot PAHs was observed to decrease with increasing temperature, whereas in the presence of willow temperature did not affect significantly (P ≥ 0.05) the Ctot PAHs content. The change of carrier gas from N2 to CO2 increased the affinity of the biochars to PAHs as confirmed by the distribution coefficients log KTOC.

Rice Straw/Sewage Sludge-Based Composite Activated Carbon: Its Some Basic Properties and Adsorption Effect for Cr (VI)

In this study, the rice straw/sewage sludge-based composite activated carbon (RS-SCAC) was prepared from the mixture of sewage sludge and rice straw. Some basic properties of RS-SCAC, i.e., yield, iodine number, contents of heavy metals, surface functional groups, and leaching toxicity, were characterized. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of RS-SCAC for Cr (VI) was investigated. For RS-SCAC, the yield was moderate, and the iodine number was higher than that of the sewage sludge-based activated carbon (SBAC). RS-SCAC contained a variety of heavy metals, and Zn, Fe, and Cu had the relatively high content. The surface of RS-SCAC was rich in functional groups, especially for -OH, -COOH, and -COH, which was helpful for the adsorption of polar solute. For all heavy metals except Zn in RS-SCAC, the leaching concentrations were below the limits for identifying hazardous wastes, which indicated that RS-SCAC was relatively safe. Compared with SBAC, RS-SCAC had the better adsorption effect for Cr (VI). The results indicated that RS-SCAC can be used as a safety and efficient adsorbent for Cr (VI).

Effect of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) on the performance of anaerobic co-digestion with sewage sludge, food waste, and green waste

The anionic detergent sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS) inhibits anaerobic solid waste fermentation process in mesophilic anaerobic digesters. In this study, the effect SDBS on the performance of anaerobic digestion (AD) of mixture of sewage sludge, food waste, and green waste serving as substrate was investigated. The batch experiments were conducted with five SDBS concentrations namely 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 g/g (SDBS/dry sludge) under mesophilic condition (37 ± 1 °C) and lasted for 63 days. The results showed that the presence of SDBS remarkably increased the release of protein and carbohydrate, and resulting in the serious accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), especially for propionate accumulation. Likewise, the observed variations in enzyme activities associated with different stage of AD revealed that methanogenesis was quite sensitive to SDBS and inhibited by the increase of SDBS addition. Meanwhile, the presence of SDBS decreased the pH value and the concentration of free ammonia, but increased the concentration of NH4+-N. Furthermore, the production of biogas was reduced by SDBS. In conclusion, SDBS addition has a negative impact on anaerobic co-digestion. On the one hand, methanogens were severely inhibited and biogas yield decreased remarkably, on the other hand, the accumulation of VFAs was excessive. Thus, the presence of surfactant (SDBS) in the municipal organic waste should be concerned during the waste disposal via anaerobic digestion process.

The mixture of sewage sludge and biomass waste as solid biofuels: Process characteristic and environmental implication

Oxy-fuel and air atmospheres were used to (co-)combust sewage sludge (SS) and biomass waste, coffee ground residues (CG) via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The combustion behavior of SS did not differ significantly in both atmospheres. The replacement of 79%N2 by 79%CO2 significantly influenced the char combustion of CG. Synergistic effect of the blends in the oxy-fuel was weaker than air condition. Activation energy of the co-combustion in the second stage was lower in the oxy-fuel than air atmosphere. The gaseous emissions during blend fuel combustion were investigated by online mass spectrometry (MS). Results show that the gas emissions of different fuels show different stage characteristics. CH3, H2O, C2H2 and NO emissions peaked from the volatiles combustion of CG, while the co-combustion led to SO2 increment. Besides, the composition of the solid residues was examined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), and their impact on environment was evaluated. The compositions of the solid residues pointed to the ability of SS to lower the fouling and slagging risks of CG. This investigation aimed to afford a fully understanding for the co-combustion progress of SS and CG under air and oxy-fuel environments and its implication for environment.

Adsorption capacity of phenanthrene and pyrene to engineered carbon-based adsorbents produced from sewage sludge or sewage sludge-biomass mixture in various gaseous conditions

Adsorption of phenanthrene (PHE) and pyrene (PYR) by engineered carbon-based adsorbents produced from sewage sludge in an atmosphere of nitrogen (N2) or carbon dioxide (CO2) at temperatures of 500, 600, and 700 °C was investigated. The addition of willow to the SSL decreased the biochar adsorption capacity. However, there was an increase in the adsorption capacity after changing N2 to CO2. The addition of willow to SSL and the type of carrier gas affected the mechanism of adsorption. The adsorption of PHE and PYR on the SSL-derived adsorbents produced in N2 occurred through pore filling. The adsorption on the SSL-derived adsorbents with willow followed the mechanism of π-π electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) interactions and hydrophobic interactions. A similar mechanism was observed with regard to the biochars produced from SSL in atmosphere of CO2. For the SSL-derived adsorbents with willow in CO2, the adsorption mechanism was observed to vary between PHE and PYR.

Anaerobic and aerobic degradation of wastewater from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) in a continuous, three-stage and semi-industrial system

Wastewater produced by the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of various wood and sewage sludge mixtures was subjected to anaerobic and aerobic digestion. Previous studies have analyzed the batch digestion of wastewater with a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 15 g·l−1, yielding 406 lN biogas per kg of organic dry matter (oDM) with a methane concentration of 77%. The wastewater was continuously digested in a pilot plant with two anaerobic stages followed by one aerobic stage over 500 days, in a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) with sludge recirculation and an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB). The aim was to investigate the process’s long-term behavior and stability, as well as to determine the maximum possible COD degradation; therefore, the wastewater was treated in its original state via a separate mono-digestion process. Two volumetric loadings, namely 0.44 and 0.88 gCOD·l−1·d−1, yielded 254 and 296 lN·kgoDM−1 of methane, respectively, as well as 58% and 55% reductions in the COD. The final aerobic digestion step then led to total reductions of 78% and 71%, meaning that the increased volumetric loading caused the final COD to rise from 3.1 to 4.9 g·l−1. Trials attempting to reduce the COD further by ozone treatment, precipitation, and flocculation have been done.

Biochar na produção e nutrição da beterraba

ABSTRACT: The biomass pyrolysis process may be an alternative for the agricultural use of sewage sludge. This study aimed to evaluate the use of of biochars from mixture of sewage sludge and sugarcane bagasse (BB, 1:1 relationship sewage sludge and sugarcane bagasse) on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) production and nutrition. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with five application rates of BB: 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% (v/v), and two additional treatments, biochar from sewage sludge (BS, application rate 5% (v/v)) and conventional treatment (CV) that received lime and mineral fertilizer. The treated soils were incubated for 45 days, after which, seedlings were cultivated for 55 days. Biochar produce from sewage sludge and sugarcane bagasse is an alternative technology to reduce the potential for contamination of sewage sludge and to incorporate more stable carbon forms in the soil. Although, biochar has increased soil fertility, fine roots and nutrient uptake efficiency by sugar beet plants, total dry matter yield was significantly lower than that obtained in conventional treatment.

Numerical Study on the Efficiency of Biomass and Municipal Waste Fixed-Bed Co-Gasification

The utilization of combustible waste, such as sewage sludge, can be combined with energy production for small-scale consumers. One of the ways of such utilization can be gasification, which makes it possible to obtain a combustible gas suitable for thermal and electric energy production. The aim of this study is to estimate the efficiency of sewage sludge co-conversion with woody biomass using mathematical model that allows to investigate process characteristics under different process conditions (air stoichiometric ratio, fuel mixture composition, initial moisture of sewage sludge). Dependencies of gasification process characteristics are evaluated and compared with published experimental data. Fixed-bed downdraft process is investigated related to using of wood and sewage sludge mixtures. New results are obtained considering process efficiency dependence on input fuel composition, method is proposed to estimate acceptable fuel mixtures based on agglomeration and efficiency requirements.

Solid urban waste in the production of Aegiphila sellowiana Cham. seedlings

ABSTRACT The use of organic wastes as primary source of nutrients can contribute to reducing the dependence on inputs, besides being a sustainable destination for these materials. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of Aegiphila sellowiana seedlings grown in substrates composed of different proportions of sewage sludge, organic wastes and vermiculite. Twenty six substrates (treatments) were tested, formulated from the mixture of sewage sludge with vermiculite and the wastes coconut fiber, fresh coffee straw, organic compost (fresh bovine manure and fresh coffee straw), carbonized rice husk and fresh rice husk, at the proportions of 100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60 and 20:80 (sewage sludge:materials), and a control, composed of commercial substrate (Bioplant®). At 120 days after sowing, the following morphological characteristics were determined: collar diameter, shoot height, dry matter (shoots, roots and total) and Dickson quality index (DQI) of all plants. Substrates formulated with sewage sludge and organic compost led to higher growth of seedlings (40% SS:60% OC and 20% SS:80% OC). Proportions of 20 to 40% sewage sludge and 60 to 80% organic compost are recommended for the production of A. sellowiana seedlings.