ANALYSIS OF EPA GUIDANCE ON COMPOSTING SLUDGE .3. OXYGEN, MOISTURE, ODOR, PATHOGENS

From 1979 to 1985, the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued four technical guidance publications intended for decision-makers on the design and operation of wastewater sludge composting facilities. These are among at least 16 guidance publications issued since 1974 concerning, in whole or part, sludge composting. The most recent technical guidance publications are the subject of this four-part series. Parts I and II, published earlier, emphasize fundamental physical, chemical, and biological relationships, and biological process control. The present paper focuses on certain effects of the above relationship. It is concerned with such aspects of the process on oxygen, moisture, odor, and pathogens. The paper concludes that problems could be alleviated by maintaining temperatures below 60 degree C through forced pressure ventilation with temperature feedback control.