Integrated use of sewage sludge and basalt mine waste as soil substitute for environmental restoration

Abstract If not managed properly, mining waste can be detrimental to the environment. In addition, sewage treatment plants produce sludge, a biowaste rich in organic matter which is often sent to landfills. The present study evaluated the use of sewage sludge as an amendment for mine waste from a basalt quarry as an alternative to the use of soil from borrow areas during environmental restoration. An ex situ experiment was developed at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS. The experimental delineation compared the addition of two sources of organic matter (sewage sludge - SS and...