Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in sewage sludge management: A call for methodological standardization.

[en] Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are crucial in sewage sludge management, influencing key processes such as sedimentation, dewatering, and drying. Despite their importance, the lack of standardized methods for EPS extraction and analysis has led to inconsistent research findings, hindering a thorough understanding of EPS's role in sludge treatment. This review paper addresses this issue by critically comparing various EPS extraction and analysis methods, emphasizing the urgent need for standardization in the field. Standardized methodologies will enable researchers to compare studies more accurately and derive meaningful insights into EPS's role across different stages of sludge treatment, ultimately advancing EPS knowledge and application in sludge management. Additionally, this paper summarizes findings from numerous studies on EPS impact in sedimentation, dewatering, and drying, offering a holistic view of their significance in sludge management. Moreover, it explores the potential EPS applications, highlighting both the future directions and the challenges associated with their production.

Disciplines :

Chemical engineering

Author, co-author :

Ben Hamed, Hajer ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Chemical engineering

Mainardis, Matia ; Polytechnic Department of Engineering and Architecture (DPIA), University of Udine, Via Del Cotonificio 108, 33100, Udine, Italy

Moretti, Alessandro ; Polytechnic Department of Engineering and Architecture (DPIA), University of Udine, Via Del Cotonificio 108, 33100, Udine, Italy

Toye, Dominique ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Department of Chemical Engineering > PEPs - Products, Environment, and Processes

Léonard, Angélique ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Department of Chemical Engineering > PEPs - Products, Environment, and Processes

Language :

English

Title :

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in sewage sludge management: A call for methodological standardization.

Publication date :

March 2025

Journal title :

Journal of Environmental Management

ISSN :

0301-4797

eISSN :

1095-8630

Publisher :

Academic Press, England

Volume :

376

Pages :

124407

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0301479725003834?httpAccept=text/xml

Funders :

FRIA - Fund for Research Training in Industry and Agriculture
F.R.S.-FNRS - Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique

Funding text :

This work was supported by the FRIA Grant (No. 40004289) from FNRS (Belgium), awarded to Hajer Ben Hamed.

Available on ORBi :

since 18 March 2025

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