Tendencies and Overview on the Nutrient Recovery from Sewage Sludge in Germany

The critics against the land use of sewage sludge in Germany lead the research institutions to investigate methods for nutrient recovery. Current research proved that the nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorus can be recovered. Though, the costs still must be reduced to compete with the conventional production using fresh raw material. Recovery products are not listed in current legislations concerning fertiliser use, therefore the land use of the recovered products require some legislative replenishments.

The paper portrays the current situation concerning the above discussions with an overview on the actual recovery technologies