title: Phyto-dewatering of sewage sludge using Panicum repens L.
abstract: Experiments in the field environment have been conducted to study the growth of Panicum repens L., an aquatic plant, in the sewage sludge matrix. The experiments were also carried out to investigate the ability of this plant to dewater sewage sludge to increase the capacity of conventional drying beds. In addition, the ability of Panicum repens L. to reduce the sludge contents of certain elements (copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Sodium (Na), lead (Pb), and Zinc (Zn)) was also investigated. All experiments were carried out in batch reactors. Different plant coverage densities were tested (0.00 to 27.3 kg/m2). The liquid sewage sludge was collected from a wastewater treatment plant in Helwan city, Cairo Governorate, Egypt. The collected sludge represents a mixture of the primary sludge and waste activated sludge before discharging into drying beds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Construction Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Engineering, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt E-mail: ahmed.elgendy@aucegypt.edu.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: El-Gendy
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Agriculture Sciences, IESR, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: El-Kassas
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Basic Sciences, Institute of Environmental Studies and Research (IESR), Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: T M A
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Razek
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Agriculture Sciences, IESR, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdel-Latif
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004534:Egypt; D008897:Panicum / Q000378:metabolism*; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage; D014867:Water; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc