Effects of sewage sludge ash as a recycled phosphorus source on the soil microbiome.

Ash byproducts have been used as soil amendments to recycle nutrients and modify soil properties such as pH or density. Interest in these practices has continued with increasing emphasis on sustainability, particularly regarding phosphorus reuse from incinerated sewage sludge. Given recent advancements in microbial analyses, the impacts of these practices can now be studied from the soil microbiome perspective.

Land application of sewage sludge incinerator ash for phosphorus recovery: A review.

Phosphorus (P) is essential for all living things and an integral part of food production. However, significant amounts of P are functionally lost when wastewater byproducts, such as biosolids or sewage sludge incinerator ash (SSA), are not beneficially reused. Around 20% of sewage sludge produced in the US is incinerated and nearly 25% of sewage sludge is incinerated in European Union member countries.