Waste sludge disposal in extreme alpine environments

Abstract

The treatment and disposal of waste sludge in extreme alpine environments is a complex undertaking. This is a result of the specific climatic conditions and the limited amount of possible maintenance. The subject of this paper is the experience with on-site treatment and recycling of the sludge at five mountain refuges over a period of several years. The monitoring programme revealed that the usually applied composting process cannot guarantee complete inactivation of infectious microorganisms, however, the possible human health risk is low. Contamination of the soil on account of heavy metal fluxes from the waste sludge is not an issue.