Incineration is combustion in the presence of air. Incineration of wastewater solids takes place in two steps. The first step of incineration is drying the solids, so that their temperature is raised to the point that water in the solids evaporates. The second step is the actual combustion of the volatile fraction of the solids.
The biosolids technology fact sheet for use of incineration in biosolids management provides:
- A description of the incineration for biosolids management
- Applicability to wastewater treatment plants
- Advantages and disadvantages of incineration for biosolids management
- Design criteria
- Performance capabilities and data
- Operation and maintenance information
- Costs
- Fact Sheet: Use of Incineration for Biosolids Management (PDF)(14 pp, 169 K, June 2003, EPA 832-F-03-013)