Special Issue "Effects of Municipal Sludge on Air Pollutant Emissions Characteristics"

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, clean and efficient combustion technology has become a major demand in the fields of energy and environment. With the rapid development of urbanization and the improvement of environmental control requirements, the output of municipal sludge is increasing year by year, and the disposal of large amounts of sludge is facing unprecedented challenges. Meanwhile, as sludge is used as high-ash fuel, a large amount of inhalable particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 μm (PM10) will be generated during the combustion process. Although control equipment such as electrostatic precipitators and bag filters have been installed in the current industrial production process at this stage, the comprehensive capture efficiency of fine particles in flue gas is low, which leads to their direct discharge to the atmosphere. These emitted inhalable particulates are of great harm to human health, especially can easily cause diseases of the respiratory system and cardiopulmonary function. Moreover, because of its high specific surface area, it can provide a large number of adsorption sites for heavy metals and other toxic substances in the air, and stay in the air for a long time, thus causing secondary harm to human health. And the fuel characteristics and combustion temperature have important effects on the formation of particulate matter. In addition, the mineral components of the sludge are complex, and the minerals contained in the sludge will interact with each other under high-temperature combustion conditions, thus affecting the migration and transformation of particulate matter. Therefore, how to achieve harmless reduction treatment and avoid secondary environmental pollution based on the characteristics of high moisture and ash content and low calorific value of sludge has become a work with practical application value.

Topics of interest of the Special Issue include but are not limited to:

• Development of technologies intended for applications to control particulate matter
• Synergistic emission reduction between particulate matter and other air pollutants (such as heavy metals, SO₂, NO_X)
• Management and recycling of municipal sludge wastes
• Energy efficiency, economics, and climate finance policies
• Transitional pathways to renewable energy future

Dr. Li Jia
Dr. Yue Yu
Guest Editors

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• air pollutant emissions
• particulate matter
• air pollution control