Abstract:With the acceleration of urbanization, China's sewage sludge production has surged dramatically, and land application, as a key approach for sludge resource utilization, is facing an urgent need for optimized management systems. This paper systematically compares the management systems and core requirements for sludge land application in China and the United States. The two countries exhibit significant differences in pathogen control, pollutant limits, regulatory mechanisms, and implementation pathways. The United States, centered on the federal regulation 40 CFR Part 503, employs four categories of schemes—"exceptional quality sludge," "pollutant concentration sludge," "cumulative pollutant loading rate sludge," and "annual pollutant loading rate sludge"—to balance risk management with operational flexibility through concentration control, total load limits, and tiered management. In contrast, China relies on a multi-standard system, emphasizing stabilization treatment and scenario-specific quality thresholds, with strict limits on pollutant concentrations and application rates. The U.S. system prioritizes dynamic control and diverse implementation pathways, while China's standards are more stringent but require enhanced operational feasibility. China can draw on the U.S. approach of tiered management to establish a refined implementation pathway that integrates concentration and total load control, aligns standard formulation with comprehensive regulatory oversight, and promotes the safe and effective resource utilization of sewage sludge.
