Criteria for choosing the appropriate technology

Presentation on the Conference: 2nd International Conference on Ecological Protection of the Planet Earth, Bio-Environment and Bio-Culture, June 2003, Sofia, Bulgaria

ABSTRACT
There are continuously growing objections against compact technical systems for wastewater treatment due to their following negative characteristics: lack of sustainability, high external energy budget, and continuously growing functional costs.

Emphasis has been given to: wastewater treatment target, purification efficiency of compact technical systems, residual loadings, ecological consequences caused by effluents into the natural recipients and "alternative technologies" using methods "closer to nature".

In addition a critical report concerning the "activated sludge process" is presented. The budgeting of carbon turnover by those plants shows a conversion to CO2 of about 38 % only, which represents the "real degradation efficiency". The rest of 62 % consists of sludge (55 %) and residual organic matter (7 %) (persistent and sometimes ecotoxic) discharged into the recipient (natural water body). This may cause serious environmental problems, which cannot be solved by any technology until now.

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Authors:
Dr. Theodora Seretaki, Environmental Engineer, Rhizotechniki, Siokou 18, GR-15341 Athens