The sludge utilization portion of the Pulp and Paper Research Program at the Alberta Research Council
involves three components including the Alberta Newsprint Company/Alberta Research Council joint research venture, landspreading ash and sludge at the operations of Slave Lake Pulp Corporation, and the ARC/ FIDB/INDUSTRY research program. The research was undertaken to provide industry, government and the public with data that promotes an understanding of the effects of pulp mill waste landspreading and provides a basis for developing operating guidelines and protocols for landspreading.
The major activities included a review of the literature; waste stream characterization; greenhouse pot
experiments; growth chamber experiments to measure the decomposition rate of sludges; column leaching
experiments; and field landspreading trials.
The land application research to date has provided data regarding the effects of landspreading mechanical
mill sludges and a basis for developing guidelines and protocols for operational activities (Macyk 1996). The results indicate that:
- Conventional and de-ink sludges are beneficial soil amendments.
- Recommended application rates range from 40 dry t/ha to 80 dry t/ha depending upon characteristics of the sludge to be applied and receiving soil characteristics. Multiple applications should be considered.