Chinese scientists have developed a technology that can effectively turn sewage water and mud, two main headaches of urbanization, into organic fertilizer and high value pesticide.
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The closed microorganism aerobic fermentation technology, developed by a research group headed by professor Chen Liqiao of the Shanghai-based Huadong Teachers' University, has passed a technical appraisal by experts of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Committee recently.
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Experts spoke highly of the technology, saying it can remove the odor of sewage and mud, and turn waste into resources.
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Experiments by the Shanghai Sewage Water Treatment Plant show that disposing of mud with the new technology can generate 150 yuan (US$18.13) per ton.
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Currently, China's sewage treatment plants discharge more than nine million tons of mud annually and the figure is rising by an average 10 percent year on year.
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Two methods are now used to deal with increasing urban sewage water and mud in China: incinerating and burying underground.?

(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2005)