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.

The closed microorganism aerobic fermentation technology, developed by a research group headed by professor Chen Liqiao of the Shanghai-based Huadong Normal University, has passed a technical appraisal by experts of the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Committee recently.

Experts spoke highly of the technology, saying it can remove the odor of sewage and mud, and turn waste into resources.

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.

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.

Two methods are now used to deal with increasing urban sewage water and mud in China: incinerating and burying underground.

(Xinhua News Agency February 21, 2005)