The treatment and disposal of waste sludge in extreme alpine environments is a complex undertaking. This is a result of the specific climatic conditions and the limited amount of possible maintenance. The subject of this paper is the experience with on-site treatment and recycling of the sludge at five mountain refuges over a period of several years. The monitoring programme revealed that the usually applied composting process cannot guarantee complete inactivation of infectious microorganisms, however, the possible human health risk is low. Contamination of the soil on account of heavy metal fluxes from the waste sludge is not an issue.
ATV (1988) Entseuchung von Klaerschlamm. (Disinfection of sewage sludge) 3. Arbeitsbericht der ATV/VKS- Arbeitsgruppe . Korrespondenz Abwasser12(88), 1325-1333.
2.
Becker, W. (1994) Altemative Wastewater Treatment and Alternative Energy Supply Plants in Singular Systems. Proceedings of the Environment Symposium. Austrian-Japanese Committee for the 21 st Century : Tokyo, Japan.
3.
Becker, W. & Cord, G. (1993) Design and Results of Small Wastewater Treatment Plants with No or Little Energy Input in Mountainous Regions. Proceedings of the 2nd Specialized Conference on Small Wastewater Treatment Plants: Trondheim, Norway.
4.
Community Hallstatt (1982) Wasser-Untersuchungsergebniss der Probe vom 5.8.82. (Water Investigation Result of the Sample 5.8.82)Linz , Austria: Bezirkshauptmamshaft.
5.
Davis, R.D. (1987) Use of sewage sludge on land in the United Kingdom . Water Science Techn19(8), 1-8.
6.
DIN 38 406Deutsche Einheitsverfahren zur Wasser-, Abwasser- und Schlammuntersuchung (German Standard For Examination of Water, Wastewater and Sludge). Berlin, Germany: Beuth-Verlag.
7.
DIN 38 414Deutsche Einheitsverfahren zur Wasser-, Abwasser-und Schlammuntersuchung. (German Standard For Examination of Water, Wastewater and Sludge). Berlin, Germany: Beuth-Verlag.
8.
EU directive 86/278/EEC (1986) Council directive on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture. Official Journal of the European Communities181, 6-12.
9.
Ehm, E. (1990) Abwassermessung bestehender Abwasserreinigungsanlagen von Schutzhuetten in Oesterreich. (Monitoring Sewage from Existing Treatment Plants at Mountain Refuges in Austria) Report of DAV and OEAV. Innsbruck, Austria: DAV & OAV. 1-171.
10.
Feachem, R.G., Bradley, D.J., Garelick, H. & Mara, D.D. (1983) Sanitation and Disease : Health Aspects of Excreta and Wastewater Management. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons.
11.
Fedorak, P.H. & Rogers, R. (1991) Assessment of the potential health risks associated with dissemination of microorganisms from a landfill site. Waste Management and Research9, 537-563.
12.
Harremoës, P. (1997) Integrated water and waste management. Water Science Techn35(9), 11-20.
13.
Ingerle, K. & Stegner, U. (1986) Das Filtersacksystem (The filter-bag system). Oesterreichische Wasserwirtschaft38(1/2).
Strauch, D., Havelaar, A. H. & L'Hermite, P. (eds) (1985) Inactivation of Microorganisms in Sewage Sludge by Stabilization Processes. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Elsevier Science Publishers.
18.
Weber, P. (1992) Die Funktionstuechtigkeit und die Reinigungsleistung bestehender Klaeranlagen von 7 DAV-Huetten (Reliability and Efficiency of Existing Treatment Plants at 7 DAV Mountain Refuges). Report of DAV: Munich, Germany.
19.
Zessner, M. & Nowak, O. (1996) Die Klaerschlammproblematik als wichtiges Entscheidungskriterium fuer die Loesungssuche von Entsorgungsproblemen. (Waste sludge as the decisive criteria for solving disposal problems). Wiener Mitteilungen130, 419-442.
