Mitigation of soil erosion using sludge on road embankments — A conceptual study

There is a contradiction regarding the use of sludge as a soil amendment fertilizer. As stated in many studies it has many benefits as well as hazards concerning environmental issues. However, its use on road embankments for the purpose of reducing soil erosion is lightly discussed before and therefore is focused in this paper. Humid tropical regions like Malaysia have always remained the victim of severe erosion, supported by many factors including newly built road embankments which usually remain bare after the road construction. This paper integrates the comparative field analysis regarding the application of sludge on the road embankment within the limitations as it is found numerous in heavy metals. Furthermore, it is rich in nutrients which are considered necessary medium for the vegetation revival and soil formation. However, this paper is supported by an innovation which comes with a concept of applying sludge when properly treated and then implemented to the embankments.