Which solids treatment method can be classified as both stabilization and dewatering?

Incineration is a solids treatment method that serves dual purposes: it stabilizes the organic material and simultaneously reduces its volume, which is a form of dewatering. When sludge or other organic solids are incinerated, the high temperatures involved destroy pathogens, reduce odors, and significantly lower the mass of the material by converting it into ash and gases. This process results in a stable end product that can be more easily handled and disposed of compared to the original sludge.

In contrast, while options like wastewater aeration and lime stabilization may affect solids, they focus on biological and chemical processes that do not inherently provide the same level of volume reduction as incineration. For example, aeration primarily promotes the biological degradation of organic matter, and lime stabilization involves the lime's ability to stabilize organic material without significantly reducing its volume. Wet air oxidation targets the organic content but does so through oxidation rather than complete destruction and volume reduction. Thus, incineration uniquely combines stabilization and dewatering in a single treatment process.