and purpose: Disposal of sludge from industrial wastewater treatment plants (IWWTPs) is a serious issue because it can affect human and animals' health, and also environmental quality. In this study, sludge from a petrochemical wastewater treatment plant was analyzed regarding its physicochemical characteristics and disposal options. Materials and Methods: Grab sampling was used to collect 12 sludge samples biweekly (May-October 2012). One sample T-test was applied to analyze the obtained data.

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... Canadian Soil Quality Guidelines (CSQG) and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Soil Cleanup Criteria (NJDEPSCC) were used to discuss the disposal fate of the generated sludge. Results: The results showed that the order of the studied metals in the sludge was as: Fe>Al>Zn>Cr>Pb>Ni>Cd>Co>Cu>Mn>As>Hg. It was found that generated sludge compared with CSQG is not suitable for residential/parkland, agricultural, commercial and industrial applications. But compared with NJDEPSCC, studied sludge was suitable for residential and nonresidential applications. Conclusion: According to NJDEPSCC the studied sludge has potential to be used for residential and non-residential purposes. [Ahmadi M. Bayati N. Babaei A. *Teymouri P. Sludge characterization of a petrochemical wastewater treatment plant, Iran. IJHS 2013; 1(2):10-18] http://jhs.mazums.ac.ir