Abstract: The technology of sludge drying reed bed is a new type of sludge treatment technique developed in recent years.To explore variation of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the sludge treated in the sludge drying reed beds, a 3-year experiment was carried out.The experiment was designed to have 3 units.Unit I was set as control(conventional drying bed)with no plant cultivated thereupon;Units Ⅱand Ⅲ had reeds planted(sludge drying reed bed);and Units Ⅰand Ⅱhad an aeration apparatus installed underneath.The first two years were as loading period.Sludge was loaded in during the reed growing season,and loading stopped when the beds were frozen.The third year witnessed natural stabilization of the sludge in the beds.Results show that Units Ⅱand Ⅲ were much better than Unit Ⅰat removing nitrogen and phosphorus from sludge,with total nitrogen removal rate being 56.3%,53.2% and 47.9%,respectively,and total phosphorus removal rate being 18.8%,19.2% and 10.3%,respectively.Aeration helped transformation of nitrogen in the sludge and hence increased removal of N,but it did not have any effect on P removal.At the end of the third year(in November),TN in Units Ⅰ,Ⅱand Ⅲ was 37.0,31.0 and 33.2  g·kg^-1and TP 7.00,6.33 and 6.30 g·kg^-1,respectively.

Key words: reed bed, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, residual sludge treatment, sludge drying