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| Fresh farm vegetables... yum! Did you know that bio solids help farmers hundreds of dollars a year? They are a safe and cost effective way of growing the veggies you love! |
What are these weird things called bio solids and where do they come from?
Bio solids are the new and improved version of sewage sludge. Water waste treatment facilities cleans our dirty water, didn’t you ever wonder where you sink led too? Once cleaned the water goes off but the waste, well the facility have thousands of tonnes of it left over, it and that is sewage sludge. Now, bio solids are sewage sludge that goes through multiple tests, processes, and places to remove harmful pathogens and substances in them.
That sounds gross, what are they made of?
In general, bio solids are made up of well… the waste found in the water that has been solidified by careful processes. As you can imagine, there’s some human waste, some left over’s from last night’s dinner, phosphorus, sulphur, organic nitrogen, a little bit of zinc, copper, and iron. It is kind of cool to think that each city’s bio solid is like their own fingerprint because no one city’s water has exactly what the other does in their water!
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| Take a look at the steps of which sewage sludge is turned into bio solids and how they are then used! It is pretty cool and also very informative and shows how bio solids are carefully processed and therefore safe. |
So you have just convinced me they are really gross! How are they good in any way?
Trust me; they are surprisingly useful, good for the environment, safe, and cost effective! Let’s take a closer look:
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| This is what bio solids look like after they have been treated and approved safe. They are extremely useful for so many things! |
Agriculture Industry
Ø Nutrients found in bio solids are necessary for crop production and growth.
Ø The organic matter renders soil more sustainable and with a greater capacity for water retention.
Ø STATISTIC from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “About half of the bio solids generated in the United States
Forestry Industry
Ø Nutrients in bio solids make the soil richer and therefore the growth of trees and other plant species is enhanced.
Ø Bio solids are cheaper, efficient, and help the growth of an important resource that is a big money maker.
Mining Industry
Ø Bio solids have been found to successfully change old mine sites into useless pieces of land into land where vegetation is able to grow.
Ø This has to do with the fact that they are able to regenerate layers of soil and almost neutralize the harmful substances found in the old soil with their organic and inorganic materials.
One more major positive that comes from the use of bio solids is the fact that instead of taking up space in land fills and other disposal facilities, it is being put to good use!
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| Bio solids are used on selected pieces of land and there is a careful process that must be followed for the location to be selected. This is just an example of one saftey precaution taken to make sure bio solids are used properly! |
Now, that is the good side of things, all of the pros. The next few points I’m going to discuss are cons which make things look a little darker but don’t say no to bio solids yet! Bio solids can be dangerous and there is no denying that but only when they are not monitored properly. There are infections that can spread to humans, wildlife, and the environment, there is a certain odour to them, and it is a very knew concept so there may be things we don’t know about the effects of this yet. Honestly though, there are dangers to everything if they are misused but the government has very strict protocol and monitoring of the use of bio solids so really….
Give poop... I mean bio solids a chance!
I commented on the following blogs: http://bio-blob.blogspot.com/2011/05/biosolids-legitimate-fertilizers-or.html and http://caitlincosgrovebioblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/unit-1314-factors-affecting-plant.html
Works Cited
"Biosolids.com | About Biosolids: Biosolids Benefits." _. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.biosolids.com/benefits.html>.
"CCME: Biosolids." CCME : Home : Début Écran. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.ccme.ca/ourwork/waste.html?category_id=137>.
City of Greater Sudbury
"CWWA - FAQ - Biosolids." CWWA/ACEPU. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.cwwa.ca/faqbiosolids_e.asp>.
"Frequently Asked Questions | Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) | US US
"Home | Biosolids | About Biosolids." Water Environment Federation: The Water Quality People. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.wef.org/Biosolids/page.aspx?id=7513>.
Janssen, Don. "What Are Biosolids?" University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County
"Sludge, Sludge Treatment, Sludge Disposal, Sewage, Australian New Zealand New Zealand
Natasha!!
ReplyDeleteI;m kind of upset this our last bio blog because I really enjoy reading yours! you consistently make such a great points. a few points you made that really stood out to me in this blog was in the beginning of you blog you said something like to judge until you know the real facts. I completely thought that bio solids were gross and before actually did the blog I was kind of against them. but i know agree that Bio solids are good source for our environment. another thing that stood out in your blog was when you mentioned that biosolids are good because our "poo" is being recycled and not just going into a landfill.I think this point was very important. if you think if it using biosolids to fertilize is way better then just having all this poo and waste in a landfill
hey natasha!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading your bioblog, somehow you made poo more attractive, an accomplishment for anyone. I thought you did a really good job in displaying the cons, but still keeping the whole matter of biosolids in a positive light to readers. Also your images made understanding the process and end product easier. GOOD JOB!!!
hey natasha, I found your blog really informative! I didn't know that biosolids could be so useful. I am afraid I disagree with your stance, since I think biosolids are harmful, but I found your blog really interesting nonetheless. Good job!
ReplyDeleteWOHOOOO for POOO!!!! I love your stance on biosolids because I too belive that they are an amazing alternative to fertilizers. With everything having chemicals its just nice to know that some foods are fed with poo. I think biosolids are amazing and that we should all use them!! Good blog!!!
ReplyDeletehey natasha, I enjoyed reading this blog, it was very informative. Who knew bio solids could be so uses full?! I agree with you that people need to give bio solids a chance, it may seem gross but the benefits far outweigh the negatives, and as long as the process is monitored closely I don't see much of a problem. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIf biosolid are so great why are they not list (hidden under the term "compost" in packaged products?
ReplyDeleteTen Government-Industry Myths about Biosolids http://www.sludgefacts.org/Ref126.pdf
How EPA Faked the Entire Science of Sewage Sludge Safety http://sewagesludgeactionnetwork.com/content/files/How_EPA_Faked_the_Entire_Science_of_Sewage_Sludge_Safety.pdf
"Biosolids is not a Fertilizer.
Farmers contemplating using biosolids should not be misled by the deceptive promotional literature of the biosolids industry. Biosolids use does not "improve soil naturally," as one ad in the March-April issue of N.H.Farm Bureau's Communicator claims. Instead, sludge gradually degrades soil with an array of synthetic industrial chemicals that don't break down and don't belong on farmland." http://www.farmingmagazine.com/article-6940.aspx