Biosolids...?

So, biosolids, are we talking about poop here? When we treat the domestic sewage in a treatment facility, where it is treated and processed, a nutrient-rich and organic material is produced. This nutrient-rich organic material can be recycled and used as fertilizer to help maintain and improve planting soils and help in plant growth. Hm, but what’s the difference between biosolids and sludge? Well, for one thing, one sounds like something a smart person would use, as it sounds smart, useful, and not dirty, and the other one sounds like something that is just dirty. But what’s the real answer? Well, sludge is what biosolids are before undergoing the treatment and process. Wow, who knew that our fecal matter could be used for this? I mean… It has to be smelly and gross right?

Well, it would be smelly, but you know, the best things for life do tend to be on the smelly side.

Some of the cons include the smell. Depending on the treatment it goes through, it could be from an uncomfortable smell to a foul smell. Mostly because it contains sulphur and ammonia, which are both plant nutrients so nothing can be done. I can’t really think of another con, except for those who use the crops that are fertilized with biosolids. Like in Accra, they eat salad that was fertilized with urine and human manure, they could be at risk from the polluted water. They might not wash their lettuce or whatever they grow right, so it could be bad for them.

So what are the pros of this whole propaganda? Well, first off. It’s recyclable! Isn’t that what the world is trying to aim for? Recycle this, recycle that! I think we’ve been trying to make everything so recyclable, that we’re actually creating MORE things that can be tossed away (ie. Green bins, really? Even if they are recyclable too…). But you know what, this is something that’s going to come no matter what (unless the anatomy of a human changes and we no longer have to excrete waste, that would be amazing) then this is really good! In Canada, we do use biosolids to fertilize crops, and I think this is a major pro. Not only is it recycling our mandatory waste, but it’s helping us in feeding us again with the crops that use this to grow. The circle of life, just like we learned from watching the Lion King.


More pros of using biosolids is that we can use it for mine reclamation! Woohoo! And what is this? Mine reclamation is when they restore the land for useful purposes. So if we used biosolids for mine reclamation, we could use the land once again for proper vegetation. Another pro is to promote the rapid growth of timber in forestry, in which the harvest of an important recourse is quicker and more efficient, now what do you say to that? It’s miracle growth! Who knew our poop could be miracle growth? We could also use biosolids for composting, and can be used on lawns and home gardens, and it’s easy an easy substance to store, transport and distribute, so it shouldn’t be a problem… The neighbours might mind though, it does sort of smell! There is also a study that has show that when human feces is collected and sealed up so that it goes through anaerobic digestion, it produces biogas as a side effect, and can be used as fuel for stoves, heating systems, and even to power cars!

In China, they plan on powering 50 million households on biogas systems! That is a lot of homes, and a whole lot of awesomeness, in my opinion. I’m all for the green way. In Uganda, the farmers are even learning how to make biogas with human feces and other organic waste. In Sweden, they’re even using a super formula of human excrete and rotting animal carcasses and even run trains on it! Our world is getting better, believe it or not, and I’m all for it.


I think that the pros truly weigh out the cons. Our major con, the smell, is not really a health issue, and even then, farmers and the treatment facilities are placed strategically not to be smelled by the public, and the part about getting something from not washing the crops properly, that can be easily solved by well, washing them properly! With the pros, we’ve got that recycling thing going on, we’ve got our crops and trees to grow faster, we’ve even got gas to help fuel mechanisms to cook, heat, and power cars and houses! About the undertake of our western eyes of using human waste to grow our food… I think many do think it’s unsanitary and a disgusting nuisance. But you know what, it’s been approved, and proven healthy, and not a hazard. Not many people will search up if their food has been grown using biosolids anyways, so what they don’t know can’t hurt them. Besides, let’s try and see if they could come up with a better idea, because I doubt they can. Biosolid is in all its stinky gloriousness and will sweep them off of their seats.

Sources:
http://seemikedraw.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/whoopsie21.gif
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/17/waste.renewableenergy
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5394
http://www.cwwa.ca/faqbiosolids_e.asp
http://www.perc.ca/PEN/2001-02/s-mills2.html

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Princess Cabrera
Angela Nisce