[Terrapreta] sewage sludge charcoal

[Philip Small]

Pyrolised sewage sludge is going to happen.  Its up to the folks involved,
like myself, to figure out how to do it responsibly.  To take the high
ground and condemn all land application of all sludge is not constructive.

Heavy metals content, etc. is dependent on the community and the
effectiveness of their pretreatment program. Not all sludge is a candidate
for making biochar, but there is a cleaner end of the spectrum that cannot
be dismissed, and that is where the first experimentation with slludge
derived biochar must occur.

There is a fair amount of it out there.Improved sludge quality is the
product of decades of pre-treatment efforts.  Getting dentists to control
their amalgam had a huge effect on mercury levels in sludge in the 70's.
Printers were discouraged from using heavy metal laden ink.  The list is
long and it comes down to tracking and identifying individual sources.  It
was a huge effort, and hugely successful, but you don't hear anything about
it anymore.

There is much improvement left to be made in land applied sludge quality,
still some low hanging fruit left to gather. Like triclosan. Playing on
peoples fear to sell them millions of pounds a year of an unneeded
antibacterial compound, one which doesn't break down in waste treatment, is
pretty offensive. Sure the soil has an amazing capacity to deal with such,
but why burden the soil with something that can be eliminated at the source?

I particularly like the idea of biochar as a way to finish sludge prior to
land application.  It deals nicely with the disease component.

On Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 6:00 AM, Gerald Van Koeverden <vnkvrdn at yahoo.ca>
wrote:

> What's the problem with sewage sludge?  Folke has a very good point!
>
> "Problems associated with the agricultural use of sewage sludge include
> groundwater, soil, and crop contamination with pathogens, heavy metals,
> nitrate, and toxic and carcinogenic organic compounds.*34*<http://weblife.org/humanure/references.html#5_34>Sewage sludge is a lot more than organic human refuse. It can contain DDT,
> PCBs, mercury, and other heavy metals.*35*<http://weblife.org/humanure/references.html#5_35>One scientist alleges that more than 20 million gallons of used motor oil
> are dumped into sewers every year in the United States.*36*<http://weblife.org/humanure/references.html#5_36>
>
> America's largest industrial facilities released over 550 million pounds
> of toxic pollutants into US sewers in 1989 alone, according to the US Public
> Interest Research Group. Between 1990 and 1994, an additional 450 million
> pounds of toxic chemicals were dumped into sewage treatment systems,
> although the actual levels of toxic discharges are said to be much higher
> than these.*37* <http://weblife.org/humanure/references.html#5_37>
>
> Of the top ten states responsible for toxic discharges to public sewers in
> 1991, Michigan took first prize with nearly 80 million pounds, followed in
> order by New Jersey, Illinois, California, Texas, Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee,
> Wisconsin and Pennsylvania (around 20 million pounds from PA).*38"<http://weblife.org/humanure/references.html#5_38>
> *
>
> For the complerte chapter, go to:
>
> http://weblife.org/humanure/chapter5_10.html
>
> Gerrit
>
>
> On 9-Apr-08, at 5:11 AM, MFH wrote:
>
> Folke
>
>
>
> Hang on. The Chinese in particular have been using human waste in
> agriculture for thousands of years. What's different to their poo?
>
>
>
> M
>
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org [
> mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org<terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org>]
> *On Behalf Of *Folke Günther
> *Sent:* Wednesday, 9 April 2008 6:45 PM
> *To:* 'Michael Antal'; 'Terra Preta'
> *Subject:* Re: [Terrapreta] sewage sludge charcoal
>
>
>
> Raw sewage sludge should *never*, under any circumstances, be used in a
> process involving soil that will be used for food production, because of the
> high content of heavy metals.
>
> I agree that the charring might destroy (or spread out?) some of the
> otherwise organic noxious stuff, as medicals and the like.
>
> Thus, if you make char of it, you have to put it in abandoned mines or the
> like, which implicates a loss of phosphorus.
>
>
>
> Much better is to use source-separating toilets, add the urine to char,
> possibly char the faeces, and then put it in the soil.
>
> It is the "purification" process that destroys this otherwise excellent
> nutrient stuff.
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Folke Günther
>
> Kollegievägen 19
>
> 224 73 Lund, Sweden
>
> home/office: +46 46 14 14 29
>
> cell:               0709 710306  skype:  folkegun
>
> Homepage:     http://www.holon.se/folke
> blog: http://folkegunther.blogspot.com/
>
>
>   ------------------------------
>
> *Från:* terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org [
> mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org<terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org>]
> *För *Michael Antal
> *Skickat:* den 9 april 2008 00:45
> *Till:* 'Terra Preta'
> *Ämne:* [Terrapreta] sewage sludge charcoal
>
>
>
> I am pleased and somewhat surprised to report that raw sewage sludge is a
> good feedstock for charcoal production.  Details are available on the HNEI
> website below.  Regards, Michael.
>
>
>
> Michael J. Antal, Jr.
>
> Coral Industries Distinguished Professor of Renewable Energy Resources
>
> Hawaii Natural Energy Institute
>
> POST 109, 1680 East-West Rd.
>
> Honolulu, HI 96822
>
>
>
> phone: 808/956-7267
>
> fax: 808/956-2336
>
> *www.hnei.hawaii.edu*
>
>
>
>
>  ------------------------------
>
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