[Terrapreta] sewage sludge charcoal

Wed Apr 9 09:05:03 CDT 2008

Lou,

I know it seems unbelievable.  I didn't understand it until we had a  
discussion about taking sewage from the local municipality and  
spreading it on our land.  Cities have two only two types of sewers:  
storm (rainwater) and sanitation (i.e. 'sewage' waste - both home and  
factory).    Based on the amount of toxic chemicals, officials try to  
guage how much you can put on your land without poisoning the land  
too much that would make the crops too poisonous to eat...

Gerrit

On 9-Apr-08, at 9:04 AM, lou gold wrote:

> Gerritt,
>
> Seems like you are mixing 2 sewage streams that are in fact  
> separate. Toilet waste is separate from sewer waste.
>
>
>
> On Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 10:00 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 Sewage sludge is a lot more than organic human refuse. It can  
> contain DDT, PCBs, mercury, and other heavy metals.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
>
> 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
>
> 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"
>
> 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] 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] 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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>>
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