[Terrapreta] sewage sludge charcoal

[Greg and April]

Many urban places have fairly high levels of heavy metals ( like copper from the copper pipes in our homes and traces of other metals from local industry ) and pharmaceuticals ( lot's of people taking medication in areas where going to the hospital is common ).


Greg H.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gerald Van Koeverden 
  To: MFH 
  Cc: 'Terra Preta' 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 7:00
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] sewage sludge charcoal


  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






----------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Jag använder en gratisversion av SPAMfighter för privata användare.
    16402 spam har blivit blockerade hittills.
    Betalande användare har inte detta meddelande i sin e-post.
    Hämta gratis SPAMfighter idag! 

    _______________________________________________
    Terrapreta mailing list
    Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
    http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
    http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
    http://info.bioenergylists.org




------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  Terrapreta mailing list
  Terrapreta at bioenergylists.org
  http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/biochar/
  http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org
  http://info.bioenergylists.org
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /attachments/20080410/3e24a93e/attachment-0001.html