[Terrapreta] sewage sludge charcoal

[jim mason]

i'm not sure if this has been answered yet, but the high metal
concentration in sewage sludge out the end of treatment plant is
simply a matter of the total mass reduction and concentrating that
happens as the organic matter is filtered and disgested, and the
metals are not.

the mix of matter in sewage sludge is reduced to different degrees
during the various processes.  sewage treatment plants are very good
at reducing the organics through filtering and digestion, but much
less so for the metals.  somewhat like ash from many thermal processes
is high in metals.

many sewage treatment plants give tours.  i recently went through the
east bay municipal district waste water treatment plant in oakland
california.  it was a highly interesting tour.  i recommend it or
other similar ones to all.

j





On Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 10:23 PM, Michael Bailes
<michaelangelica at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 10/04/2008, Jim Joyner <jimstoy at dtccom.net> wrote:
> > I know human waste has carbon in it, but would char made from this be
> > the same as char made from woody material. I mean, is all char equal? It
> > would seem that all TP had been made with char from wood, right?
> >
> > Obviously eliminating toxicity from waste is a good idea but might never
> > happen. Given whatever level of toxicity, would it not be better to
> > combined in char?
>
> One of the problems with industrial scale pyrolysis machines is the
> different type of char produced by the Industry using the machine. For
> example if BEST Energies sold one of their million dollar machines to a
> coucil for mixed green waste, to a chicken farm with chicken litter waste;
> to a cow feed lot or paper making company with paper sludge as a by product.
>  All chars would need to be tested to see how they work incorporated into
> the soil. Each may or may not have diffent properties and
> advantages/disadvantages (?)
> There are obvious advantages in pyrolising waste (less land-fill, less green
> house gasses such as methane + energy savings). The problem then is working
> out the different properties of each type of char so that it can be sold in
> very large quantities and can be shown to have some value to farmers,
> orchardists and horticulturists. Thus making the whole exercise profitable.
>  .
> As I understand it original Amazonian TP was made from hardwood trees.
> Obviously we do not want to be doing that, hence the interest in 21C 'waste'
> as a source of char and sequestering of C
>
>
> > Where does sludge go that doesn't get put on fields?
>
>  Jim  I guess it depends on the country; but here, is is mainly dumped at
> sea.
> The same place NY puts its garbage.
>  m
> >
> >
> > ______________________________________________
> >
> >
>
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-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jim mason
website: www.whatiamupto.com
current project: mechabolic (http://www.mechabolic.org)
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