[Terrapreta] Frenzy

[Kevin Chisholm]

Dear Michael


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: MFH 
  To: Terra Preta 
  Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:15 AM
  Subject: [Terrapreta] Frenzy


  Its becoming increasingly obvious that there's the beginning of a whole new "wordsmithing" industry on how to save the planet, like using human poo: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/11/2271675.htm



  This "wordsmithing" has bad implications for honest "bio-products" and "bio-operations." 



  "Bio-solids" = sewage sludge and septage....

  "Bio-fill" = Garbage with some organics.

   

  Asian farmers have been doing this for millenniums. But that was before antibiotics and HGH's and oral contraceptives, and not just the ones that are filtered by bodies but the pills that are tossed down the toilet. As per a previous article, at least one farmer has ended up with sterile cows.



  There is a big difference in "the people poo of yore" and the output of a modern sewage treatment plant.



   

  I'd assume that if sewage sludge was a source for Biochar, then 500-600 deg C during the process would overcome most of these issues.



  "Bio-sludge" can have a variety of nasties:

  * Drugs

  * Hormones

  * Heavy metals

  * Insecticides, herbicides, pesticides

  * Waste oil

  * Etc.



  Such a treatment would probably destroy these nasties, or at least, fume them off from the residual ash. Some of the heavy metals would be fumed off as oxides. (As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Zn..)



  Note that "sawdust" and "sludge from a Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant containing the above listed nasties" are both called "biosolids". Isn't there something wrong with that picture?



  Best wishes,



  Kevin

   

  M

   



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