[Terrapreta] Frenzy - wordsmithing, humour, no TP value

[folke Günther]

It is the same in Sweden, the EPA:s are starting to talk of 'certfied'
sludge, meaning that it follows their (own) standards of content, However,
there are some severe problems inherent in this:

1.	Normally, only some (chosen) heavy metals are analysed. The spectrum
of organic toxins following the sludge is not. Moreover, the wast water is
transported in pipes that also leaks metals, which in a small community
often is overlooked.
2.	The metal emission standards are based on acute toxicity, not on the
effects of a buildup over a long time. So, a tiny amount applied once means
perhaps nothing, but after fifty years or less, it may reach levels that
affects the edibility of the crops.
3.	The use of a centralised waste water system ulimatey lead to a HEAP
trap. Attaching  a ppt to explain the term.

YS
FG



See http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/guntherheap0408#attachments

 

 

2008/6/12 Mark Ludlow <mark at ludlow.com>:

Folke,

 

In the US the EPA has quite rigid standards regarding overland application
of digested municipal wastes, particularly with respect to heavy metals.
POTWs that are in industrial areas suffer from lots of "outlaw" discharges
into the sanitary sewer network and solids from these works are often
problematical, particularly with respect to metals. But plenty of small city
and suburban works have wastes that are not objectionable based upon their
toxics analysis.

 

Not in my back yard of course


 

Mark

 

  _____  

From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of folke Günther
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 3:33 PM
To: Philip Small
Cc: Terra Preta


Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Frenzy - wordsmithing, humour, no TP value

 

As I have said before: Never put sludge on land that should be used, now or
ever, for food production. It is true that some percent of it is nitrogen
and phosphorus, but the rest!


The heavy metal content is enough to make one aware, but stable organic
material (=poisons) are those that is collected in the sludge.
That's why I never play golf. The golf courses are made of sludge. Cheap.
But you can never grow food there in the future.
If you are interested in the nutrient content of humanure, get a
source-separating toilet
<http://www.holon.se/folke/projects/vatpark/Septoa_en.shtml> !
FG

2008/6/11 Philip Small <psmall2008 at landprofile.com>:

On sludge.  Sludge-N applied to farm fields normally replaces N manufactured
using nonrenewable energy. 

The bulk of municipal waste water treatment solids is microbial biomass.  It
may smell like shit because it is still putrescible and smells anaerobic,
but it isn't faeces anymore. Much of the putrescible content is food waste,
especially in communities with kitchen sinks set to up with garbage
disposals (I favor sewer fees on garbage disposals.  If you have one, wise
up and yank it off).  Stabilized after 20-25 days of detention, with most of
the putrescible characteristic used up to grow biomass, biosolids achieves a
classic microbial C/N of 6-8, and an N content of between 3 and 6% on a dry
weight basis.  Even considering that only 25% of that org-N is
plant-available the first year, at US$0.5/lb in 2007 and 2x that in 2008,
that org-N content is of considerable fertilizer value: $15-30/dry ton.  Add
another $10-$20/dry ton for the mineral-N content.  At 5DT/ac, that's an
applied value $125-$250/acre in 2008.  What will it be in 2009?

For sludge that can be trusted (I believe some can, some can't
<http://transectpoints.blogspot.com/2008/06/hephzibah-sludge.html> ) it
makes more sense to me to bulk up sludge with char than to make the sludge
into char.  For one, the N in sludge in mineralized with a fair amount of
inefficiency. Ammonia volatization and denitrification also take its toll on
sludge-N uptake efficiency. Adding char can help with the denitrification
especially. Another consideration is that sludge is fairly high in organic
acids, such as humic acids and especially fulvic acids. That seems a
valuable  complement to char.  

Each sludge is different, and each community's land resource is different.
If the candidate fields are all in N-fixing alfalfa or legume-mix pasture,
well it doesn't make as sense to retain the N value, but it would make sense
if the candidate fields are wheat. Just some thoughts. -philip



On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 6:52 AM, Gary Barei <garyb1957 at gmail.com> wrote:

OK, this one time, I'll bite --- wordsmithing

We've all gotten so politically correct, technically competent, hell,
media-savy and diplomatic!!

If it looks like shit, and it smells like shit, and it tastes like shit
........ Momma says ... it probably is SHIT!

So, let's cook it up, say 500 degrees Fahrenheit, no oxygen allowed ...
black gravelly / powderly looking stuff  ...

Hmmmmmmmmm ....

Looks like : a soil amendment,  maybe a water and  ion  retentive,  a
microbial  heaven  on earth  (literally), a CO2 trap  .... 
Smells like: well, hell ... it doesn't smell ... except for that sweet
organic, grassy, earthy,  we had the best time in the corn rows (sorry, I
digress)....
Tastes like:  Well, it just tastes good, natural I guess, plants loved it
... less herbicides, fertilizer and pain ... and we all did it in a crappy
way, if you get my drift!

SO - what does Momma say now?  Same as ever!!!  Look, Smell, Taste --- how
is your local, regional, national politician, taking Momma's good advice?

I'm afraid to do the math, but 6 Billion of us must have, say, minimum, 250
gm of "night soil, bio-sludge, post-processed biomass, nutrient depleted
excrement" to contribute daily  ... somebody post the number ... I'm too
afraid to launch the calculator.... What if we pyrolysed it?
..............oops, say it out loud!

ENERGY
POOP/NUTRIENTS (yeah, I mention that, but most like to look the other way!
~LOL~, so many goodies left over!)
BIOCHAR - soil me, drop me in the river .... I wish I could sing the blues

How to save the planet?  ...  Laugh at the above, and get serious about
tomorrow's choices.........

My 2 cents, Canadian, at the time of posting, global market calamity trading
in currency notwithstanding.  Thanks!

BTW, I bought oil at $79 US last  November ... Dumped it recently, but it
makes me sadder, every day :-(

There it is!  La Poo Point!

*******************



On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 4:15 AM, MFH <mfh01 at bigpond.net.au> wrote:

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

 

 

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-- 
Philip Small, RPSS
Land Profile, Inc. * PO Box 2175 * Spokane, WA 99210
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----------------------------------------
Folke Günther
Kollegievägen 19
224 73 Lund
Sweden
Phone: +46 (0)46 141429
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URL: http://www.holon.se/folke
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-- 
NB :Send your mails to folkeg at gmail.com, not to holon.se
----------------------------------------
Folke Günther
Kollegievägen 19
224 73 Lund
Sweden
Phone: +46 (0)46 141429
Cell: +46 (0)709 710306
URL: http://www.holon.se/folke
BLOG: http://folkegunther.blogspot.com/ 

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