Poo, It’s Pretty Taboo.

In other parts of the world, biosolids (human waste) from sewage treatment plants are treated and used as sustainable agricultural fertilizer. Research the pros and cons of this method and take a stand as to whether this can be a realistic alternative to our current agricultural practices. Who are the potential stakeholders in this issue? Are we influenced by the western view of human waste as an unsanitary and disgusting nuisance?

Crap, dung, poo, poop, manure…
It has so many nicknames,
But no one likes talking about feces!

Well, I’m here to break that barrier.

“Biosolids” is the term used by the government to describe processing sewage solids, in order to produce nutrient-rich organic material. With around 195 000 tonnes of biosolids being generated every year just in Toronto, our scientists and government workers have developed a way of depositing our human wastes in a helpful approach. After the waste from our washrooms is treated and processed, it is then used as a fertilizer to improve and maintain the plant growth and the agricultural soils of our environment. Since biosolids efficiently contain large quantities of plant nutrients and organic matter, they are used as a fertilizer for our soils.Also referred to as “treated sludge”, biosolids are professionally treated to stabilize and utilized to ensure the benefits of its use.

The beauty of biosolids may be frequently overlooked in society due to its origins and appearance…but it is in fact, quite valuable to the development of crops. By utilizing biosolids as fertilizers, we are able to conserve land by not disposing it in landfills which obviously, are harmful to the environment and occupies much-needed space. Applying biosolids to the land composition around us reduces soil erosion and improves the water quality by improving the connection between soil properties (i.e. Texture of the soil aids in increasing the water-capacity). Biosolids also enhances root growth within the plants, therefore, protecting the vegetation of drought in unfavourable weather conditions. Successful and sustainable biosolid solutions save money for the water industry in causing less harm and mistakes-- leading to no unnecessary money wasted on recovery and damages. Biosolids are most importantly used as a replacement for harmful chemical sprays and other unnecessary chemical products which farmers routinely use to fertilize their crops— polluting the environment. Unlike chemicals, biosolids are water-soluble organic nutrients which make them less likely to leach into the water system underground. Seemingly, these reasons are all why biosolids are beneficiary to our society and the environment.

With any debateable cause, where there are benefits, there are also drawbacks. The same goes for the topic of biosolids. When biosolids are distributed into the ground below, compounds of plant nutrients, namely, sulphur and ammonia create disturbing odours within a reasonable distance. Some organic fertilizers, such as biosolids which contain fetus as the basic element, will get contaminated with pathogens and causes bad smell.The smell is not pleasing to many— especially people with a sensitive sense of smell...biosolids may cause headaches or in some rare cases, health problems for those who live near wastewater treatment plants.

With living in such a high-maintenance society, non-renewable resources are continually and quickly being used up, and humans must efficiently find a way to find a suitable solution to maintain our lifestyle. The western view of society would cringe away from the thought of feces being anywhere but flushed down our toilets and would most likely perceive biosolids as unsanitary and disgusting if they knew it would be lying around our yards like fertilizer. Our future depends on us developing innovative methods in saving our earth while sustaining future generations and ourselves.

Personally, I wasn’t too sure about which side I would take regarding biosolids at the beginning of this assignment. But evidently, after some preliminary research and weighing the pros against its cons, it became clear that biosolids have proven itself to be a reasonable source of fertilizer. Other than the rare occasion that potential health hazards and odours may emerge, the state of our earth should be focus on the irreversible effects of harmful and accumulating industrial waste. Biosolids can reduce these effects by replacing these problems using organic matter. Perhaps if the general public did just a little bit of research, they would re-evaluate their biased opinions on biosolids and see how helpful biosolids can actually be for our environment.

Whether biosolids are sprayed by manure spreaders, dumped from trailers, emptied out of bags, or even injected into the soil by specialized vehicles…it is ultimately a realistic alternative in being environmentally friendly and is inevitably contributing to the good of the future of our environment.

Go poo!

SOURCES:
http://www.thegardencentral.com/gardening-care/know-the-pros-and-cons-of-organic-and-inorganic-fertilizers/
http://www.toronto.ca/water/biosolids/index.htm#a
http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/qa/105-1focus/focusbeauty.html

COMMENTED ON:

http://priscillasbioblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/im-all-for-recycling-but-human-waste.html?showComment=1275900676117_AIe9_BFwv9sBSCSRtfoePP3bvrTWlX9XwKM_A0qD0PErbc4o6UaG55kzs4bTtR-_AhZpxlXgtvLn4pyOQGDmTNvIZUjO3A--ovhuMC_vXMLplwxxx_H_vozRltcP4vshf7snpFi82jhw-A5GZA5pM81nPiGRD_nsz3cKm961BNFJ2uChErnet4tLV30G0kTGd5HoI39xFa4ysVu8JoIk_ablOoKkifCwl6X99lYecZGPwwTlLp1iBPRRt0klPu3EFRsL4QWconSN#c2773430725877151742

http://layathomas.blogspot.com/2010/05/poop-goes-gooood.html?showComment=1275901701539_AIe9_BGH9MX1pp4G01XcjmX2pBP-gaA3sc2izvsYS4knUvMjO2xUDecSwITahnIJtcXBCU-CADPh94C0SF4235Z8gBNWSHyG7HF18U-wFKKQHHCJnBQmsy_wITy0E2qi7AJ8qdsz2jQkJC0VZdRI2rjheuNLlrUN2zrVZ2sLrFL21YRTMarBBfUg-_G-kyIot7Z11xkPs2wBlC-EYskKWsaRJnH7Ybpit3dnzA9nWMibRZDZW5WGx0Y#c3290883358673512890