It's Bio Time!: March 2011

“Night soil”, “sewage sludge”, and “wastewater” (the refined form), are just a few of the names that have been given to biosolids; human waste used as sustainable agricultural fertilizer. Biosolids are "mostly organic solids resulting from the treatment of wastewater that have undergone additional treatment" according to the EPA(Environmental Protection Agency). To ensure biosolids are recyclable, they are continuously monitored by Wastewater treatment facilities. In the following course of action, wastewater is cleaned chemically and biologically. The most important step of wastewater sanitation is the removal of pathogens (disease- causing organisms). These viruses and parasites can be a significant threat to the health of humans. Like most new innovations in our society, there are risks, but they are greatly outweighed by the advantages of biosolids.

A typical wastewater treatment facility

The processes of a wastewater treatment facility

The concept of "biosolids" is relatively new to the western hemisphere, but has been a common practice in other parts of the world for thousands of years. In the Tai Lake Region of China, biosolids were collected in ceramic tanks, concrete pits, or even buckets located near the toilets. Prior to the commencement of chemical fertilizers, farmers would use biosolids for nearly all crops, including wheat and rice. Today, nearly 200 million farmers in China, India, Vietnam, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America use biosolids to harvest grains and vegetables. In 2009 alone, fertilizer prices jumped almost 50 percent per metric ton, so farmers in developing countries maintain their businesses by using wastewater.

A Chinese farmer using biosolids as fertilizer

Wastewater practices are rarely used in North America because farmers have access to treated water and expensive chemical fertilizers. Also, our society scoffs at the idea of being too "uncivilized". Biosolids are packed with nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iron, as well as low concentrations of other plant nutrients. The soil in western countries has been known to be micro-nutrient deficient, and so the rich organic matter in biosolids can improve its overall quality. Recycling waste is a great solution to the byproduct of our society. When sewage is turned into an almost free fertilizer, the result is cleaner water bodies and more room in landfills. A study created by Colorado State University agronomists showed that biosolids constantly applied to wheat crops produced higher amounts of protein, thus creating larger economic returns compared to crops fertilized with the commercial fertilizer.

An example of a nutrient deficient plant and how the plant is affected

Even though the use of biosolids is regulated by the EPA law 503 (Standards for the use or disposal of Sewage Sludge), not everyone is too fond of the idea. Biosolids aren't overly used in places such as Canada or the United States of America, but people living in close proximity to these activities are concerned. In Colbert County, Alabama, Legislators are trying to stop the use of biosolids. There is a theory that anything that goes down a toilet (bleach, motor oil, etc.) can still be concentrated in biosolids, for they are not tested for contaminants after they leave the wastewater treatment pipes. Researchers have also tried to link the increase of illnesses to biosolids being used more frequently. In the study, residents living near biosolid fertilized land experienced burning eyes, skin rashes, and other ailments. The fact of the matter is, research on biosolids is very limited, so it has hard to tell if the negative effects supposedly caused by biosolids are accurate or coincidences.

A test on the concentration levels of cadium in biosolids

There is always a wrong way and a right way to go about a new advance. For example, if chicken is cooked the wrong way, the result can be salmonella. This doesn't mean that all chicken is bad. The same theory can be applied to biosolids used as fertilizers. Biosolids will be harmful if they are not provided in a responsible manner. For the most part, biosolids have been a great, cost effective substitution for harsh chemicals. If it has been used for thousands of years, why shouldn't we use it now?

Biosolids for all!

References:
1) http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/water.nsf/NPDES+Permits/Sewage+S825/$FILE/503-032007.pdf
2) http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080821-human-waste.html
3) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/07/020730075144.htm
4) http://www.agroecology.org/Case%20Studies/nightsoil.html
5) http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/biosolids-and-human-health/
6) http://www.sencer.net/Outreach/pdfs/DCSymposium08/Posters/LUbiosolids.pdf
7) http://www.epa.gov/region8/water/biosolids/
8) http://www.biosolids.com/benefits.html
9) http://www.saltspringnews.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=19167

Blogs I commented on:
1) http://maeisdabomb.blogspot.com/
2) http://claudia-d-123.blogspot.com/

Throughout history, a number of great innovators have worked endlessly to fight pain and suffering, combat disease, and prolong life through the creation of new medical technologies. The technology that has been developed over the past century has now become a staple part of our society. It is very unusual to see a doctor without a stethoscope because the world we live in today has undergone a dramatic change in terms of various technologies. Today, we can find sphygmomanometers in nearly every drugstore and we take technologies such as x-rays and microscopes for granted because we encounter them constantly. These technologies are important in understanding a variety of internal body systems. Without them, our medical experts wouldn’t be able to perform their everyday tasks, essential for the health of all patients.

A woman taking her blood pressure... in a drug store!

Before the 19^th century, doctors typically used manual techniques to diagnose their patients. The invention of the Hutchinson’s device or the spirometer kicked the new wave of healthcare into gear. It was used to measure the amount of air passing through the lungs. For something so seemingly simple, it can provide a lot of information of a patient’s condition, and help diagnose respiratory diseases. After this, physicians spent more time on the improvement of technological devices to understand the body without having to perform surgery. This period pushed for the creation of thermometers, stethoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, and x-ray. With these medical devices, doctors were able to see and hear internal body parts such as lungs, and hearts. Since the early 20^th century, an array of new medical technologies has emerged, changing the face of healthcare forever.

A group of doctors in the 1800s.

A recent technological innovation in healthcare is the Cardiac Catheterization, a method of diagnosing coronary distress. The pioneer of this procedure was Claude Bernard, for in 1844 he injected a needle using a mercury thermometer into the heart of a horse to measure its temperature. For the next forty years he used similar techniques to find the horse’s blood and soon, others followed in Bernard’s footsteps to increase the experiment’s efficiency. In modern procedures, a small thin tube (catheter) is passed into a leg vein as a dye travels through the catheter and to the heart, shown by an x-ray. The dye reveals areas of blockage in the heart. . A doctor performing this procedure can get a much better understanding of the patient’s problem without performing surgery.

The internal flow of cardiac catheterization throughout the body

Heart conditions can also be diagnosed by electrocardiographs (ECG), used to map electrical fields throughout the heart. ECGs are very common are commonly seen in television or in movies. Without an ECG, a doctor would have a very difficult time accurately assessing one’s heartbeat. Canadian doctors have researched the heart to try and create new innovations such as the artificial heart, as well. An Ottawa doctor, Tofy Mussivand, has looked over the process of creating an artificial heart for patients with heart disease. Dr. Mussivand’s dream can give a good idea of how much technology has truly changed.

The results of a Electrocardiograph

Even though there are critics of technology in the healthcare industry (stating it is the reason for rising medical costs), there is no denying that is has let us achieve much more than expected. Technology not only gives us a deeper understanding of the human anatomy, but has added more years to live for the entire population.