In Ontario, most municipalities land apply their biosolids. Other municipalities burn it to create energy or just reduce the quantities of waste sent to landfills. Finally, some municipalities just send their biosolids to landfills. However, biosolids are great for adding macro and micro nutrients and organic matter which are crucial for the development of crop plants. Therefore, sending biosolids to a landfill is a waste of nutrients which would be better used in land application for crops.
Prior to January 1 2011, the land application of biosolids was regulated by the Ministry of Environment. Since January 1 2011, the application of biosolids is regulated by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), with the Ministry of Environment enforcing the policies set out in Ontario Regulation 267/03 - the Nutrient Management Act.
The Ontario Regulation 267/03 is intended to protect our water supply. At the same time, it strives to optimize field inputs, by reducing field input costs and maximizing crop yields. Under this Act, biosolids are regulated as a beneficial nutrient for soil conditioning and improvement. Specifically, this Act controls the amount of nutrients added to the soil via the application of biosolids. It looks at the macro nutrients (which are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) as well as eleven micro nutrients (which are Arsenic, Cadmium, Cobalt, Chromium, Copper, Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel, Lead, Selenium, and Zinc). These are considered to be necessary to the growth of crop plants.
The amount of biosolids allowed to be applied to the farmer’s field is calculated by developing a Non Ag-Source Material (NASM) plan. This is done using a program called NMAN3. (The NMAN3 program replaces the Certificate of Approval for application of biosolids after Jan 1, 2011.) The NMAN3 software stipulates required data, such as the soil test results, biosolids analysis reports, cropping practices of the farmer, size of the field, and required setbacks. The amount of macro and micro nutrients in the biosolids analysis and the soil analysis will dictate the application rate on the farmer’s field.
Bartels Environmental Services’ application technicians have NASM and NMAN3 training, as well as the associated certificates. They are more than willing to assist farmers with these programs.
Showing posts with label Biosolids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biosolids. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Biosolids: Not just for farmers
As the human population grows and produces more waste, engineers need more and more to look for safe and healthy ways to get human waste back into nature where it belongs, to protect the health of our children and their children.
Sludge has been treated for a fair number of years now, in particular since the Clean Water Act came out. Before that, a lot of sewage sludge was actually dumped straight into our water (or into the ocean). And industries thought nothing about dumping heavy metals and toxic waste with their other sewage waste. But now industrial companies are monitored to ensure they don’t dump toxic waste in with their sewage waste, and sewage waste is treated. Everything released from sewage treatment plants as safe-to-use is strictly regulated, and so is the land application of the biosolids.
The most viable use of biosolids is land applications. Most valuable for its organic matter, it can be used not only by farmers to improve their crops, but also by land rehabilitators who reclaim land damaged by mining.
Other uses involve further processing of the biosolids. Most biosolids are currently released as “cake”, however, this can be further processed into compost, or dried into pellets. These can then be marketed. Pellets can also be used to generate electricity. When used in this way by the waste water treatment plant, the plant can be self-sufficient in terms of energy required.
For more details on composting with biosolids, please read the following article "Why I love biosolids".
When none of these options are utilized, biosolids are dumped into landfills with the rest of our garbage.
What do you think should be done with biosolids?
Sludge has been treated for a fair number of years now, in particular since the Clean Water Act came out. Before that, a lot of sewage sludge was actually dumped straight into our water (or into the ocean). And industries thought nothing about dumping heavy metals and toxic waste with their other sewage waste. But now industrial companies are monitored to ensure they don’t dump toxic waste in with their sewage waste, and sewage waste is treated. Everything released from sewage treatment plants as safe-to-use is strictly regulated, and so is the land application of the biosolids.
The most viable use of biosolids is land applications. Most valuable for its organic matter, it can be used not only by farmers to improve their crops, but also by land rehabilitators who reclaim land damaged by mining.
Other uses involve further processing of the biosolids. Most biosolids are currently released as “cake”, however, this can be further processed into compost, or dried into pellets. These can then be marketed. Pellets can also be used to generate electricity. When used in this way by the waste water treatment plant, the plant can be self-sufficient in terms of energy required.
For more details on composting with biosolids, please read the following article "Why I love biosolids".
When none of these options are utilized, biosolids are dumped into landfills with the rest of our garbage.
What do you think should be done with biosolids?
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Introduction to Biosolids
Farm practices have changed dramatically over the last five to 10 years. The government is enforcing better nutrient management practices to protect the soil and water quality without giving up productivity for the farmer. At Bartels Environmental Services, we strongly believe in protecting our environment. We are committed to providing a service that will merge the use of biosolids and farm manures with the latest technologies such as GPS metering of inputs to the soil. This is beneficial because it allows the farmer to accurately know what is applied to the land. In turn, the farmer can effectively optimize the biosolids and farm manure nutrients and reduce the cost of fertilizers.
About Biosolids
What are biosolids?
Biosolids are domestic wastewater sludge that has been treated and tested to meet standards that allow it to legally be used as fertilizer. This process is regulated by the Nutrient Management Act, 2002 (NMA) and the Environmental Protection Act (EPA).
Use of Biosolids
The use of biosolids is not a new concept; it has been around for hundreds of years around the world. Spreading biosolids on agricultural land is very popular in many industrialized nations. In fact, in countries such as Germany and The Netherlands, nearly all biosolids are applied to agricultural land.
The Benefits of Biosolids
Through testing over many years by various countries, several benefits of biosolids have been identified. In the short term, they add plant essential nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), a wide variety of trace minerals, and a small amount of organic matter. These result in significant yield increases. A long-term benefit of biosolids is that they improve soil structure. This will help maximize your land potential.
About Biosolids
What are biosolids?
Biosolids are domestic wastewater sludge that has been treated and tested to meet standards that allow it to legally be used as fertilizer. This process is regulated by the Nutrient Management Act, 2002 (NMA) and the Environmental Protection Act (EPA).
Use of Biosolids
The use of biosolids is not a new concept; it has been around for hundreds of years around the world. Spreading biosolids on agricultural land is very popular in many industrialized nations. In fact, in countries such as Germany and The Netherlands, nearly all biosolids are applied to agricultural land.
The Benefits of Biosolids
Through testing over many years by various countries, several benefits of biosolids have been identified. In the short term, they add plant essential nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), a wide variety of trace minerals, and a small amount of organic matter. These result in significant yield increases. A long-term benefit of biosolids is that they improve soil structure. This will help maximize your land potential.
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