Can Biosolids benefit us?

Biosoilds as fertilizer?

In other part of our planet, Biosolids are a popular choice for sustainable agricultural fertilizer. Before continuing into more detailed information regarding Biosolids, we must established what Biosolid actually is. The term Biosolids, essentially refers to human waste, or treated sludge and is a term used by the waste water industry to denote the byproducts of domestic and commercial sewage and waste water treatment. Biosolids are mainly a mix of water and organic materials that are a by-product of the sewage treatment processes. Biosolids may also contain nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter as well as essential micro-nutrients such as copper, iron, molybdenum and zinc, which are all important for plant growth and soil fertility. Though, many people often question the benefits of Biosolids. A chart bellow, made by a student from Lynch burg College, of Virginia,  is organized to display the benefits of such organic material and the potential harm it many have on our environment.

Pros	Cons
Creates jobs	Potential health hazard
It is a cost effective method of disposal	Effects irreversible
Recycles versus filling landfills	Contamination resulting from accumulation of industrial waste
Promotes farming	Its true composition is unknown
Reduces emissions from transportation to landfills	May contain hazardous chemicals
Good free fertilizer	Possibly transferable to crops
Land Reclamation	Decreases property value
Can be recycled	Odor

Advantages of Biosolids

Based on further research I came to a conclusion that the usage of Biosolid can be quite beneficial, though only if treated correctly. As listed in the above chart you can see the countless positive factors of the usage of Biosolids. The use of biosolids can, improve crop production, serve as an excellent fertilizer, create jobs, be recycled, reduce soil erosion, improve soil fertilization, reduce the need for commercial fertilizers and conserve landfill space, with minimum costs. Also mentioned is the fact that it can be recycled. Although its negative effects are irreversible, people have developed ways to minimize those harmful effects, by effectively recycling Biosolids to help fertilize fertilize agricultural crops and forests.

Disadvantages of Biosolids

However Biosolids, despite is numerous advantages, is continuously seen as an unsanitary practice that can be harmful to the health of humans. It has been stated that Biosolids contain toxic pollutants, odor, nutrients, pathogens and small traces of metal than is known to be quite harmful to human bodies. Furthermore, improperly managed application of biosolids can cause odor problems, especially in residential areas.  Western countries are to be blamed for this idea of unsanitary use. It is due to the image portrayed of human waste and the fact that in western countries, such as Canada and USA, they have alternative methods of fertilization.

Conclusion

Despite its image of being unsanitary, Biosolids is still excellent method farming. The benefits of biosolids far exceed the disadvantages as it offers an environmentally sound alternative to the disposal of wastes, while health risks are negligible if it complies with the regulatory requirements.