Crap in a Bag Could Change the World?

Introducing the Peepoo. This is a novel approach to improving sanitation while at the same time creating useful biomass and fertilizer. The use of night soil has been exploited by farmers for centuries, but the introduction of the Peepoo is a clever idea to prevent disease transmission and to generate income in developing countries.
The Peepoo is a biodegradable plastic bag 14 x 38 cm which people use as a portable toilet. The bag contains urea powder which reacts with the urine and faeces helping decomposition but also raising the pH. Pathogens are inactivated within 2-4 weeks depending on the temperature. The bioplastic is made from a mixture of aromatic co-polyesters and polylactone acid (PLA), with small additives of wax and lime. With time these degrade in the soil to release the N and P as well as adding vital water retaining biomass to the soil. As fertilizer is expensive in developing countries many local suppliers of Peepoo bags pay a small refund if the bag is returned full. These are then stored in heaps and allowed to slowly degrade producing a sellable nutrient enriched biomass for local farmers. One person using the bags for a year is equivalent to an artificial fertilizer loading of 6 kg urea 2 kg Total P and 1 kg potash.

Waste Framework Directive: Public Consultation

Ireland is in the process of bringing the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) into Irish law through the provision of new regulations.  The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government are now calling for comments and/or submissions on the draft regulations.  These must be forwarded to Gerry Byrne by 26 November, 2010 as Member States must complete the process by 12 December.  To access the draft regulations use this link.

Metal Variability in Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) to Agriculture Land

Sewage sludge (biosolids) disposed to agricultural land in Ireland need only be analysed once a year if disposed to agricultural land for plants of <100,000 PE according to the Code of Good Practice For the Use of Biosolids in Agriculture published by the Department of the Environment and Local Government in 2008. Metals in Irish sludges have decreased over the past 20 years resulting in their widespread use in agriculture with 76% of the 60,000 t DS produced each year now going to farmland. In a recent study done by Elizabeth Whitney of the Water Technology Research Group, the variability of sludge metal concentrations from 12 wastewater treatments plants was examined every two weeks for up to six months. The sludges showed wide variability as measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) over time with each plant with at least one metal where the CV was >50% over that period. Mean plant CV (and range) of the metals studied were Cr 29.5% (11-91%), Cd 48.0% (3-118%), Cu 73.4% (4-168%), Pb 26.5% (6-115%), Ni 46.5% (6-267%) and Zn 26.7% (6-100%). High CV values were generally indicative of an increasing or decreasing trend. However, on some occasions periods of high metal concentration were recorded indicating an intermittent source. The results show that significant variation in sludge metal concentrations occur over time and that in order to ensure safe disposal to agricultural land, the required certificates issued to farmers containing details of metals in the sludge should be either the actual metal concentrations in sludge applied or at least the upper (90 percentile) limit values based on recent monthly samples in order that correct and safe loading rates can be calculated.