Biosolids - The FREE Fertilizer!

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 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?

For over 30 years, Ontario has used its biosolids as fertilizers on farmlands. Biosolids, also referred to as sewage sludge, is a term used to discribe, as the city of Toronto puts it, "digested sewage soilids". What does this mean exactly?

Well, the water you send down your toilets, drains and showers travels through underground pipes to one of the city's four water treatment facilities. When this domestic waste water is treated, the solid material is filtered out of the water. The water goes through watever process and blah blah blah ..its safe...we drink it. Now back to that "material". Its sent to (as T.O says) "digester tanks". These tanks conatin microrganisms that consume the solids and produce the famous BIOSOLIDS. These biosolids are high in organic content, contain notrients that are valuble to plants, and because the material has been "consumed" by microrganisms the solids are then less likely to support further microbial activity (they're pretty much sanitary).The city then has do decide what its going to do with this stuff. As seen below, these biosolids are sent to a lot of different places.

As you can see, the majority of the biosolids are sent to landfills (41%) or are incinerated (23%). So why is soo much of this valuble material and FREE FERTILIZER being dumped into landfills or burned in incinerators creating pollution? In many counrties using this material as fertilzers is commonplace. So why aren't we doing the same? Let's take a look at the pros and cons of the situation.

Okay, I always think it's good to start with the CONS (then the pros cheer you up!)

- a potential health hazard

- odor

- the smell decreases propperity value

-chemicals may be put onto our foods via the sewage

And the PROS

- its FREE

- biosolids contain nutrients etc. that help lants grow

- saves the space these biosoils otherwise take up in our landfills

-better than burning the solids (as 23% of them are in Toronto) and subsiquently pollute our air

- jobs are created

Now what? Well the jobs created and the money brought in from the province selling these biosolids I think basically is worh the loss in property value. And when we're talking about jobs, we're not just talking about shipping the biosolids. There's manufacturing the solids into pellets, which is what's used as a fertilizer, and ther's marketing this product as well.

Then there's the fact of the odor. Yes it smells bad, but face it, so does cow manure. And which would you rather, a foul smell, or that material being bured and put into the air that we breathe! Then ofcourse you have to take into consideration the point that this is fairly new technology, not much is known about if the lsudge might conatin any toxins in it and what affect this would have on the food it fertalizes. However, did you know that many farmers in Florida use biosolids to fertalize their crops. The famous Florida oranges are fertilized
A farmer shows the "sludge pellets" also known as biosolids used to fertilze his crops. with biosolids. Have any of you ever eaten a Florida orange? Any side effects? I've eaten plenty and I'm perfectly fine. Infact, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, biosolids "...can be safely recycled and applied as fertilizer".

So why aren't we using biosolids more often? Well, its really up to us. I think that we are too easly swayed by the western veiw that human waste is unsanitary. So amny counries use biosolids. It just amkes sense to use somthing that otherwise would just be dumped in a landfill. Maybe its just the F.O.B. comming out in me, but don't you think it's such a waste to through away all of this perfectly clean and valublbe fertilizer just because you think its kind of gross? We have this resource, its safe (for all we know...and hey "innocent until proven guilty"!) and its FREE. Let's use it!

sources

http://www.toronto.ca/water/biosolids/index.htm

http://www.thestar.com/article/459085

http://www.toronto.ca/health/hphe/pdf/bio_soilds_chp6.pdf

http://www.epa.gov/owm/mtb/biosolids/

http://www.sewagesludge.com/

http://www.orangecountyfl.net/YourLocalGovernment/CountyDepartments/Utilities/BiosolidsRecyclingAnIntroduction.aspx

Ummm....Diagnostic Imaging Technologies???

Okay so as you can tell, coming up with a title for this blog was kind of difficult. At first I thought the topic for this blog was quite boring. But as I started researching, it was actually interesting to find out about all those procedures and scans that are talked about everyday, most of which I've actually had done (oh joy) and I hear about on my Fave shows like Grey Anatomy and House!

Let's start the List from least to most "pleasant".

Endoscope.

An endoscopy is a procedure which involves examining the inside of a person's body using a device known as an endoscope. What is an endoscope you may ask? It is a medical device consisting of a long, thin, flexible (or rigid) tube which has a light and a video camera. Doctors use an endoscope to examine the interior surfaces of an organ or tissues. The images of the inside of the patient's body can be seen on a screen, and the entire procedure is usually recorded so that doctors can check it again.

A man by the name of Philip Bozzini is credited with being the "father" of this magical device. In 1806 he had come up with an instrument consisting of an aluminium tube which was illuminated by a candle and fitted with mirrors that reflected the images from inside the patient's body to the observer ( let's hope it's the doctor). Back then he called his device the "Lichleiter" was used it to visualize the genitourinary (or urogenital) tract. The endoscope later evolved into the commonly used endoscopes of today that can even be fitted with certain mechanisms enabling biopsies and the retrieval of foreign objects. Many different types of endoscopes have been developed that are used to examine everything from the colon to the inside of the nose and even the lungs and other structures in the chest cavity. The endoscope is a noninvasive alternative to surgery and is a useful medical tool to help us see and thus better understand the interior cavities of the body. Unpleasantness includes some rather horrid medicine ("clearing" the way for the endoscope) and the fact that after this procedure you then have too face the fact that somewhere in the world there exists at least one person who has seen up your buttocks.



Capsule Endoscope.




Endoscopes inserted through the anus (to view the colon) or throat can not reach the small intestine (to reach the small intestine an incision must be made through to insert the endoscope, a surgery that is not preferred). Have no fear though, there's the capsule endoscope.


A capsule endoscopy involves swallowing a pill about the same size as a multi-vitamin that has a camera attached to it. The patient swallows this pill which wirelessly sends images of inside their digestive system (2 images a second)to a belt that the patient wears. The device on the belt receives the images and records that data. After the pill has passed through the part of the tract wished to be imaged, the belt is removed and the images are downloaded and interpreted by a doctor. This procedure gives the doctors a view of the entire digestive tract and is very useful in diagnosing conditions such as gastrointestinal bleeding and small bowel Crohn's - diseases which before this capsule many patients would suffer with without a diagnosis. Unpleasantness includes that nasty medicine again....but who care cause you swallowed a camera!!!!






Barium Swallow.

A barium Swallow can be used to determine the cause of everything from painful swallowing, difficulty with swallowing, abdominal pain, blood-stained vomit or unexplained weight loss. The patient drinks a solution containing Barium Sulfate, a metalic compound that shows up on x-ray. The barium sulfate coats the inside of the digestive tract and the x-rays track its path. It is a procedure used to help see abnormalities in the esophagus and stomach. By conducting a barium swallow doctor's can diagnose everything from ulcers to abnormally enlarged veins in the esophagus than can cause bleeding. Unpleasantness may include yucky taste, unless you enjoy drinking chalk - like substances.

MRI Scan.

Last but not least comes the MRI scan, or magnetic resonance imaging, which uses magnetism, radio waves and a computer to produce images of different body structures. The device, which is quite huge and expensive so usually only major hospitals can afford them, consist of a tube surrounded by a giant circular magnet. The patient is placed on a movable bed that is "inserted" into the magnet. Now this part can get a bit confusing. The magnet creates strong magnetic fields that align the protons in the hydrogen atoms, which are then exposed to a beam of radio waves. This spins the various protons of the body, and they produce a faint signal that is detectable by the computer which converts them into an image. The images produced are actually very detailed and can be used to see everything from brain aneurysms, strokes, tumor and inflammation of the spine. Often surgery can be postponed until a scan is completed or more accurately conducted after viewing the results of an MRI scan. Unpleasantness may include an uncomfortable "bed" ( a plastic table really) and the loud noises of the machine (earmuffs are provided).

A detailed MRI image

All of these procedures and devices give invaluable insights on the systems of the human body. These technologies have saved countless lives. Because of them, doctors can diagnose patients without the risks of surgery, help us better understand the complex systems (inculuding digestive, respiratory and circulatory) and have thus been influential in finding cures for patients and preforming successfull surgeries.

Sources

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153737.php

http://laparoscopy.blogs.com/endoscopyhistory/chapter_6/index.html

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&rlz=1I7ADRA_en&defl=en&q=define:genitourinary&ei=4eHMS_bVOYH68AbOg4HVBA&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title&ved=0CAYQkAE

http://laparoscopy.blogs.com/endoscopyhistory/chapter_6/index.html

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/barium_swallow/article_em.htm

Artificial selection has resulted in plants that are more disease- resistant, cows that produce more milk, and racehorses that run faster. Ones must wonder what will come next. Under what circumstances should humans be artificially selecting plant or animals, if any?

Artificial Selection : the Good and the Bad.

Artificial selection. It's the human intervention in animal or plant reproduction to ensure that certain desirable traits are present in successive generations. Artificial selection (also known as selective breeding) is responsible for many of the species of domesticated animals as well as many of the plants and crops we have today. What are some of the pros and cons of this process? Is it morally correct? Where do we draw the line?

Advantages

The human population is continuously growing. There are more and more of us, taking up more and more space. As the population grows, our cities expand....taking up our valuable farmland where our crops are grown. Naturally, the productivity of out farming must increase and we must learn to use and develop ways in which we can use what little, shrinking farmland we have to grow as much food as we can. How is this achieved you may ask? Why artificial selection of course! Artificial selection increases crop yield because crops have been breed to grow faster and bigger.

Some more advantages? Selective breeding has generated diversity in our crops as well, like superior strains of corn. Look to the left. Which one would you rather eat? The common wild mustard plant was bred to create some of my favorite vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower. Without artificial selection, these vegetables would not even exist! Everything from the meat we eat, to racehorses, even cats and dogs have been developed through selective breeding. Dogs were domesticated from wild wolves around 13 000 years ago - and were, over many thousands of years, bred with desirable traits for different purposes into different breeds. Artificial selection can also be used to take out undesirable traits from the gene pool, so that genetic diseases can be avoided, as well has help prevent species extinction by breeding animals that are more likely to survive. As you can see, most of selective breeding has been developed and used top make our lives a whole lot easier. Just imagine how different your life would be without it.

Disadvantages

What are some of the disadvantages of artificial selection? Although artificial selection is responsible for creating a large diversity in crops (like corn) and animals (like dogs), the continuous selective breeding for certain desirable traits can eventually lose the diversity within the gene pool. This is irreversible, and we all know the consequences of diminishing this diversity. Crop diversity (along with animal diversity) must be maintained in order to ensure that diseases (and other natural causes) will not wipe out the entire population. Though artificial selection helps farmers grow plants more efficiently, we must be careful that too much diversity is not taken away.

Selective breeding in dogs can lead to many health problems. Dog breeders breed dogs for the most desirable traits to win dog shows, or traits deemed the cutest for potential buyers. All this really reminded me of designer babies....instead it's designer dogs this time. Its creepy how obsessed our society is with looks, not just our looks, but our pets' as well. Dog breeders will even mate dogs that are related to each other (inbreeding) which can cause genetic diseases. Dogs with these illnesses are not prevented from competing in dog shows and often go on to win top prizes. This is completely immoral and only encourages dog breeder to keep on breeding diseased dogs. The breeders breed dogs for certain "dog-show-winning-traits" like short faces, wrinkling, screw-tails and dwarfism, many of which have inherent health problems. For example, the prize winning cavalier King Charles spaniel (pictured left) often suffers from a condition known as syringomyelia - where the dog's skull is too small to accommodate all its brain. Yet these dogs are bred with this condition in order to look cute!

Conclusion

Really I think that artificial selection has many advantages and has and will continue to help humanity. But there is a line to cross. Artificial selection is messing with nature and should only be done with extreme caution. We've genetically modified many plants to suit our needs..and need them we do! Let's face the facts....experimenting with plant genes is okay..if it goes wrong then don't plant those seeds. But animals is where the line should be drawn. These are living creatures that CAN feel pain. Experimenting with them is dangerous for the animals and inhumane on the part of us. Artificial selection is only win- win to a certain extent.

Sources:

http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Artificial_selection/id/1919331

http://www.biology-online.org/2/12_selective_breeding.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118084/Gene/Genetic_variation/artificialselection.htm

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ridley/a-z/Artificial_selection.asp

http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/session5/closer1.html

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7569064.stm

The Search for the Perfect Child

"Designer Babies" is the term Being used by the media to describe the future of modifying or selecting our children's genes for desirable characteristics (medical and cosmetic). Are things getting out of hand with our research into genetic processes?


Okay, so there has been huge controversy over the issue of designer babies. Some people are for it, some are against it. But before taking any sides, one must always consider the facts.

A "designer baby" is a baby who's genetic make- up has been artificially selected to ensure the absence of presence of certain characteristics. How is this done you may ask? Using preimplantation genetic diagnosis, a technology that has been available to paying couples since at least 2001. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD allows parents to screen out embryos that have inherited genes for certain serious diseases like cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia and many others. The process involves fertilizing eggs in a lab , and when the embryos are about three days old, a single cell is removed and analyzed. Any embryos with abnormal chromosome counts are discarded and the healthy ones are then implanted into the womb (in vitro fertilization or IVF).

The main controversy is not about screening embryos for these diseases, but using PGD to select the sex of a child. In fact in a 2006 survey conducted by the Genetics and Public Policy center at John Hopkins University it was found that 42 per cent of 137 PGD clinics in the U.S. offered a gender- selection service. Fertility Institutes - a PGD clinic operating in the U.S. and in parts of Mexico states that they have had over 3 800 cases of gender selection with a 100% success rate. Many countries have already banned gender selection including Canada, the U.K. and Germany.

On March 3, 2009 Fertility Institutes announced that they have the technology to allow parents to choose their babies hair, eye and skin colour. Selection of traits perceived to be desirable will diminish the variability within the gene pool, and we all know the importance of this diversity.

These are just the facts. Have an opinion yet? I do. I can't imagine what kind of parent would want to choose even the sex of their baby- never mind how their baby looks! Can you imagine what the world would be like if people chose which sex they're child would be? Countries like India and China where male children are preferred would have a while generation of mostly male babies. The balance of the female/ male populations of the world would be completely thrown off. It could result in thousands of single men because there aren't enough woman, or vice versa.

Then imagine parents choosing the characteristics of they're children. With PGD and IVF services costing upwards of $10 000 children would become a financial investment. Just picture the obsessive parents- the kind you find screaming their heads off and fighting with the referee at their children's sporting events. Or the parents that push their kinds so hard in academics. These parents pour all of their hopes and dreams into their children...what would happen if they also poured all of their money into creating them? Let's say perhaps a child was designed to be more athletic. That kid would be forced into sport- weather they liked it or not because they wouldn't be just a child anymore, but an investment. Encouraging phrases would change from "You can do it!" to "You have to do it- you were designed for this! I paid good money for you!"

If people invested so much money into creating the perfect child- parenting would become materialistic instead of loving. Parents wouldn't just love whoever they had for the gift that they are, but only love the best that they could create. What about people who wouldn't have the money for such procedures? Society would become divided between those that could afford perfect babies and those that couldn't. Would or should a deaf parent who embraces they're condition be allowed to select a child unable to hear? Where would the line be drawn on how many decisions parents could make for their children on how they look or what they are capable of?

The technology of PGD was originally developed to help couples have healthy children free of genetic diseases. But let's face it- Traits are not diseases. We can't let the miracle of having a child turn into flipping through a catalogue and deciding on exactly what you want. The world is what we make of it and why would anybody want to make a world that is already so obsessed with perfection that girls would starve themselves to look a certain way, even worse?








The Pope himself condemned "designing babies" on February 23, 2009 as an "obsessive search for the perfect child" On march 4 , 2009 , a day after the Fertility Institutes announced their technology to choose a baby;s eye, skin and hair colour, they reconsidered. The project was scraped because of "public perception".

Sources

The Fertility Institutes

http://www.gender-selection.com/

The Great Designer Baby Controversy of '09
h+ Magazine
http://www.hplusmagazine.com/

The Need to Regulate 'Designer Babies' May 4, 2009
Scientific American Magazine
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=regualte-designer-babies


Us Fertility Clinic Promises 'Designer Babies'
Tue. Mar. 3, 2009 CTV news http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090302/pgd_090302/20090302

Man Up Humanity! Take Responsibility

Many Scientists consider humans as the most invasive species, as humans greatly change an environment and impact living things that reside there. Are we being stewards of the world? Take a look at an issue in which human intervention has positively or negatively affected the biodiversity of our ecosystems.

In my opinion, humanity is an invasive species and thus are terrible stewards of the world. Any plant, animal or microbe that is not native to a given ecosystem which is likely to harm the ecosystem, human health or cause economic losses is an invasive species.(greeniacs.com) Humanity, being the most mobile species, can live anywhere on earth, and everywhere we go we harm the ecosystem. Through pollution, over harvesting , the introduction of invasive species and habitat destruction, humanity affects the biodiversity of every ecosystem. By affecting this diversity of living things, we jeopardize the species' existence, and in turn the entire ecosystem and all that is in it, including humanity. As stewards we are suppose to be taking care of our planet, yet we do so many things to harm it.

Pollution is a Major factor affecting the biodiversity of our world. The burning of fossil fuels have lead to an increase of green house gasses and the chemicals, toxins and waste we release into the environment poison countless ecosystems. Because of this, many species are being harmed, even endangered and extinct. The Irish Char, a fish that was present in sizable amounts in the early 1980s was extinct from Irish lakes and rivers by 1990 due to excess amounts of phosphorus from agricultural run offs.

Not only does humanity poison ecosystems and habitats. we destroy them too. Habitat destruction affects all animals in the ecosystem as their homes are destroyed through deforestation, wetland drainage and the conversion of habitats for our growing agricultural needs. Plant species and constantly destroyed for agriculture, firewood and building materials. How can anyone expect something to live when heir habitat, their homes, no longer exist?

As humanity's population grows so does our demand for food, which leads to over harvesting. The biodiversity of our planet is being lessened every year because we consume resources faster than they can be replenished. It is estimated that 70% of the world's important fish stocks are over exploited, paper use has grown six times since 1961 and fresh water consumption has tripled since 1950. (BBC) Commercial fishing catches more fish than we need, faster than they can reproduce and replace what was taken. If we continue over harvesting like this many species will cease to exist. Does this sound like we're taken care of the earth? I don't think so!

Humanity is the most mobile species and wherever we go, we bring alien species with us, whether it be intentional, like the small Indian mongoose, or unintentional like zebra mussels, it still happens.

Zebra mussels, native to the Caspian Sea region of Asia, were likely brought into the Great Lakes area accidentally on the hulls or in the ballast water of vessels. The Zebra mussels spread rapidly, clogging pipes, cooling systems of boat engines and boat hulls and devouring most of the available microscopic food supply. Their sharp edges cut the feet of swimmers in the lakes as well. Governments are working feverishly to educate boaters so the mussels don't spread any farther.




Though the introduction of this invasive species was done by accident, the introduction of the small Indian mongoose was not. The mongoose (nominated as "100 World's Worst Invaders") is native to Asia. The small Indian mongoose has however, been introduced widely to the West indies, Mauritius, Hawaii and several other islands to control rats, snakes and other pests in sugarcane and other crop fields. However, the mongoose started killing domestic poultry and indigenous animals. The mongoose has been held responsible for the extinction of several animals. Oh, and did I mention that it's also a vector for rabies? The mongoose of course is completely innocent sense it was humanity that is responsible for introducing this invasive species in the first place!



All of this greatly affects the biodiversity of our world. As stewards of the earth, humanity is doing a terrible job. We are suppose to be taking care of our planet and everything on it, yet we are ruining its biodiversity by killing and endangering so many plants and animals. Biodiversity is essential to the strength of the entire ecosystem. I hate to break it to humanity, but we're doing a crap job at caring for our world. Humanity has got to get educated on what we are doing! Take on responsibility for our actions.W must take care of our one and only planet earth if we intend to keep living on it, and that includes taking care of everything that resides here! Man (or woman!) up humanity!

Sources

Global Invasive Species Database

http://www.issg.org.database/species/ecology.asp?=86&fr=1&sts=sss&lang=EN

The Effect of Human Population on Biodiversity

http://www.ecology.org/biod/poulation/human_pop.html

The Irish Char Conservation Group

http://www.charr.org/cong/lough_cong_char.htm

http://www.gma.org/surfing/human/zebra.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/programmes/tv/state_planetlover.shtml