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What are biosolids?
Biosolids are a safe and beneficial resource composed of essential plant nutrient and organic matter that is recovered from the treatment of domestic sewage in a wastewater treatment facility. Biosolids can be recycled and applied as fertilizer to improve and maintain productive soils and to stimulate plant growth. Farmers and gardeners have been recycling biosolids for ages. Biosolids are also used to fertilize gardens and parks and to reclaim mining sites. They are carefully monitored and must be used in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Read more about biosolids in our Science and Technology Resources. |
| An environmentally sound way to put a valuable resource to work.
Everyone knows that recycling benefits the environment. Communities across
North America have joined together to conserve our natural resources by recycling everything from glass and plastics to paper and metal. Wastewater treatment facilities also understand the importance of recycling, and that's why they are recycling biosolids. |
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Wastewater facilities like the one in your community reclaim safe, nutrient-rich organic material from the millions of liters of wastewater they treat each year. This reclamation process results in the production of biosolids. In fact, the more we succeed in cleaning our water, the more biosolids we can produce and put to beneficial use.
Meets strict quality standards and scientific controls.
Recycling biosolids for beneficial use means quality control and safety. Pretreatment regulations require that industrial plants treat or remove any contaminants from their wastewater before it is discharged to municipal wastewater plants, where regular testing ensures the high quality of biosolids. And specifically mandated treatments minimize any potential odor associated with biosolids.
In the United States, all biosolids recycling must meet strict quality criteria and regulations set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Standards are based on EPA's rigorous review of decades of long-term scientific studies regarding the safety and effectiveness of biosolids recycling. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also encourage the beneficial use of biosolids.
In Canada, agricultural land application of biosolids must meet strict quality criteria set by each of the provincial Environment Ministries. Biosolids recycling is also encouraged by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Health at both the provincial and federal level.
Makes economic sense.
Higher Yields: In farming biosolids recycling has been shown to produce significant improvement in crop growth and yield.
Lower Costs: Biosolids recycling can be a cost-efficient complement to chemical fertilizers that contain inorganic chemicals with biosolids.
Greater Savings: Increased biosolids recycling enables local governments to market biosolids products and helps to offset the costs of ensuring clean water quality to their citizens.
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