Utilisation And Disposal Of Digested Sludge

After anaerobic digestion, the sludge would contain about 35% organic and about 65% inorganic material. The digested sludge contains about 2,5% nitrogen, about 1% phosphorus and about 0,2% potassium. In addition to these so-called macro-nutrients, the sludge also contains the minor nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, iron, sulphur etc. Depending on the source of the waste-water, the sludge would also contain metals such as copper, chromium, nickel, zinc and cadmium. Certain components of the sludge may be advantageously utilised when the sludge is incorporated into agricultural land. In fact, as a result of the organic content and the presence of the nutrients and the trace elements essential for plant growth, sludge is generally valued as a soil conditioner. However, due to the presence of certain contaminants such as heavy metals, viable pathogenic and other organisms and complex organic compounds, careful consideration must be given to its potentially dangerous and hazardous properties when disposing of waste treatment sludge.

Waste-water sludge is classified into three types; (a) unstable with high odour and fly nuisance potential, contains a high content of pathogenic organisms - primary or raw sludge falls into this grouping, (b) stable with low odour and fly nuisance potential, has a reduced content of pathogenic organisms - humus, waste activated and anaerobically digested sludges fall into this grouping, (c) stable with insignificant odour and fly nuisance potential, contains insignificant numbers of pathogenic organisms - anaerobically digested sludge when preceded or followed by pasteurisation falls into this grouping, (d) as type c but with contents of specified elements below prescribed limits.

The purpose of describing the waste sludge in terms of the above classification and placing certain restrictions on the disposal of waste sludge is to minimise nuisances and the transmission of pathogenic organisms either directly to man or indirectly through the food chain, as well as protecting water resources and the environment from pollution.

As indicated above, waste-water sludge contains nutrients which can be used beneficially to improve the condition of the soil. Sludge helps to break up heavy clay soils and improves the moisture retaining ability of sandy soils. Although the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents of waste sludges are low compared with the inorganic fertilisers, these nutrients are not leached out as quickly as those from inorganic fertilisers.

Sludges derived from domestic waste-water treatment contains trace elements and minor nutrients in relative concentrations that are of the same order as required by most crops. This means that provided reasonable spreading rates are used, one should not experience metal accumulation problems with domestic sludges. However, when industrial effluents are present in the waste-water, significant concentrations of metals and other undesirable constituents may be present in the sludge and it becomes most important to ensure that the spreading rate is such that undesirable concentrations of metals etc, do not accumulate in the soil.

Where waste sludge cannot be disposed as a soil conditioner, it may be desirable or even necessary to co-dispose the sludge in admixture with refuse on a sanitary landfill site. The co-disposal of refuse and secondary waste-water sludge (in particular digested sludge) in sanitary landfills is being practised in many parts of the world, especially in drier areas which have a perennial water deficit.

Although the utilisation of waste sludge to improve soils used for agricultural process provides an attractive means of disposing of the waste sludge, there are many factors to be considered to avoid creating a secondary waste pollution problem that may be very costly and time-consuming to rectify.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Waste Treatments.

Yoga Pilates Yoga Video Weightloss

The Truth About Protein

The word protein means: Of first importance. After water, protein is the most abundant substance in the body.

Protein molecules, which consist of amino acids linked together, are the basic building foundation for the entire body: the bones, muscles, organs, blood, arteries, antibodies, skin, hair, nails, hormones, tissues etc.

Protein can also help lower blood pressure, it aids in weight loss, keeps cholesterol levels low, it slows artery clogging, and it decreases your chance of getting certain forms of cancer. Taking protein has also been shown to be an excellent preventative measure against aging and illness. The proper amount of high quality protein is essential for repair, growth, and healing of any and all body parts.

Virtually everyone should ingest protein daily to ensure a continuous supply of basic amino acids. Amino acids bind together in infinite combinations to become protein molecules, which are needed to repair an endless number of tissues throughout the body.

There are nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce, they must be supplied through your diet. There are also sixteen non-essential amino acids that the body can manufacture from the nine essential amino acids. All nine essential amino acids must be present for the amino acids to bind together for protein synthesis.

Protein can be found in meat and other foods you eat. Organic red meat and wild fish, for example, are great sources of natural animal based protein. Many people supplement protein into their diet, in addition to the protein they get from the foods they eat.

If you are going to take a protein supplement (usually comes in the form of a powdered shake) make sure that it is very high quality protein. Otherwise it will be useless and could do more harm to you body than good.

Whey protein vs. Soy protein: You will find that most protein supplements found in stores and on-line are whey protein. Whey Protein Isolate is the protein extracted from whey, the liquid by-product of cheese production.

There are some concerns you should be aware of that have to do with whey protein. For one, it is not a complete source of protein, it contains fat, and it contains lactose (potential issue for those who are intolerant).

There are many concerns about the milk source the whey came from: the health of the animal it came from, animal by-products, growth hormones, disease, pesticides, fertilizers, drugs etc. Some people are also allergic to dairy products.

Soy Protein Isolate, on the other hand, is protein that is extracted from the soybean, eliminating fats and certain acids. Overall, in my opinion, soy protein is much better than whey protein as a protein supplement source because it is natural and plant based, as opposed to animal based, which raises the same concerns as the whey products that I listed above.

However, there are some concerns with Soy Protein Isolate, so if you are going to buy a soy protein supplement it needs to be of the highest quality and purity. The source of the soy beans is important.

Are the soy beans organic, or fertilized and drugged? The processing methods used to make the soy protein can also adversely affect the potency and purity of the protein. Many companies process their soy protein too much, which prevents the retention of beneficial substances. Some people are also allergic to soy.

Many companies also alcohol-wash their soy flakes during production of things like soy milk, soy cheese, tofu, soy burgers,and even their soy protein supplements. Well not only do you not want to ingest something that has been washed with alcohol, this technique causes the loss of approximately 88% of the isoflavone conent.

What are isoflavones? Isoflavones are natural plant nutrients that mimic the function of human estrogen. Soy protein isolate should be water-washed, instead of alcohol washed, this ensures isoflavone content and is a cleaner, more natural way to clean and process the soy flakes.

There are a lot of kinds of protein supplements out there, but you need to make sure that you take the most natural form of plant-based protein supplement possible. I find that non-genetically modified soy protein works best for me.

Also make sure that you get sufficient amounts of protein from your diet. Do your research, even try a couple different kinds and pick what you feel works best for you.

Either way the company you buy your protein from should be able to give you all of the ingredients, tests, trials, and research to prove to you why their protein works the best. They also should offer a money back guarantee. If they can't or don't just don't buy it because they are hiding something.

It is very unfortunate that most companies care about profit more than quality because it leaves us, the consumer, without much understanding as to what is best and with many products that are of little to no nutritional content to us. Usually the product with the best ads on the television, instead of quality, sells the most.

So don't be easily persuaded and make sure that you read all of the research, ingredients, testing, and processing methods before you buy a protein supplement.

Whether you are an athlete, body builder, or just someone trying to get healthier, the amount and quality of protein you put in your body is of vital importance to your overall health and wellness.

Brue M. Baker, is an expert on natural health and fitness who has helped people from all across the country sky-rocket their health and well-being. Rather than hitting your head against a wall trying every nutrition product out there, let Brue introduce you to what he has found to be the best natural health products on the planet. Visit DynamicHealthTips.com for all the details.

Latex Yoga Mat