3 ms·

Why would this same prion not make its way in our ocean or soils with the current sewage system set up? If the treatment fails, I don't see why dumping it in th

by culi 4y ago

Why would this same prion not make its way in our ocean or soils with the current sewage system set up? If the treatment fails, I don't see why dumping it in the oceans is safer. The food chain there is much more complex and therefore the prion would be exposed to many more possible hosts. In fact, prion biology shows that exposure from fish is a much greater concern than foodplants https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925443910002139 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092544391...

deleted 4y ago
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pfdietz 4y ago
You're asking why the current sewage system wouldn't be safer than the nightsoil system, where raw waste is applied directly to cropland. Or why applying processed sewage to cropland might be less safe than NOT applying the bioprocessed sewage to cropland. I think you can understand why the latter there could be safer, by increasing the distance between waste and food.
- culi 4y ago
  that's not at all how nightsoil works lol
  - pfdietz 4y ago
    Untreated waste was used directly as fertilizer. Yes, it might be untreated sludge from holding tanks, not people directly shitting in the fields.
    - culi 4y ago
      Wow interesting. I've read a lot about this topic and I've never once heard of any people in history that have practiced what your describing. Would love some links to read more The first step of making any compost-based fertilizer is always to mix the "greens" (high nitrogen material, in this case the poop) with browns (high carbon material such as hay, leaves, straw, etc). Cow manure and other manures based on pretty much any other animal will have had this done. Any composting toilet, any night soil transportation truck, etc will also do this. Compost toilets usually simply mix it with sawdust, peat moss, or coconut noir. This very simple process was used in pretty much every culture the world over. It's simple and extremely effective at neutralizing odors and changing the microbiology to aerobic conditions which can make it safe to handle in as little as a few weeks
      - pfdietz 4y ago
        I find it very hard to believe you've read anything on this subject. Let's do the very first step of reading about it, consulting wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil "Night soil is a historically used euphemism for human excreta collected from cesspools, privies, pail closets, pit latrines, privy middens, septic tanks, etc. This material was removed from the immediate area, usually at night, by workers employed in this trade. Sometimes it could be transported out of towns and sold on as a fertilizer. Another definition is "untreated excreta transported without water (e.g. via containers or buckets)".[1] The term "night soil" is largely an outdated term, used in historical contexts. The modern term is "fecal sludge"; fecal sludge management is an ongoing challenge, particularly in developing countries.[2] Night soil was produced as a result of a sanitation system in areas without sewer systems or septic tanks. In this system of waste management, the human feces are collected without dilution with water." Note: UNTREATED. One might also ask, when was human waste first subject to treatment? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment#History "It was not until the late 19th century that it became possible to treat the sewage by biologically decomposing the organic components through the use of microorganisms and removing the pollutants."

by culi 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

pfdietz 4y ago

You're asking why the current sewage system wouldn't be safer than the nightsoil system, where raw waste is applied directly to cropland. Or why applying processed sewage to cropland might be less safe than NOT applying the bioprocessed sewage to cropland. I think you can understand why the latter there could be safer, by increasing the distance between waste and food.

culi 4y ago
that's not at all how nightsoil works lol
- pfdietz 4y ago
  Untreated waste was used directly as fertilizer. Yes, it might be untreated sludge from holding tanks, not people directly shitting in the fields.
  - culi 4y ago
    Wow interesting. I've read a lot about this topic and I've never once heard of any people in history that have practiced what your describing. Would love some links to read more The first step of making any compost-based fertilizer is always to mix the "greens" (high nitrogen material, in this case the poop) with browns (high carbon material such as hay, leaves, straw, etc). Cow manure and other manures based on pretty much any other animal will have had this done. Any composting toilet, any night soil transportation truck, etc will also do this. Compost toilets usually simply mix it with sawdust, peat moss, or coconut noir. This very simple process was used in pretty much every culture the world over. It's simple and extremely effective at neutralizing odors and changing the microbiology to aerobic conditions which can make it safe to handle in as little as a few weeks
    - pfdietz 4y ago
      I find it very hard to believe you've read anything on this subject. Let's do the very first step of reading about it, consulting wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_soil "Night soil is a historically used euphemism for human excreta collected from cesspools, privies, pail closets, pit latrines, privy middens, septic tanks, etc. This material was removed from the immediate area, usually at night, by workers employed in this trade. Sometimes it could be transported out of towns and sold on as a fertilizer. Another definition is "untreated excreta transported without water (e.g. via containers or buckets)".[1] The term "night soil" is largely an outdated term, used in historical contexts. The modern term is "fecal sludge"; fecal sludge management is an ongoing challenge, particularly in developing countries.[2] Night soil was produced as a result of a sanitation system in areas without sewer systems or septic tanks. In this system of waste management, the human feces are collected without dilution with water." Note: UNTREATED. One might also ask, when was human waste first subject to treatment? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment#History https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment#History "It was not until the late 19th century that it became possible to treat the sewage by biologically decomposing the organic components through the use of microorganisms and removing the pollutants."