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Unfortunately, poop and urine is one of the main reasons for soil contamination by Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).[1] [2] . I think farmer

by alkh 2y ago

Unfortunately, poop and urine is one of the main reasons for soil contamination by Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).[1] [2] . I think farmers will have to rethink using those as fertilisers soon [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/31/climate/pfas-fertilizer-sludge-farm.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/31/climate/pfas-fertilizer-s... [2] https://www.npr.org/2024/03/28/1241473455/pfas-forever-chemicals-could-be-contaminating-millions-of-acres-of-farmland https://www.npr.org/2024/03/28/1241473455/pfas-forever-chemi...

LarsAlereon 2y ago
That's why they're capturing the urine directly instead of using potentially contaminated sewage solids.
chakintosh 2y ago
From the article: "Windham County's pee-donations are collected by a lorry and driven to a large tank where the urine is pasteurised by heating it to 80C (176F) for 90 seconds. It is then stored in a pasteurised tank, ready to be sprayed on local farmland when the time is right to fertilise crops."
- reverendsteveii 2y ago
  does pasteurization break down PFAs? They're chemicals, not microbes. My understanding is that pasteurization only kills microbes.
  - moate 2y ago
    The PFA's aren't largely concentrated in the urine/feces, they're in the sewage water (from people flushing/washing things down the drain/chemical runoff). If the issue was "people are so full of PFA's that their urine/feces contain so much they're contaminating the planet" the problem would be too far advanced, right? Like if your body was so radioactive that standing near you caused people to develop cancer, you probably shouldn't worry about getting cancer yourself, you're already fucked.
    - reverendsteveii 2y ago
      that's not unfair, thank you for clarifying. though I will add that elsewhere in the thread we're having the exact conversation from your second paragraph but about prescription and...ahem...non-prescription drugs.
interestica 2y ago
> Unfortunately, poop and urine is one of the main reasons for soil contamination by Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). That’s not true and that’s absolutely not what those articles say. Biosolid fertilizer ≠ “poop and urine” Each article refers to general sewage "sludge" which is the primary output from wastewater treatment plants. That "biosolids" mix is far removed from "poop and urine" and has many other things added to it (eg for treatment) and taken out. From your [1] > The E.P.A. is currently studying the risks posed by PFAS in sludge fertilizer (which the industry calls biosolids) to determine if new rules are necessary. > She said regulators should focus on curbing the PFAS entering wastewater by banning use in consumer products or requiring industries to clean their effluent before sending it to treatment plants. “There’s not enough money in the world to take it out at the end,” she said. To actually use poop and urine effectively, it has to be separated (ahem) "at the source" and processed appropriately before any PFAS can enter. The Rich Tree Institute of the main article are focused entirely on the urine (ahem) "stream" and demonstrating how it could be viable as a fertilizer.

by alkh 2y ago

LarsAlereon 2y ago

That's why they're capturing the urine directly instead of using potentially contaminated sewage solids.

chakintosh 2y ago

From the article: "Windham County's pee-donations are collected by a lorry and driven to a large tank where the urine is pasteurised by heating it to 80C (176F) for 90 seconds. It is then stored in a pasteurised tank, ready to be sprayed on local farmland when the time is right to fertilise crops."

reverendsteveii 2y ago
does pasteurization break down PFAs? They're chemicals, not microbes. My understanding is that pasteurization only kills microbes.
- moate 2y ago
  The PFA's aren't largely concentrated in the urine/feces, they're in the sewage water (from people flushing/washing things down the drain/chemical runoff). If the issue was "people are so full of PFA's that their urine/feces contain so much they're contaminating the planet" the problem would be too far advanced, right? Like if your body was so radioactive that standing near you caused people to develop cancer, you probably shouldn't worry about getting cancer yourself, you're already fucked.
  - reverendsteveii 2y ago
    that's not unfair, thank you for clarifying. though I will add that elsewhere in the thread we're having the exact conversation from your second paragraph but about prescription and...ahem...non-prescription drugs.

interestica 2y ago

> Unfortunately, poop and urine is one of the main reasons for soil contamination by Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS). That’s not true and that’s absolutely not what those articles say. Biosolid fertilizer ≠ “poop and urine” Each article refers to general sewage "sludge" which is the primary output from wastewater treatment plants. That "biosolids" mix is far removed from "poop and urine" and has many other things added to it (eg for treatment) and taken out. From your [1] > The E.P.A. is currently studying the risks posed by PFAS in sludge fertilizer (which the industry calls biosolids) to determine if new rules are necessary. > She said regulators should focus on curbing the PFAS entering wastewater by banning use in consumer products or requiring industries to clean their effluent before sending it to treatment plants. “There’s not enough money in the world to take it out at the end,” she said. To actually use poop and urine effectively, it has to be separated (ahem) "at the source" and processed appropriately before any PFAS can enter. The Rich Tree Institute of the main article are focused entirely on the urine (ahem) "stream" and demonstrating how it could be viable as a fertilizer.