Human waste being used as fertilizer
By Staff
Melissa Cason
Bio-solids, or treated human waste, are being used in Franklin County to fertilize farmland for the first time ever.
County Extension Specialist Tim Reed said this is the first time that bio-solids have been land applied in Franklin County, but the practice has been used in north Alabama for more than 10 years.
"I can confirm that bio-solids are being applied in Franklin County this year," Reed said. "But, it has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for about 30 years.
Bio-solids are the nutrient-rich organic materials resulting from the treatment of domestic sewage at a wastewater treatment facility.
They are carefully monitored and must be used in accordance with regulatory requirements.
Reed said there is three ways in which bio-solids can be disposed of, including land application, burning and placing in a landfill.
Bio-solids must be treated to make it safe for land application and tested to ensure its safety before it can be applied to the land.
"The EPA tests the material before it is allowed to be used as fertilizer, and they say that it's totally safe," Reed said.
The waste is treated in a process that removes the negative qualities that might be bad for the environment.
Reed said bio-solids have made its way to our county because a shortage of chicken litter because the cost of fertilizer is so high.
"There is a significant increase in the use of chicken litter because farmers are opting to use it instead of fertilizer because it is cheaper," Reed said.
Bio-solids have been found to be an excellent fertilizer and are economical, but there is an odor after application.
Synagro Technologies has a contract to dispose of human wastes from New York. The company, which operates with approval from the Environmental Protection Agency, treats sludge from wastewater plants in New York and ships it to Alabama by rail car. The sludge is treated at a plant in Leighton.
Last year, several farmers in Limestone County began applying the bio-solids to their fields. The county commission there quickly moved to have the use of bio-solids stopped.
According to published reports, Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks said Synagro officials assured him they would no longer distribute the fertilizer on pastureland. Where the products are used, they will be worked into the dirt instead of being placed on top of the soil.
Franklin County officials indicated that the use of bio-solids, although it is known to be taking place, has not become a problem and it is legal.
