NASM Management for Southern Ontario
Advances in medicine have made maintaining health and curing diseases possible with the use of pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics. However, the increasing use of these drugs have brought about concerns on the negative impact of pharmaceutical residues on the environment. Pharmaceutical residues mainly enter the environment through excretion, either as the original pharmaceutical compound, or […]
The most difficult challenge facing any water treatment facility is sewage treatment odour control. Whatever benefits the plant may bring are often overshadowed by the stigma of the odours it emits. Even government regulations cannot properly determine the performance indicators needed to make these plants neighborhood friendly. These odours could waft into parks and other […]
A new study conducted by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences showed that shallow disk injection compared to the surface broadcast of manure into the soil considerably lowered estrogen in biosolids runoff. The former biosolids application method may be an effective strategy in controlling the mobilization of estrogen thereby significantly improving downstream water quality. The […]
The advantages of biosolids in agriculture are clear. They are naturally abundant in nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus that help farmers enrich the soil without the use of chemical fertilizers. Because they contain organic matter, they are less water soluble and the nutrients are less likely to leach into groundwater or be easily washed […]
The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) recently implemented a program to improve its manuring in agriculture efforts and enhance soil health. The program would make a significant investment in qualified nutrient applicators to enhance their systems by offering a 60% cost-sharing scheme which maxes out at $25,000. Wastewater from household and industrial sources […]
Sludge, or the accumulation of waste products that end up in the sewage, contains a considerable amount of water. Before any form of sewage treatment or disposal of waste takes place, water must first be removed from the sludge. Thus, a dewatering management plan is key to the effective treatment of sewage and production of […]
In Canada and the United States, biosolids recycling is seen as an environmentally sound and affordable method for managing wastewater. When done according to stringent regulations, biosolids can help communities protect the environment by providing a safe source of organic fertilizers. In Ontario, sewage sludge is required by law to be pre-treated in accordance with […]
Various sewage sludge treatment methods are cost-effective solutions to enriching agricultural lands. Organic matter known as biosolids that are recovered from wastewater and sewage sludge are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as other valuable micronutrients. However, to ensure safety and viability of biosolids, they must first undergo various sewage sludge treatment methods. There […]
The main goal of proper wastewater treatment is to keep sewage sludge disposal safe for human health and ensure minimal negative effect on the environment. Wastewater odour control was not an issue until communities started developing near treatment facilities. Complaints started flooding wastewater treatment plant managers who were pressured to quickly address the problem. Thus, […]
Nitrogen exists in many forms in the environment and can enter aquatic systems from fertilizer run-off and wastewater discharges. Treated domestic sewage sludge will have varying levels of nitrogen, depending on the method of treatment used. Most treatment plants decrease the level of total nitrogen in sewage sludge via cell synthesis and solids removal. However, […]