[USCC] Fw: hollistic approach on composting
santhanam
compost@compostingcouncil.org
Tue Dec 2 10:01:06 2003
November 29, 2003
Dear Mr..Hoa Lam,
I am sorry if I di not reply to your e mail. My thoughts are developing and
I am willing to look at fresh possibilities as well. You see components of
my suggested process are well known. I have also envisaged the future
scenario based on the existing technology levels.
(1) Bio methanation (use of microbes to ferment organic substrates).
(2) Concept of segregation of Urban Municipal Solid Waste.
In this, recyclables are formed into one stream, and toxics into
another.However, this stream may contain recyclables such as heavy metals,
which currently end in land fills and are toxic to the environment. Hence
toxic stream should contain normally organic chemicals which are not easily
bio degradable. Then problem of plastics comes and in future we should
manufacture recyclable plastic and bio degrdable plastic only. Hence the
article is only a step in the road to reorganising the whole process into
proper recovery of wastes, until you are left with substances which cannot
but be destroyed. This suggests techniques like plasma arc furnace to
breakdown complex hydrocarbons.
(3) Recovery/reuse of CO2 from bio methanation. I have suggested glass
topped tanks in which the gas from methanation is bubbled up. CO2 will get
absorbed in photosynthesis and improve algae yield. Gases like H2S are also
there. Recovery of sulphur or other elements may be desirable and their
reuse in agriculture, since in places like Europe sulphur deficiency is
reported after the advent of low sulphur gasoline. This suggests large
plants processing huge quantities of soild wastes like urban metros and
offering possibilities for near total recovery of all elements.
(4) Agriculture also does 'nutrient mining' and we hear of deficiencies,
which we try to fill up with costly NPK and then micronutrients. Chemically
made fertilisers are costly and are therefore subsidised in many countries.
(5) Recovery and reuse of methane will help in bringing down use of
hydrocarbon based fossil fuels. How? If practiced globally by all nations,
then Urban MSW will help generate sufficient methane for powering
transportation and maybe energy generation also. It also suggests that
methane can be transported instead of high voltage electricity, therby
saving in transmission losses. This means small generators can power rural
needs instead of the inefficient super thermal and other power stations.
Methane can also store 4 atoms of hydrogen, which can power fuel cells which
are under development stage for commercialisation and use in transportation.
Instead of IC engines, elctric powered cars, using fuel cells and methane
cylinders can become more efficient. Catalytic strippers will remove the
hydrogen to be used in the fuel cell.
(6) The residue from the methane reactor will be subjected to vermi
composting to help stabilise pathogen levels and maybe make its ph levels
safe for most plants. Here again new technologies like the bio sanitizer
developed by Dr Uday Bawalkar of Pune India are of interest, since the
process given by him is based on a substance made from worm activity
perhaps. According to him any organic material can be decomposed into a safe
plant nutrition cum soil conditioner, which can come to the rescue of most
agricultural soils. After application of this bio sanitizer, the resultant
material if applied to soils will help generate earthworm activity. This
will restablish natural bio dynamic activity in soils and enable recouping
of the 'mined' nutrients, through practice of intensive agriculture.
(7) Waste water recycle and recovery is now being practiced in major
metros,due to acute sarcity of clean water. The processes differ, depending
upon
the constituents of the effluents.I feel that it should be methanation,
settlement of sludge and its vermi composting/application of the above
mentioned bio sanitizer. Mixing of toxic streams should be avoided. Dr Uday
Bawalkar recommends direct application on sewage water of his biosanitizer.
Regards
Regards,
R.Santhanam
Chief Operating Officer
Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals,
F-316, "Rathi Niwas" Opp Maharajah Arts,
Lado Sarai, New Delhi-110 030
E-mail: santhanam@isapindia.org
Website: www.isapindia.org
Tel: 00 91 11 30938993, 26537590/91, Mobile: 00 91 11 33198675
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----- Original Message -----
> From: <Hoa_Lam@nps.gov>
> To: <santhanam@isapindia.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2003 12:23 AM
> Subject: hollistic approach on composting
>
>
> Dear Mr. Santhanam,
>
> I was very glad to see your article in the USCC listserve on applying a
> holloistc approach to solid waste management and sustainable energy as
your
> idea and mine are on very similar page. I would also be interested in the
> possibility of combining wastewater treatment into the picture for further
> efficiencies. I met someone who was involved in a project in Morroco for
> wastewater methane generation, but I have not encountered a combined
> project for both solid waste and wastewater. Have these ideas been
> demonstrated on smaller scale? or any scale, anywhere that you're aware
> off?
> Thank you!
>
> Hoa Lam
> 206.220.4268
>
____________________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________
> Some discussions between Mr Gopal Sane, representative of Dr Uday Bawalkar
> and Ms laura Elena Morales who wants to use the bio sanitizer to compost
> dog wastes.
>
> Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2003 14:58:39 +0530
> From: "gopal sane" <gopal_sane@vsnl.com>
> Subject: Re: Dog wastes
> To: "Laura Elena Morales Gro." <lemg@math.unam.mx>
> CC: "R. Santhanam" <rsanthanam_delhi@yahoo.com>
>
>
> Dear Ms. Laura,
>
> It is not possible to answer the questions at present, due to patenting
> reasons.
> The VERMI++ and SUJALA both are BIOSANITIZERS. Hence it is possible to use
> SULAJA in place of VERMI++. The methodology of using is little different.
> In the website you may find details about SUJALA.
>
> Dr. Bhawalkar has done a project in California about 10 years ago! He is
> considered as pioneer in the vermitechnology in India ever since 1980 !
> World famous WORM DIGEST from US has shown Dr. Bhawalkar on the front
page.
> Please find attached two articles and think with this your doubts should
get
> over!
>
> Thanks with warm regards
>
> Gopal Sane
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Laura Elena Morales Gro." <lemg@math.unam.mx>
> To: "R. Santhanam" <rsanthanam_delhi@yahoo.com>
> Cc: <ilango@nrdcindia.com>; "gopal sane" <gopal_sane@vsnl.com>
> Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 3:13 AM
> Subject: Dog wastes
>
>
> > > Indians do well in academic and research intitutions
> > > abroad.
> > How well I know it. I had indian companions at the university
> > (I'm a graduate student of the U of W in Madison) and had
> > colleagues here too. Thanks God they are different from the
> > USA-americans!
> >
> > > intellectual capital of Silicon Valley is 30% Indian.
> > No doubt.
> >
> > > Some common sense approach would be ideal.
> > I agree with you.
> >
> > > For example is a brief on MSW waste which is
> > > attached.
> > Will take a look. Thank you. But please, before that, I still
> > do not know what VERMI++ and SUJALA are. The .ppt file doesn't say
> > it nor the page. That does not contain the kind of information I'm
> > asking for. I cann't even tell the difference between the SUJALA and
> > the SU-JWALA biosanitizers. On the other hand, nowhere mentions about
> > the VERMI+++ Are those products organic or inorganic? You speak about
> > worms. How do the products interact with them? Do you have to put worms
> > in the castings? How do the products act? What's their content? Please,
> > I need to understand what's going on scientifically. I'm convinced of
> > the beauties of the products but what are they? I am decided to buy at
> > least the SUJALA since it seems to import the white powder is going to
be
> > difficult but, why is it so easy to substitute VERMI++ with SUJALA
> > crystals? What are these products?
> >
> > Best Regards,
> > Laura Elena
>
> HTML Attachment
>
> Worms Deepening Our Connection to Food and Soil Jump To A Section:
>
> :: Issue #15 - April 1997
> Worms in India
>
> Highlights from this issue:
>
> A Vermi-Adventure to India
>
> A Different Kind of Education
>
> Green Cross Society Projects in Mumbai (Bombay)
>
> Developing Worm Composting Technology
>
> Worm Eco-activism
>
> Two Decades with Waste Organics - The Bhawalkar Story
>
> Vermiculture Ecotechnology Projects
>
> Terrace Gardens Employing Vermiculture
>
> Bioprocessing Cafeteria Residues
>
> Slaughterhouse Waste a Resource
>
> Shipping Included!
>
> Selected Articles from Dr. Uday Bhawalkar
>
> Re: Nitrogen Cycle
>
> Page 2 of 2
>
> Posted by Uday Bhawalkar on Saturday, 19 December 1998, at 1:48 a.m., in
> response to Re: Nitrogen Cycle, posted by CE Paige on Friday, 18 December
> 1998, at 8:14 p.m.
>
> Please read, in the summary you have quoted, para 6, line 4. This is
correct
> and contradicts your statement in your para 1, line 9.
>
> We have to supply more CO2 in the soil micro-climate, without increasing
the
> atmospheric CO2 levels. The latter heat the atmosphere and cause acidic
> rains.
>
> Composting is wasteful and polluting due to the production of leachates
and
> CO2 that pollutes the atmosphere.
>
> Re: Nitrogen Cycle
>
> Posted by Uday Bhawalkar on Saturday, 19 December 1998, at 2:55 p.m., in
> response to Re: Nitrogen Cycle, posted by Rico on Saturday, 19 December
> 1998, at 10:09 a.m.
>
> Thanks for putting your thoughts so well. This discussion should be taken
in
> a right spirit. Each person is not criticizing the other's method. He is
> only telling why he prefers to use one method than the other. May be, he
has
> some points that the others may benefit, if shared and multiplied.
>
> Let me explain how composting leachate cannot be controlled by using the
> right amount of water.
>
> Leachate production is because there are no plant roots in the mass. Even
if
> we add little or no water, composting is producing water as a product of
> reaction. When 100 kg of organics are decomposed, about 60 kg of water and
> 40 kg of CO2 is produced. If a major part of this gets evaporated due to
the
> heat generated during the process, the leachate becomes condensed (like a
> condensed milk) and sticks to the compost. This can get released due to
rain
> or in the soil.
>
> In-situ composting is a controlled process, wherein the decomposition is
> regulated by the needs of the plant roots, which play the role of a
> carburetor. Without this action, it goes out of hand, creating a fire-like
> situation.
>
> Such composting is bio-incineration and the product is a bio-ash. In fact,
> the compost catches fire on its own, without a spark, if the compost, with
> condensed leachate, has less moisture and crosses about 70 degrees of
> Celsius temperature. It becomes a TNT. Nature is destroying here a product
> that is hazardous to store and use.
>
> It is necessary to first agree upon the aims of composting. This will help
> us evaluate the process and the product quality. Who can complete the
> sentence : Composting is aimed at ..... ?
>
> Re: Nitrogen Cycle
>
> Posted by Uday Bhawalkar on Saturday, 19 December 1998, at 7:30 p.m., in
> response to Re: Nitrogen Cycle, posted by ron on Saturday, 19 December
1998,
> at 6:20 p.m.
>
> Composting is aimed at stabilizing the organics so that they can be
stored,
> transported and used for feeding the soil.
>
> Stabilization is the process of stopping the uncontrolled decomposition or
> bio-fire of organics.
>
> It is this bio-fire, that is due to non-protein-nitrogen (NPN) compounds -
> such as nitrates - that the organics create variable degree of nuisance ..
> sort of Nature's way of signaling a waste of nitrogen and biocarbon due to
> bio-fire. Odor and pathogen breeding occurs during the bio-fire.
>
> Animals such as litter worms, rats, cockroaches, ants, flies .. are the
> nature's firefighters that sense, indicate and remediate the biofire. Each
> firefighter has a niche that can be defined in terms of the degree of
> bio-fire, moisture, etc. Flies, for example, come flying(by air) due the
> high degree of fire.
>
> Composting in a pile is a man-made process of destroying the decomposable
> organics, rather than the real problem - NPN - that calls for the need of
> composting.
>
> NPN starts the fire. Organics is the useful material that needs to be
> conserved and fed to the soil. Composting achieves stabilization by
removing
> valuable biocarbon, leaving the NPN, the real problem, behind.
>
> This is like saying that one can stop the fire of a burning house by
quickly
> burning it, under controlled conditions of extra fuel(diesel), air supply,
> protection from the natural firefighters (such as flies, cockroaches,
rats,
> etc.). The fire stops because the house has been turned to ashes.
>
> Natural firefighters do a good job but they eat part(upto 80 percent) of
the
> organic food to fuel their bio-service. They cause nuisance of variable
> degree only to appeal to human intellect, provided we are listening, to
> adopt other methods of managing the NPN that conserve the biocarbon in a
> better manner.
>
> Interested in a better method that conserves the organic resources that
will
> be more valuable in the near future ?
>
> I have not INVENTED this method, as was rightly put by Cheryl. I
discovered
> it by reading the books of Nature.
>
> Re: Nitrogen Cycle
>
> Posted by Uday Bhawalkar on Sunday, 20 December 1998, at 12:04 a.m., in
> response to Re: Nitrogen Cycle, posted by Ron on Saturday, 19 December
1998,
> at 10:28 p.m.
>
> My technique has worked in India in urban area where space is a problem,
and
> temperatures are high as well as low. It is possible to have one potted
> plant per person and utilize the waste organics for feeding the soil that
> feeds the plants.
>
> You do not have to worry about watering more to keep the earthworms happy.
> They produce the water from decomposition of raw organics. They do the
work
> jointly with the bacteria and come into picture only when the bacteria
need
> their services. This may be very difficult to visualize for people who
have
> handled the redworms.
>
> The top layer of the mulch gets dried. The layer that is in contact with
the
> soil gets consumed in a need-based manner. Mulching reduces the water loss
> from the soil surface. Outside watering is only as per the needs of the
> plants. No special attention needs to be given to the earthworms. You can
go
> on a long holiday without excessive worrying about your plants and the
> earthworms. Earthworms have no predators if used correctly. They have no
> diseases either. Earthworms keep a steady population themselves and there
> are no worms for harvest and selling, this is a bad news!
>
> It is a "feed and forget" method and people like it because they do not
have
> to do any extra thing. Soil cultivation, in fact, is not necessary when
> earthworms are doing their job.
>
> In spite of this, if some people find this is not suitable foe them, it is
> all right. They can always continue using their current method.
>
> I will appreciate somebody pointing out any waste stream in my method.
That
> will tell me how I should improve my method further.
>
>
> Re: Nitrogen Cycle
>
> Posted by Uday Bhawalkar on Saturday, 19 December 1998, at 7:30 p.m., in
> response to Re: Nitrogen Cycle, posted by Ron on Saturday, 19 December
1998,
> at 6:20 p.m.
>
> Composting is aimed at stabilizing the organics so that they can be
stored,
> transported and used for feeding the soil.
>
> Stabilization is the process of stopping the uncontrolled decomposition or
> bio-fire of organics.
>
> It is this bio-fire, that is due to non-protein-nitrogen (NPN) compounds -
> such as nitrates - that the organics create variable degree of nuisance ..
> sort of Nature's way of signaling a waste of nitrogen and biocarbon due to
> bio-fire. Odor and pathogen breeding occurs during the bio-fire.
>
> Animals such as litter worms, rats, cockroaches, ants, flies .. are the
> nature's firefighters that sense, indicate and remediate the biofire. Each
> firefighter has a niche that can be defined in terms of the degree of
> bio-fire, moisture, etc. Flies, for example, come flying(by air) due the
> high degree of fire.
>
> Composting in a pile is a man-made process of destroying the decomposable
> organics, rather than the real problem - NPN - that calls for the need of
> composting.
>
> NPN starts the fire. Organics is the useful material that needs to be
> conserved and fed to the soil. Composting achieves stabilization by
removing
> valuable biocarbon, leaving the NPN, the real problem, behind.
>
> This is like saying that one can stop the fire of a burning house by
quickly
> burning it, under controlled conditions of extra fuel(diesel), air supply,
> protection from the natural firefighters (such as flies, cockroaches,
rats,
> etc.). The fire stops because the house has been turned to ashes.
>
> Natural firefighters do a good job but they eat part(upto 80 percent) of
the
> organic food to fuel their bio-service. They cause nuisance of variable
> degree only to appeal to human intellect, provided we are listening, to
> adopt other methods of managing the NPN that conserve the biocarbon in a
> better manner.
>
> Interested in a better method that conserves the organic resources that
will
> be more valuable in the near future ?
>
> I have not INVENTED this method, as was rightly put by Cheryl. I
discovered
> it by reading the books of Nature.
>
> Learning how to read the books of Nature
>
> Re: Keeping on track
>
> Posted by Uday Bhawalkar on Thursday, 17 December 1998, at 1:42 a.m., in
> response to Re: Keeping on track, posted by Ron on Wednesday, 16 December
> 1998, at 5:58 p.m.
>
> My natural method is for those people who wish to grow healthy plants with
> minimal soil tillage, without bought out fertilizers and pesticides, and
> without an additional operation of composting. The products are healthy
> garden and enriched soil, the basis for the future.
>
> 1. This method uses a living soil with bacteria, earthworms and plant
roots.
> ORGANICS ARE CONSUMED IN A NEED-BASED MANNER. Area required is 1 m2 of
> gardening area, could be 7 potted plants, per a family of 4 people.
>
> 2. There is no much of management. Rock dust is applied in the start-up
> period to solve the ant problem, which comes if we are consuming a food
with
> nitrates. Best corrective action is to get better quality food.
>
> 3. High temperature is no problem. Low temperature slows down the system.
> Watering is minimal, to the requirements of the plants.
>
> I had no problem in starting 3 large scale and 4 small scale operations
> using this method, scattered over the USA. The method can be modified to
> exclude the plants and used in the cold region too. This was done in the
> Maryland project, where plants were used in the spring and the summer.
Area
> required is same as that required for the mechanical composting project,
> without the use of machinery and fuel/electricity to operate it. Here one
> gets a mixed bio-culture as a product, that can make dead/sick soils alive
> in a simple, practical manner.
>
> Bacteria do a better job with earthworms and plant
>
>
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