From your digestive system back to your plate.

       You wouldn't think that people would actually use bio solids as fertilizer right?  It may be hard to believe, but it is true. Some farmers do use bio solids as fertilizer, and you may find it disgusting, not to mention insanitary and dangerous. What are bio solids you may ask? To put it short, bio solids are human waste that forms sludge through sewage. There is a big misconception regarding the bio solids. The government has thought up of a "safe" way of disposing this hazardous waste by placing it over farmer's fields. This is the alternative to dumping the waste onto landfills, oceans and through an incinerator. Also, the government created the word, bio solid. The real term for this is sewage sludge. 

   Sewage sludge carry what are called pathogens. Pathogens are bacteria that can cause diseases in humans, in other animals, and also in plants. The diseases caused by bacteria are diverse and include food poisoning, tooth ache, certain forms of cancer and the list goes on. Believe it or not, there have been incidents of people dying because of the pathogenic bacteria. Here's one story that occured on August 5, 2002.


           "An 11-year-old boy from Osceola Mills, Pa., died of staphylococcal septicaemia. The boy had complained of a sore throat, headaches and boils on one leg and one arm several days after riding his motorbike through sewer sludge applied to a nearby field. The boy did not respond to antibiotics and died six days after the bacteria first travelled into his bloodstream."


    Clearly, this is not something to be taken lightly. Though, there are certain pros that are found for using sewage sludge as fertilizer. Nutrients found in could be nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and trace elements such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, sulfur and zinc, which are necessary for crop production and growth. Also, Municipalities get rid of the never-ending stream of sewage sludge, and farmers gain fertilizer for free. This also opens up jobs for people to transport the sludge. 


       I may have exaggerated a little, and sewer sludge are indeed monitored and kept track of to be rid of pathogens and other harmful chemicals, but do the pros outweigh the cons? It may be a beneficial course of action rather than having to wait extended periods of time for crops to develop, and is a much better way of disposing of sewer sludge rather than filling landfills and our oceans with it. Not to mention much better than incinerating it. Although I don't exactly agree with this option, it is the only solution we currently have and what we will use until an alternative comes up.

Sources:

Fertilizer or Pollution?

Sewage Sludge

science direct pathogens

hazards of sewage sludge / August 5 2002 story

Sewage Sludge Pro and Con

Bio Solid Useful to Society

Comments :

Claudia Luk


Jordan Pedrajas

There is no such thing as luck. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.

The development of technology over the years has been critical to our evolution and development as a race. We have been able to create forms of medical treatment that was unavailable for people hundreds of years ago. We have treatments for those who may be diagnosed with cancer. The evolution of medicine has been astonishing as we have antidotes for most illness that may occur.

         

     In 1972, a life changing invention along the lines of x-ray computed tomography (CT) was created. An invention that obtains the visual digital information of ones interior features and displays the imagine in a third dimension. CT has become an important tool in medical imaging to supplement X-rays and medical ultrasound. It has more recently been used for preventive medicine or when screening for diseases. Institutions have enabled the public to be able to come in and be scanned which could be as short as 5 seconds. 

CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA), is a test that is used to take visual image of one's pulmonary arteries. A scan will contrast the pulmonary vessels being filled. Any mass filling defects, will appear dark in place of the contrast, blocking the space where blood should be flowing into the lungs.

Canadians also had a breakthrough, with the name of insulin. Insulin is a hormone, and is also a protein. Insulin is created in our system via a group of cells in the pancreas called islet cells. Insulin is used to lower our blood sugar level, which if high, could mean the development of diabetes. Diabetes could possibly lead to nerve damage, kidney failure, Arteriosclerosis, and other cardiovascular diseases. Before finding ways to for insulin to be injected into the body, people would have had to starve themselves in order to keep the blood sugar levels low. The inventor for insulin is Frederick G. Banting, who won the Nobel Prize in the medical field in 1923.

Sources: 

Frederick G. Banting

Diabetes and Insulin

Blood and Glucose

X-Ray Computed Tomography

CTPA

Comments :

Claudia Luk

Dora

It's Not Whether They Can Talk or Not but, Whether or Not They Can Suffer.

                     Have you ever wondered where some of your food comes from? First off, i hope you know that when they say, "farm", they mean factory, and when they say "100% beef" it means all parts of the cow's body, just saying. There's a film, that i recommend everyone to watch, it's called "Food inc". An intriguing documentary exposing the food industry for what really happens which could lead you to look at food in a different way. The movie becomes very in-depth, particularly on the production of chicken.

WTF ?!

       Chickens are born and raised in a dark tunnel-ventilated house, where they are injected with antibodies which increases their growth rate expeditiously.  It becomes really unbearable, when you see chickens that are too overweight, and are only able to take two to three steps before collapsing. This form of "farming" is called industrial agriculture, a modern way of farming where machinery is heavily relied on, whereas human work isn't.

      A little known fact about some of these companies are, that they offer their customers similar treatment than they do their animals. A worker must sign a contract which acts as an ordeal with the devil. Farmers must purchase extremely expensive equipment, but must borrow money from the company, this is how the company holds them in a leash. Farmers are unable to leave the loop and must continuously pay for new equipment and must continue to borrow more and more money.

      There is of course, a more ethical course for farming, it's considered to be the "old fashioned way". Where farmers would work hard everyday in order to produce food that is not only earned through a hard days work, but is more healthy and more reliable than what you would find through industrial agriculture. This way of farming is called Sustainable agriculture. There are less companies that would take this route, because it is less profiting, and the food is much more expensive, but i would rather pay an extra few dollars, rather than distorting our environment and plaguing this world's animals.

         I value our health and environment enough to purchase products that come from hard earned farms, and if anyone else has a mutual feeling, then i suggest finding food brands that come from sustainable agricultural farms and make a difference.
   








Resources :
100% beef
Sustainable Agriculture
Industrial Agriculture
Food Inc Film
Unit 7 TPJ3M1

Comments:
Camela Fejer
Bridgette Abas