Biosolids From Sewage Water Could Solve Global Carbon Emissions and Power Shortages

Biosolids are the by-product of the wastewater treatment process wherein liquids are separated from the solids, which are then physically and chemically treated to produce a semisolid, nutrient-rich product.

Around half of the biosolids in the US are used for agriculture to provide nutrients and improve soil structure, and water reuse. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), land application of biosolids can also have economic and waste management benefits like conservation of landfills and reduced demand for synthetic fertilizers.

They may be disposed of by incinerating or in landfills. But alternative disposal methods of biosolids are no longer environmentally sustainable because, after the treatment process, they could still contain hundreds of unregulated pollutants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals" for their inability to break down.

Scientists have thought of a way toward safer and more sustainable alternatives that could potentially solve the world's greatest challenges, according to Discover Magazine.

Biosolids in Construction Industry

UN Environment Program reported that almost 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions come from the construction industry that notoriously consumes large amounts of water and energy.

A study, entitled "A Proposal for Recycling the World's Unused Stockpiles of Treated Wastewater Sludge (Biosolids) in Fired-Clay Bricks," proposes putting biosolids in bricks to cut down amounts of virgin soil required in annual brick production.

This was tested in 2019 by engineers in Australia's Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and found that these bricks cut down energy use by nearly 50% during the firing process, while also ensuring that heavy metals within the finished bricks are unlikely to seep out.

But researchers still recommend an in-depth study on integrating biosolids in bricks before using them on a large scale.

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Wastewater By-Products As Alternative Source of Electricity and Water

When bacteria break down organic materials in an oxygen-free environment, it produces biogas which can be used for heat and power generation.

Germany, Italy, and other parts of Europe practice biogas production from industrial and biosolids that have seen an increase of 40% between 2017 and 2013, according to Science Direct. while Asian countries, like China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh have developed biogas systems to power home cooking.

But its largest potential could be turned into renewable natural gas and pumped into pipelines or used to power vehicles.

Meanwhile, scientists have also developed a system that turns sewage water into clean and safe to drink water. Even Bill Gates has drunk a cup of refreshing poop-derived water as seen in a Youtube video posted in his account.

More so, Singapore has injected treated sewage water that they call NEWater into their reservoir for many decades now. Inside the reservoir, the sewage water and rainwater are mixed and receives further treatment before reaching the taps of residents.

In the US, California's Orange County has also produced drinking water from sewage since the 1970s, which can convert 100 million gallons of wastewater into potable water and broke a world record as the Orange County Register reported.