Many people have an ick factor for many things including the use of human waste to make fertilizer for crop production. However, the mainstreaming of this practice will not have an effect on me. It is important to understand the whole process of using human waste for agriculture to appreciate the full impact of human waste in agricultural production. The main component for this process is sewage sludge which is a solid waste that is separated from liquid waste through the process of settling. It is then dried, composted, and applied to agricultural crops as a fertilizer (Centre for Food Safety, 2019).
However, the thing that makes most people to have an ick factor is the perception that human waste is full of disease-causing bacteria, it is smelly, and also has high levels of chemicals. It makes people feel that such material is not fit to be used to produce crops for human consumption. Studies have proved, however, that crops planted with fertilizers from human waste do not have high levels of pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPS). This, therefore, means that such crops do not pose any real health concerns. Waste treatment facilities process sewage waste and kill microbes that cause diseases (ACS, 2013).
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However, the use of human waste in agricultural production needs to have certain restrictions so as to make it more effective and safe. It is important that such solid waste meet certain standards which will ensure that it does not pose any health risks. These standards should be applied in different areas of solid waste management. The pollutant limits of such material should be ascertained to prevent environmental pollution. The operational standards of solid waste management should observe the highest standards of hygiene to improve on solid waste standards. The standards should be applied in all areas where the waste will be placed including on the land, incinerator, and disposal sites (EPA).
References
American Chemical Society (ACS). (2013, September 9). Recycled sewage water is safe for crop irrigation, study suggests. ScienceDaily . Retrieved July 21, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130909104708.htm
Center for Food Safety (2019) What is Sewage Sludge Retrieved from: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/1050/sewage-sludge/what-is-sewage-sludge
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Biosolids Laws and Regulations. Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/biosolids/biosolids-laws-and-regulations
