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BIOSOLIDS

Here is your source for the most up-to-date information on biosolids.   From the activities of the IWPCA Biosolids Committee to the latest regulatory and research news, check with the IWPCA Web Page.  You might even want to bookmark this page so you can check back frequently.
    

View a short clip (approximately 1 minute) from the IWPCA Biosolids Committee video Biosolids: Black Gold. (887kb, .wmv)  You will need a video viewing program, such as Microsoft Media Player, to view this clip. 

This video helped the Iowa Water Pollution Control Association win the EPA Beneficial Reuse of Biosolids Award in 1998.  If you are interested in having the full version of the educational video, contact any member of the Biosolids Committee.


National Study on Residential Impact of Biological Aerosols from Land Application of Biosolids Finds Low Microbial Risks of Infection  (Posted August 1, 2005)

A national study was conducted by the University of Arizona (Tucson) on the residential impact of biological aerosols from the land application of biosolids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the community risk of infection from bioaerosols to residents living near biosolids land application sites. The study results led to the conclusion that overall bioaerosol exposure from biosolids operations poses little community risk. The study evaluated the overall incidence of aerosolized microorganisms from the land application of biosolids and subsequently determined that microbial risks of infection were low for residents close to biosolids application sites. The study results were published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, 2005, 99, 310-322. To view the study, visit the National Biosolids Partnership’s web page – www.biosolids.org or http://biosolids.org/docs/National_Study_Bioaerosols_LandApp_2005.pdf.
    


Using the Iowa Phosphorus Index To Assess Risk of Off-Site P Movement in Biosolids Management: Executive Summary  (Posted August 6, 2004)  
   
This project was undertaken to explore the Iowa P Index as a tool for biosolids managers in planning land application of high-P biosolids. It is a management tool that is built on information about characteristics of the soil and site where P is being applied as well as information about crop and soil management. Its purpose is to provide an index of the relative risk of off-site P movement.

The Iowa P Index was originally designed to assist in risk assessment for management of animal wastes. One of the goals was to determine if this decision-support tool might be useful to management of biosolids-derived phosphorus, too.  This project demonstrates how the Iowa P Index works and how it can be used to make risk assessments for biosolids applications to crop land.
  
For the full report, including executable program files and database, follow this link.

http://agron-fs02.agron.iastate.edu/downloads/dload.php?folder=6e482b686bc9b6605ff174d13c230399 
    
Caution:
The zipped file is approximately 80 MB.  Be prepared for a lengthy download, especially when using a dial-up connection.

Webmaster's Note:  Funding for this work was provided in part by IWPCA.  In addition, several IWPCA-member utilities provided in-kind assistance.  This is just one more example of how IWPCA provides real-world, practical benefits to its membership. 


EPA Biosolids Plan Relies on Summit Results (Posted January 30, 2004)  
    
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) on Dec. 31, 2003, announced its final action plan in response to the National Research Council (NRC) report on biosolids. U.S. EPA states that it weighed several factors in drafting its final action plan, including information and research needs gathered from broad stakeholder input received through the Biosolids Research Summit sponsored by the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) in July 2003.

In the Federal Register notice, Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge; Final Agency Response to the National Research Council Report on Biosolids Applied to Land and the Results of EPA's Review of Existing Sewage Sludge Regulations, U.S. EPA describes its final action plan to address NRC’s recommendations. The plan includes a list of 14 projects the agency expects to complete or begin within the next two to three years, "with the goal of strengthening the sewage sludge use and disposal program."

For the full article, go to http://www.werf.org/Press/News_Events.cfm#actionplan.


Biosolids Applied To Land: Advancing Standards and Practices (Posted July 3, 2002)
    
Academies’ National Research Council (NRC) on the completion of its 18-month study,
Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices and supports its conclusion that there is no documented scientific evidence that EPA’s 1993 Part 503 rule has failed to protect public health.  Read the full
WEF press releaseWEF press release.

 

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