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Why do we need Landfills?

So, what do we do about the ever growing mounds of trash? Recycling is available in most communities. Items made of plastic, glass, metals, ceramics and rubber, should be removed from the waste stream, before it gets to the landfill. Building materials can be reprocessed, and used again. Paper can be recycled into new paper and other products.

But what about the organics? 50% of the waste stream is organic in nature. These organics include food scraps, leaves and yard wastes, agricultural crop residues, paper products, sewage sludge and wood. Two methods of processing can be used on these products, Aerobic decomposition (Composting), and anaerobic decomposition (Methane Digestion). The first provides us with soil supplements, using microbes or earthworms, the second with a fuel that can replace Natural Gas & Propane. So, in conclusion, why do we need landfills?

- Steve Spence

Microbial breakdown of solid waste: (http://w3.uwyo.edu/~drew33/microbe.htm) 

Microbes are microscopic organisms, normally bacteria, that breakdown organic substance into inorganic nutrients. They are found everywhere. They breakdown leaf litter, and other organic material into inorganic nutrients that all autotrophs need for survival. However, recently microbes have been used in the breakdown of certain types of pollution.

Pollution comes from man-made items. Most of these items are made of materials and compounds, such as oil, that cannot be readily broken down. This is our biggest problem within the nation’s dumps because of the simple fact that these items cannot be broken down and so they stay in these dumps for years, and years. The garbage that was made from organic substances, such as anything made from wood or fiber from any type of plant are readily broken down and are eventually put back into the nutrients within the soil unlike those made from petroleum oils. This is all part of nutrient cycling, and without the microbes, this breakdown would not be possible.

Another form of pollution comes in the form of chemicals. DDT is one of the most controversial chemicals right now. It is banned from being used, because of health hazards to animals and humans, and because the chemical compound cannot be readily broken down. So it builds up until the levels are so toxic that the animal either dies or at least has detrimental effects on its offspring. This is illustrated through the Bald Eagle decline. When DDT was used on fields as a pest control, run off would carry it into nearby streams and lakes where bald eagles feed. The DDT caused the eagle’s eggshells to be so thin, that the embryo could not grow properly and henceforth the population decreased because the number of offspring was declining. This is just one example among many, of why DDT is now banned.

Natural microbes are now being used to breakdown fecal matter on dairy wastes. It takes several different species of microbes to break down a substance. As illustrated in dairy ditches, there are microbes that immediately breakdown polysaccharide s, there are microbes that breakdown nitrogenous wastes, and so forth. It is not just one microbe that does all of the breaking down of the compounds.

With all of the technology today, the Human Genome Project, the mapping of all the genes in humans, and the hybrid plant technology, why can’t there be a project to map out all of the microbial genes. This idea could bring forth a whole new realm of pollution degradation. By mapping out the genes of all of the microbes, geneticists could find out which microbe broke down what types of substances, and by doing this, the geneticists could create a microbe that would decompose any type of substance that man could produce. Think of all the different possibilities.

A microbe would be developed for each of the hard to decompose compounds, and by doing this it would only benefit the nation and maybe even the country as a whole. This would greatly reduce the garbage dumps. It would also improve our decomposition rate that is already in place at the dumps. Another possibility would be that any type of chemical spill would not be as big of an issue if there was a microbe that would break it down, so that there wouldn’t be as big of a health risk. Although there is already a microbe that aids in the break down of oil, the geneticists could enhance the microbe or maybe find some other microbes that would aid in the decomposition.

There is always the argument that if we start to play with different types of genes, there could be an outbreak of a super bacterium that is harmful to the population. This is a very real possibility, however, the way that scientists isolate genes , and move them around there could be a possibility of that right now. So that is really not a viable argument.

In Germany there are studies being conducted on different types of microbes dealing with different types of pollution. If those scientists succeed in their research it could be the turning point in the population growth concerns. This wouldn’t necessarily solve all of the world’s problems but it would deal with at least two or three. One of which would be the excess garbage from over population, while another would be that the sewage could be better managed. Third would be the ever-increasing concerns of chemicals used by agricultural systems. The microbes would break all of these components down so the pollution problem stemming from the population increase would at least be reduced if not controlled.

From any angle, man-made microbes that are used in the decomposition of pollution are a very viable answer to the ever-growing population pollution increase. If the population keeps increasing then pollution is bound to keep increasing and therefore a solution is needed to deal with the extra problems. There is already a surplus of wastes, not only in the dumps but in sewage wastes as well. From that point of view, there is nothing to lose by developing a man-made microbe that would aid in the decomposition of different types of pollution.

Although usually unrecognized, microorganisms are highly important genetic resources. These resources have extensive potential for detoxification of wastes, the purification of polluted waters, the production of vaccines, the fermentation of food products and additives, biological nitrogen fixation for efficient crop production, production of methane fuel from garbage and manure, and the microbial capture and conversion of solar energy. Culture collections of microorganisms (genetic resource centers) are indispensable for the preservation and maintenance of valuable strains and mutants. A genetic resource center is an essential investment to guard against loss the massive investments made in long-term basic and applied microbiological research. The role of microbial genetic resource centers is essential because it is extremely difficult to re-isolate from nature an exact replica of a particularly useful strain in the event of loss. Such a loss in most cases is final because retrieval from nature of a replica may only be possible at prohibitive cost. Besides an investment against loss of important resources, microbial genetic resource centers very often also are the origin of important research programs, supplying information and basic data in addition to the genetic resources. http://bldg6.arsusda.gov/~pberkum/Public/page6/cc6a.html

Bioremediation
Microbes play an important role in every ecosystem. Without their constant work, an ecosystem would cease to function and die. Besides keeping it healthy, microbes can also repair a damaged ecosystem, consuming foreign and harmful substances and replacing them with beneficial byproducts. 

http://www.pbs.org/opb/intimatestrangers/newage/bioremediation.html
http://www.wpi.org/Initiatives/init/winter98/success.htm
http://www.earthvision.net/ColdFusion/DOESubgroups/Sc/SubCon0128.html
http://www.pnl.gov/WEBTECH/nonvoc/methbio.html
http://www.pnl.gov/WEBTECH/nonvoc/vegenhan.html
http://www.srs.gov/general/sci-tech/expertise/bio_rem1.html
http://www.pnl.gov/WEBTECH/nonvoc/bioreact.html

Introduction to Composting http://www.ozemail.com.au/~vego/composta.html

Additional Information:

Welcome to The Composting Council of Canada's Web Site! http://www.compost.org/AboutComposting.htm

Chemical & Microbiological Methods for the Non-Food Utilization of Biomass http://wwwscience.murdoch.edu.au/teaching/m234/recycle05.htm

BENEFICIAL AND EFFECTIVE MICROORGANISMS FOR A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT http://www.agriton.nl/higa.html

Compost Physics

The rate at which composting occurs depends on physical as well as chemical factors. Temperature is a key parameter determining the success of composting operations. Physical characteristics of the compost ingredients, including moisture content and particle size, affect the rate at which composting occurs. Other physical considerations include the size and shape of the system, which affect the type and rate of aeration and the tendency of the compost to retain or dissipate the heat that is generated. http://www.cfe.cornell.edu/compost/physics.html & http://www.cfe.cornell.edu/compost/Composting_homepage.html

Composting of yard wastes such as leaves, grass clippings, dead garden plants and hedge trimmings, along with kitchen scraps, is popular with home gardeners who long ago discovered the benefits of the dark, rich, sweet-smelling, earthy end product called humus. http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod02/01500589.html

Composting and Nutrient Recycling at USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center http://www.barc.usda.gov/psi/susag/comp-nut.htm

Definitions and Vocabulary - http://www-pplant.ucdavis.edu/mech/engsvc/enveng/defn.htm & http://209.118.145.183/landfills/geninfo/dumpglossary.html

What is the Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology? http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc-me/index.html

EERC Projects & Skills http://eerc.ra.utk.edu/project.htm

If your habits resemble those of average Americans, you generate about 4 pounds of solid trash per day. This adds up to big trouble for the environment. Americans are generating waste products faster than nature can break them down and using up resources faster than they can be replaced. http://www.learner.org/exhibits/garbage/

Welcome to the Florida Backyard Composting Tutorial and Information Website.  Sarasota County government developed this website to assist Florida residents in their efforts to compost organic materials generated in their homes and yards. http://www.compostinfo.com/Default.htm

HOUSEHOLD WASTE MANAGEMENT http://www.epa.gov/seahome/housewaste/src/title2.htm

The Municipal Solid Waste Factbook http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/factbook/ & http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/factbook/internet/

Recycle City http://www.epa.gov/recyclecity/

Every day, schools and businesses throw leftover food and table scraps into the garbage. The garbage must be picked up and transported to a disposal facility-at significant financial and environmental cost. Through a process called vermicomposting, food scraps are fed to worms and transformed into a nutrient-rich compost for plants and gardens. Vermicomposting can help businesses and schools save money. By diverting food scraps from a dumpster to worm bins, it might be possible to switch to a smaller dumpster and thus reduce solid waste disposal fees. Through a school cafeteria vermicomposting program, students can learn a valuable, hands-on recyc1ing lesson: food doesn't have to be thrown away. Worm castings can be used to help plants grow in their school or home gardens and grounds. Although this publication focuses on setting up vermicomposting programs in schools, the same guidelines can be used by companies and other institutions that generate food scraps. The Seattle Kingdome and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences are two vermicomposting success stories discussed here. http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/people/faculty/sherman/worms.html

Managing Yard Wastes Clippings and Compost http://www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/ID/ID-182.html

What is CBPA ? :
CBPA is a liquid, organic proprietary blend of selected natural beneficial microorganisms, essential nutrients and synergists formulated for odor abatement and waste management applications. The components in CBPA are selected both for their effectiveness in organic waste treatment and for their ability to grow synergistically to high concentrations. CBPA is effective in aqueous and non-aqueous facultative environments. http://www.ecochem.com/t_cbpa.html

Composting is an extension of the natural life process of decay and nutrient recycling. The litter layer in grassland and forest is analogous to a compost heap. In that litter layer, as in the compost heap, decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, aided by earthworms and small insects, break down the remains of plants and animals, obtaining energy for their own life processes and liberating nutrients in a form available to plant roots. http://www.csuchico.edu/~pmaslin/nature/compost.html

Save the Planet in Your Own Backyard!
Smart Gardening is an easy way to get a really great looking yard while using less water, energy and wasting fewer resources.  You save yourself time and money all while doing something that helps keep Los Angeles County a nicer place to live and work. http://www.smartgardening.com/

Solid waste continues to receive a great deal of media attention across the country as cities and counties deal with the lack of available space to dispose of household garbage and municipal solid waste. How to manage our wastes has been a problem for decades. In the early 1960s, cities and towns across the country practiced open air burning of trash. In response, Congress passed the Solid Waste Disposal Act in 1965 as part of the amendments to the Clean Air Act. This was the first federal law that required environmentally sound methods for disposal of household, municipal, commercial, and industrial waste. http://es.epa.gov/oeca/guide/solwast.htm

Water is essential for all living things.  In order for our cities and communities to survive long term, water the essential material for life must be recycled!  With growing population demands for clear, clean, pure water an increasing emphasis has been placed on higher standards for waste water treatment plants.  The Texarkana Waste Water Treatment Plant is a high tech, complex dual operation that is composed of waste water processing and bio-solid composting facilities.  Many citizens of Bowie and surrounding counties have no idea of the processes that are used to treat water and biodegradable solid waste in our region.  These city employees do a fantastic job of processing wastewater and biodegradables for citizens of Texarkana, USA! http://is.tc.cc.tx.us/~dallard/505/wwater.html

Worm composting (vermicomposting) and worm farming (vermiculture) use the benefits of earthworms for soil improvement and plant health.  http://www.yelmworms.com/

Knowledgehound - http://www.knowledgehound.com/topics/environm.htm

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