Waste to Health- turning pollution into resources
 
         
Summary
Cleaning Ganga
Lead Article
Lead Poster

News

Conversion of Sea-water
What is 'Clean'?
Sanitation in Human Habitation
Salt Remediation Honoured

Another View of Sanitation & Health

   

Abstract

Productivity of any country or region is decided by its natural productivity. While the cold region of the world gets almost perennial rain, its natural productivity is controlled by temperature as plants grow there only in spring and summer. In warm region such as India, on the other hand, natural productivity is controlled by availability of moisture in the soil. Human activities including industries, also need adequate supply of clean water. This article discusses how water quality should be assessed and how one can ensure that adequate supply of clean water is ensured.
  
INTRODUCTION

Man is the latest manifestation of nature. Many secrets of Nature are yet to be revealed and understood by man. Hence it is reasonable to be modest and learn from Nature. Eco-Logic has been developed from an intense study of ecology and ecological engineering.   Use of this logic can help us read the “books of nature” and develop sustainable resource management strategies. The essence of Eco-Logic can be put in simple terms, as below:

  1. Human senses are adequate for effective natural resource management.  Otherwise man could have got x-ray/infra-red vision or an ability to hear an ultrasound, some animals do have such abilities.
  2. Human sensory inputs can be interpreted by human wisdom and effective steps taken towards conservation.
  3. Waste of natural resources leads to pollution; this is indicated to man through the pollution signals. These need to be read and proper root-cause correction steps taken.
  4. If man decides to neglect pollution signals, nature takes punitive action. Aim is to vacate the `chairs`, these can be occupied by people that care for nature. The number of `chairs` on this planet(ecologists call this “carrying capacity”) is decided by the availability of natural resources. Man can increase the number of `chairs` and then increase his population, only by learning how to conserve the natural resources.
  5. So-called Natural calamities, too, are the warning signals for mankind. They may be difficult to predict, but can be prevented by taking the root-cause action, of preventing waste of natural resources.

Pollution is indicated to man in a digital manner. Low band (first digit) is indicated to eyes, second digit to ears, third digit by skin contact, forth digit by short-term illness (both physical or mental) and the fifth digit is indicated by a death sentence. We should learn to read these bands and take adequate steps. BIOSANITIZER technology has been created by using this Eco-Logic and is an effective tool to prevent pollution and thus, conserve the natural resources. After all, these are needed for fulfilling the base for basic needs of man.

Pollution Levels

Pollution on land, created by piling garbage, for example, is less severe because there are number of pollution detection and control mechanisms available. Human pollution is plant food and plants supply our diverse needs. Plant biodiversity is abundant on land. This is why we see almost all human population and major animal population on land that forms about 33% of the earth’s surface.

Such mechanisms fewer in water and vary scarce in air. Polluted air is able to enter directly into the human blood through breathing. Rain is a mechanism to clean moderate air pollution. The polluted water, in turn, is  used by the land to grow plants. Soil has several mechanisms to hold water pollutants and convert them into plant food. It is thus necessary that rainwater gets through the soil and treated water stored in the natural dam, that is, groundwater reservoir.

Many times, however, we pile garbage and other solid wastes in an unscientific manner. This produces toxic leachate that spoils the groundwater.  Air pollutants are also produced in such cases.

BIOSANITIZER is a natural granular bio-catalyst that has been developed by the Bhawalkar Ecological Research Institute(BERI), using the Eco-Logic. It is kept in contact with water, inside a storage tank or even in a well or borewell. The catalyst has a long working life and uses harmful salts(such as nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals, etc.) as raw materials. Useful minerals and active oxygen is produced during the process. Active oxygen cleans the water, of toxic chemicals(such as pesticides) and pathogens(harmful bacteria and even the viruses).  The oxygenated water also has cleansing properties. Use of this water for all its intended purposes, is a simple way to take care of land, water and air pollution.

Air Quality and Rain

If the air pollution is moderate (first digit), one gets mild rain that readily soaks into ground, thus conserving water and avoiding floods. The rain is also well-spread over the rainy season. This is an ideal scenario, we should aim to have. This comes only when the air quality is good, the rainfall has less visiblity due to small droplets, also not audible(no thunderstorms or large wind-speed). Storage of such a good-quality rain, in a pond, can support fish, but not frogs(audible signals) or breed ordinary mosquitoes(just biting) or other mosquitoes that cause chikungunya, malaria or dengue.

If air quality gets spoiled, we get toxic rain. Also, wet spells followed by long dry spells. Toxic rain does not get soaked readily into  soil. This is how nature is designed to protect the groundwater quality. Apart from creating shortage of groundwater, toxic rain also produces floods and diseases after them.

Understanding Air Quality

We often give undue importance to visible air quality and assess it through the count of particulate matter, soot, etc. According to Eco-Logic, such visible aspects indicate only first digit pollution. Second digit pollution is created by oxides of nitrogen and third digit by oxides of sulfur. These produce toxic acid rain that also dissolves rock in an uncontrolled manner and produce heavy metal toxicity in soil, groundwater and surface water bodies.

When we allow say, 10% excess air in our automobile engines and industrial boilers, to ensure complete combustion and thus, avoid visible emission, the excess oxygen also combines with the atmospheric nitrogen, to produce nitrogen oxides. These spoil air and rain quality, also its pattern. Similarly fuels that have sulfur, such as coal and petroleum fuels, produce higher level of air pollution. Even the biogas, LPG, CNG and hydrogen, these are often praised as “clean” fuels, also produce nitrogen oxides. This is not well discussed because there is no remedy. But putting the BIOSANITIZER catalyst in the fuel tanks can be an answer, Eco-Logically.

Best quality fuels are produced by nature, with good supply of oxygen, these bio-fuels also have O in addition to C and H. Biogas is produced in oxygen-deficient atmosphere, hence is not a good bio-fuel. Its production is also an eco-crime because while other bio-fuels fix atmospheric CO2 (the greenhouse gas), the production of methane is invariably associated with the equimolar CO2 production. One can use the BIOSANITIZER in the biomethanation units to reduce this CO2 production, and get higher methane output.

Rain Pattern

Quality of rain and its pattern are governed by the oxides of nitrogen and sulfur in the air. But it is found that low ambient temperature can counter this effect. This is why cold region gets widespread rain, in spite of air pollution created by the industrialized nations. It is well known that the rain is highly acidic.

Acid rain is not well discussed in warm region because the combined effect of air pollution and high temperature shuts off the rain mechanism. We get only seasonal rain when the clouds bring some moisture to reduce the impact of air pollution.

Widespread use of BIOSANITIZER in India is producing widespread rain over a longer season. The rain quality is also improving. It is soaking readily into the ground, thus building up the groundwater reserve. The rivers are getting floods mainly because we are in the learning process. By adopting improved dam discharge pattern, we should be able to control the floods next year onwards.

To reduce the intensity of rainfall and consequent flooding, we will have to take effective steps to cut down our carbon emissions. Use of BIOSANITIZER can help us in treatment of solid and liquid organic wastes in an eco-friendly manner, that is, without any significant production of carbon dioxide. Similarly the use of BIOSANITIZER in the fuel tanks of our vehicles(and other combustion devices), will reduce CO2 emission.

We may soon enter into an era of round-the-year rainfall that is mild and readily gets soaked into the ground. With the filling of the natural dam of groundwater, the mountain water springs, too start flowing, thus keeping the rivers flowing round the year. This was the scenario about 60 years back.

Conclusion

BIOSANITIZER technology has been developed through 40 years of intense study of emerging fields of ecology and ecological engineering. We now have cost-effective techniques to effectively manage our water resources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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