Biochar from sewage sludge: the phosphorus fertilizer for a safe and sustainable agriculture

The Danish EPA gives green light for appli­ca­tion of biochar from sewage sludge for use in farming: Biochar from sewage sludge can now be used as a ferti­lizer.

The EBI calls on the EU Commis­sion to include biochar from sewage sludge in the EU Ferti­lizer Regu­la­tion as an important step towards a safe and sustainable circular economy and agri­cul­ture.

Stan­dard hygie­niz­a­tion of sewage sludge e.g., heating of the sludge to 70°C, does not elimi­nate spores, pyro­gens or pathogens.

Pyro­lysis elimi­nates micro­pol­lut­ants from sewage sludge.

Evidence from the US EPA Office of Rese­arch and Deve­lo­p­ment work with Bioforcetech's commer­cially installed PYREG pyro­lysis plant shows that pyro­lysis at 600°C for 10 minutes and combus­tion of pyro­lysis gases at 850°C elimi­nate PFAS from sewage sludge.

Pyro­lysis elimi­nates micro­plastics from sewage sludgeRese­arch indi­cates that sewage sludge is a sink for micro­plastics and further hand­ling of sewage sludge is critical for poten­tial dispersal.

The phos­phorus present in the feed­stock is retained in the pyro­lysis char. Phos­phorus must be reco­vered from sewage sludge in more and more EU member states so that fields can be ferti­lized with this recy­cled phos­phorus in the future.