Beneficial co-utilization of agricultural, municipal, and industrial by-products

Co-utilization or blending of residuals offers a unique opportunity to develop products with particular characteristics that are able to target specific customer needs. The very notion of deliberately blending by-products suggests that the recycling and beneficial reuse industries are taking a quantitative step forward towards developing products rather than simply reusing residuals. At the same time that this step provides unique opportunities, it also presents unique challenges. The science associated with the beneficial use of one product may not apply when that product is mixed with another residual. Blending of materials may alter the chemistry of the components of the mixture. This may offer additional benefits, as in the case of disease suppression in composts, or present unexpected problems, as the use of lime-stabilized biosolids has done in Maryland. This book consists of the proceedings of the Beltsville Symposium. The organizers of the Symposium attempted to structure a meeting that would outline both the potential benefits of co-utilization as well as concerns. The editors have divided the proceedings into sections that describe the practical basis for co-utilization of residuals as well as the potential benefits. Specific considerations are described. Finally, case studies include descriptions of successful operations and data that detail results of research involving co-utilization materials. Blending of materials for specific objectives needs to be the focus of any successful co-utilization effort. The scientific implications of the mix need to be determined before a product can be used properly. Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Why Co-Utilization?....Pages 1-7 Agronomic Benefits of Agricultural, Municipal, and Industrial By-Products and Their Co-Utilization: An Overview....Pages 9-34 Status of Composting in the United States....Pages 35-43 NRC Committee Review of Using Biosolids and Effluents in Food Crop Production....Pages 45-53 European Perspective of Compost Co-Utilization for Horticulture....Pages 55-68 Benefits and Drawbacks to Composting Organic By-Products....Pages 69-77 A New Paradigm to Tailoring Compost Standards....Pages 79-87 Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization During Co-Utilization of Biosolids and Composts....Pages 89-112 Suppression of Soil-Borne Pathogens by Composted Municipal Solid Waste....Pages 113-130 Using Compost in the Ornamental Horticulture Industry....Pages 131-138 Potential for Utilizing Coal Combustion Residues in Co-Utilization Products....Pages 139-147 Costs and Environmental Impacts of Co-Utilization of By-Products in Nursery Operations....Pages 149-155 Team Approach to Residuals Utilization....Pages 157-162 Co-Utilization of By-Products for Creation of Synthetic Soil....Pages 163-174 Remediation of Soils Contaminated with Toxic Organic Compounds....Pages 175-194 Comparison of Commercial Fertilizer and Organic By-Products on Soil Chemical and Biological Properties and Vegetable Yields....Pages 195-202 Fate and Potential of Xenobiotics....Pages 203-217 Fate and Potential Effects of Trace Elements: Issues in Co-Utilization of By-Products....Pages 219-233 Impact of Biosolids and Co-Utilization Wastes on Rhizobia, Nitrogen Fixation and Growth of Legumes....Pages 235-245 Microbial Effects on Environmental Health and Product Quality Aspects of Recovery and Co-Utilization of Bio-Mineral Products....Pages 247-257 An Environmental Management System for Biosolids....Pages 259-267 Introduction of Test Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost....Pages 269-282 Nutrient Management Planning for Co-Utilization of Organic by-Products....Pages 283-287 Manganese Deficiency Induced by Lime Rich Co-Utilization Products....Pages 289-298 Sustainable Soil, Water and Air Quality: Mankind’s Ultimate Challenge and Opportunity in the 21st Century....Pages 299-304 Production and Marketing of Potting and Landscape Soils Containing Coal Combustion by-Product....Pages 305-314 Blend by-Products to Meet Customer Needs — Make These Needs Your Highest Priority....Pages 315-318 Slow-Release Nitrogen from Composts: The Bulking Agent is More Than Just Fluff....Pages 319-325 Composting of Hazardous Wastes and Hazardous Substances....Pages 327-340 Nitrogen Recovery by Bahiagrass from Pelletized Biosolids....Pages 341-347 Use of Fresh and Composted De-Inking Sludge in Cabbage Production....Pages 349-361 Using Compost Products in Vegetable Production....Pages 363-375 Co-Utilization of Flue-Gas Desulfurization and Organic by-Products for Mine Reclamation....Pages 377-395 Dehydration of Restaurant Food Wastes Produces a Nutritious Feedstuff for Use in Pig Diets....Pages 397-403 Soil Remineralization for Sustainable Crop Production....Pages 405-413 Effect of Surface Incorporated Coal Combustion by-Products on Exchangeable Ca and Al in Subsoil....Pages 415-422 Agro-Environmental Impact of High Rates of Phosphogypsum Applied to Bahiagrass Pasture on a Florida Spodosol Soil....Pages 423-430 The potential for blending residuals to create valuable products that are publicly accepted is an example of recycling at its best. Previously, much of the research done on reuse of residuals has centered on potential negative effects. Generally, blending of materials has been done in a relatively haphazard fashion. There is a growing understanding that residuals can be deliberately mixed for specific end uses. This is the initial phase of transition from residuals disposal to product development. The XXII Annual Beltsville Symposium focused on the range of factors that need to be taken into account for any co-utilization program to be successful. The proceedings include research reports as well as reports from the private sector. Potential uses for co-utilization products as well as areas requiring more research are outlined