B_I_O_S_O_L_I_D_S

In other parts of the world, biosolids for sewage treatment plants are treated and used as sustainable agriculture fertilizer. Research the pros and cons of this method and take a stand as to whether this can be a realistic alternative to our current agriculture practices. Who are the potential stakeholders in this issue? Are we influenced by the western view of human waste as an unsanitary and disgusting nuisance?



Biosolids also know as treated sludge, is a tern used by the wastewater industry to denote the by-product of domestic and commercial sewage and waste water treatment. Toxic chemicals such as PCBs, dioxin and brominated flame-retardants, may remain in treated sludge. Depending on their level of treatment and resultant pollutant content, biosolids can be used in regulated applications for non-food agriculture, food agriculture, or distribution for unlimited use.



PROS
· Creates jobs
· It is a cost effective method of disposal
· Recycles versus filling landfills
· Promotes farming
· Reduces emission form transportation to landfills
· Good free fertiliser
· Land Reclamation
· It’s regulated according to EPA law 503



CONS
· Potential health hazard
· Effects irreversible
· Contamination resulting from accumulation of industrial waste
· Its true composition is unknown
· May contain hazardous chemicals
· Possibly transferable crops
· Decreases property value
· Not sufficiently regulated
· Odour



Biosolids are regulated at both the federal and state level. Biosolids must first meet several quality standards and policies in order for them to be applied to land. These standards contain limits for metals that may exist in biosolids, site rule and regulations, pathogen standards, record keeping rules and soil monitoring requirements.

National Academy of Science has said that the use of these materials in the production of crops for human utilization when practiced in agreement with existing federal guidelines and regulations, presents negligible risk to the consumer, to crop production and to the environment.



About 95% of the nitrogen in biosolids exists in an organic form that has a slow release rate, which makes it much less likely to run off into streams.



The pro of biosolids in Canada is that Halifax Regional Municipality can get rid of its solid waste problem by giving it away. However the cost to treat waste and make it into biosolids is $175/ton. This means that we are subsidizing this process with out taxes. Farmers are being asked by major retailer if they are growing their food with biosolids, the intent being that the retailer are not happy with a yes. Insurance companies are informing farmers that they consider biosolids to be in breach of existing policies. Human waste isn’t really a good fertilizer substitute because of our diets.



I think that Biosolids have both positive and negative effects on the earth and people. I also don’t believe that biosolids as know as human waste is a good fertilizer because of all of the artificially selected foods we eat. Biosolids is a sort of pollution, which will affect the air around us and the oxygen we take in. They should conduct more experiments and research more before they go ahead and use human waste as fertilizers in farms and other lands. While biosolids certainly provide valuable nutrients to agricultures, advocates of biosolids have not adequately addressed concerns raised but those oppose to the practise. Biosolids are believed to be linked with declining sperm counts and reproductive failure. Therefore we need more research on this topic before biosolids can be used as fertilizers.



http://youtube.ca/watch?v=QpiZReZG4_A

WORKCITED

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18023841

http://www.antijen.org/transadvocate/id22.html

http://southeastfarmpress.com/grains/fertilizer-alternatives-0604/

http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1176241.html

http://www.schwingbioset.com/news/bid/34089/Natural-Fertilizer-from-Biosolids-reuse-to-the-Nth-degree-Part-I

http://www.cwwa.ca/faqbiosolids_e.asp

http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/qa/105-1focus/focusbeauty.html

Importance of TECHNOLOGIES...

EVALUATE THE IMPORTANCE OF VARIOUS TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING CANADIAN CONTRIBUTIONS, TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERNAL BODY SYSTEMS (DIGESTIVE, CIRCULATORY OR RESPIRATORY) Medicine in Canada debatably began centuries before the French settled in the shores of North America, but because the native people passed on their traditions orally, the only written accounts of their practices and beliefs were recorded but the white explorers and settlers. Most aspects of native medicine were fundamental to a religious system. Native people treated illness with highly effective plant remedies, such as oil of wintergreen, bloodroot, high bush cranberries, as well as physical procedures such as massages. European medicine at the time of settlement was involving into a scientific discipline, even though theories and knowledge about disease developed very slowly. The use of technology in medical practise did not start until the 19th century. For a long time, the practise of medicine was based on the patient’s descriptions of symptoms and not based on hands on experience. Not until the 18th century did physicians start to use manual techniques to diagnose patients and to study dead bodies. One of the first technologies is a Hutchinson’s device for measuring the vital capacity of the lungs. Another device discovered in the 19 century was Herisson’s sphygmomanometer for blood pressure measurement. In the first half of the 20th century, medicine was transformed with the use of medical technology. Medical technologies invented in the 20th century were the thermometer, stethoscope, microscope, ophthalmoscope, laryngoscope, and x-ray. With such medical devices, doctors were able to see and hear patient’s body such as heart and lungs. Medical technology increased the amount of data required to diagnose and treat patients. Medical records became essential document for retaining patient’s information. Technology also created a less face to face relationship between doctors and their patients. Imaging is crucial to diagnose illness, diseases, and assess treatment. Recent techniques have been replaced with technology. CT scanning sometimes called CAT scanning is a non-invasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose treat medical conditions. CT scanning combine with special x-ray and computers to produce multiple images of the inside body. CT scans internal organs, bone, soft tissue and blood vessels providing greater view and exposes more details than normal x-ray testing’s. Such scanning makes it easy to diagnose problems such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, infection disease, trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. CAT is one of the best and fastest tools for studying the chest and abdomen and pelvis because it provides detailed view of all types of tissues. Doctors often prefer this method for diagnosing many different cancer, including lung, liver and pancreatic cancer, given that it allows physicians to confirm the presence of a tumour and the measure it size. Physicians often use the CT assessment to quickly identify injuries, to the lungs, heart and vessels, liver, spleen, kidneys, bowel or other inertial organs, measure bone mineral density for the detection of osteoporosis, plan for assess the result of surgery and properly administer radiation treatments for tumour. Canada is a huge contributor to the medical world. A number of the world’s most proficient inventions and discoveries were made by Canadians. Medical doctors came to Canada alongside with other French settlers. David Parker, who worked in Halifax in the 18th century, was the first to operate with anestheia. At the same time W.R Beaumont became a prolific inventor of surgical interments. In the 20th century, Canada was presented with some of the world vest scientists. The two major contributions to the medical world were done during the 20th century. First, the improvement of anesthesia by W.E brown in 1923 and Dr. Harold Griffith in 1942. Dr. Harold advanced the science of anesthesia by utilizing the curare plant. Secondly, the discovery that recovery rates of patients could be significantly improved if the wounds were disinfected. Insulin was a great discovery done by Frederick Banting in Canada. Sir Frederick Grant Banting was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel Laureate not as one of the co discoverers of insulin. In 1922 Banting and John James Rickard Macleod received the noble prize in Medicine. The discovery did not only help us learn about new hormone that effect the metabolism in the body, but also helped develop vaccines and medicine for diabetes patients, whose bodies failed to control insulin levels. Theses major contributions to the medical world lead us to where we are at the moment. The advanced technology allows us to understand the human body in detail. With the technology we have today we are able to gain knowledge of the digestive, circulatory and respiratory system in detail. Because of the new technology we have, doctors are able to visually see the problem and learn about the situation of the patients with detail, which allows them to successfully cure their patient. In the future more and more machines will be invented to cure illness, which cannot be cured at the moment.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROQlHtjSuaU

SOURCES
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0005203. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodyct http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Banting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(Canada)
http://www.canadacaremedical.com/

ARTIFICIAL SELECTION!?!

Under what circumstances should humans be artificially selecting plants or animals, if any?

Artificial selection describes intentional breeding for certain traits, or combination of traits. “Charles Darwin used the term in contrast to natural selection, in which the differential reproduction of organisms with certain traits is attributed to improve survival or reproductive ability.”

Imagine your self-enjoying a nice salad at a restaurant and later discovering that all the “healthy” vegetable that you have just consumed were artificially selected. Everyone tells you that a salad is a good choice and that it’s good for you, but in this case is it really? On daily basics we consume many artificially selected products with out us realizing and we never take a second to think about it and we can simply blame units. This topic is related directly to the pervious topic of designer babies. I had agreed that designing a baby was wrong but some how when I thinking of artificially selected plants or animals it seems different. Even though I know its wrong something in the back of my mind tells me that this is a different situation. But when thinking a baby is a living thing and so are plants and animals. And we should be cloning them or artificially selecting them. There are many advantages to artificial selection like disease. Which could be prevented by perceiving people/ animals/ plants that are genetically prone to certain hereditart diseases, and preparing for the inevitable. Implanting genes that code for antiviral as well can treat infection diseases. Animals and plants can be altered to show desirable characteristics. Genes could also be manipulated in trees for example, to absorb more CO2 and reduce the threat of global warming. Genetic engineering could also increase diversity and produce more variant alleles, which could also be crossed over and implanted into other species. It is possible to modify the genetics of wheat plants to grow insulin for example.

There are also disadvantages to artificial selection. Nature is a tremendously complex inter- related chain consisting of many species linked in the food chain. Some scientist’s believe that introducing genetically customized genes may have an irreversible effect with consequences yet unknown. Genetic engineering borderline on many moral issues, particularly involving religion, which question whether man has the right to influence the laws and path of nature.

The plants with desirable characteristics are grown by man and their numbers increase. But, plants without theses characteristics are less likely to survive, as they are not provided with the fertilisers and pesticides by man. Eventually, the species of the plant will vanish.

Many will say that artificially selecting or modifying the genes of animals and plants similar would save time, money and resources. But I don’t think that taking shortcuts is the better way to do anything. Yes, shortcuts take less time and energy. But at the end that by taking the shortcut that you have missed some steps and that it will affect the product. Then you realize that if you had done everything step by step there would have been no problem. Even at Mary ward for example, if you take the shortcut to complete units there will be consequences at the end. Whether it’s a zero because you copied someone’s unit or a low mark because you didn’t give your best. In my opinion I believe that artificial selection is wrong just like designer babies. Animals, plants and humans are all living things and we don’t have the right to clone or artificially select and believe that its against our religious belief and God. God has created everything and we are slowly changing things around us to benefit us and are also slowly killing plants and animals. Every one will have different opinions on this topic but all I can say is that I am going stick with natural products as best as I can.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_selection http://www.biology-online.org/2/12_selective_breeding.htm http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/0012-9658(2003)084%5B1650:ASAPTF%5D2.0.CO%3B2 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1569519/ http://campus.lakeforest.edu/~ragland/JHrsto/webquest.htm http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/ridley/a-z/Artificial_selection.asp