 BioTech Agronomics, Inc. is a fully licensed and insured company that services over 100 entities across Michigan, while also pursuing opportunities throughout the Midwest region. They are a steadily growing company and look forward to new and exciting challenges.
President and founder of BioTech, Kevin Bonney, sat down with us to discuss his journey in entrepreneurship and his personal connection to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  To determine whether biosolids can be applied to a particular farm site, an evaluation of the site’s suitability is generally performed by the land applier. The evaluation examines water supplies, soil characteristics, slopes, vegetation, crop needs and the distances to surface and groundwater.
There are different rules for different classes of biosolids. Class A biosolids contain no detectible levels of pathogens. Class A biosolids that meet strict vector attraction reduction requirements and low level metals contents, only have to apply for permits to ensure that these very tough standards have been met. Class B biosolids are treated but still contain detectible levels of pathogens. There are buffer requirements, public access, and crop harvesting restrictions for virtually all forms of Class B biosolids. Nutrient management planning ensures that the appropriate quantity and quality of biosolids are land applied to the farmland. The biosolids application is specifically calculated to match the nutrient uptake requirements of the particular crop. Nutrient management technicians work with the farm community to ensure proper land application and nutrient control.  PFAS are a large group of chemicals used for decades in some industrial, commercial, and domestic settings and are found worldwide. Typical materials or processes that use or contain PFAS include firefighting foam, chrome plating, cookware coatings, waterproofing on clothing and carpet, and even food wrappers. Some PFAS, including Perflurooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), which is commonly found in biosolids, have been phased out of production in the United States and are no longer approved for use. Even though they have not been used for years, their legacy remains.
Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) do not generate PFAS chemicals, though they may receive discharges from certain industrial or commercial sources who have used PFAS. As a result, PFAS may be found in treated wastewater and biosolids. Some of those PFAS are known to travel through water, can linger in the environment, and have the potential to impact the soil, water, and crops. PFAS has been found to build up in the tissue of fish and deer in Michigan and in some areas and in some areas led to consumption advisories. Studies are underway to determine the impact of PFAS on animals, animal products, and crops. Currently, the United States Environmental Protection Agency is conducting a risk-based evaluation of PFAS in biosolids. Until that is completed, Michigan’s Department of environment, Great lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Water Resources Division (Which regulates the land application of biosolids) have developed sources of PFAS entering a WWTP and preventing industrially impacted biosolids from being land applied. As a result of these efforts, several WWTPs have already seen significant reductions in PFAS concentrations in their biosolids. Should you have additional questions concerning Michigan’s strategy to monitor and reduce sources of PFAS in biosolids, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of the EGLE Biosolids staff or the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) contacts. More information about the work being done on PFAS in biosolids in Michigan can be obtained by visiting the Landowner/Farmer PFAS Land Application Workgroup Web Page: https://www.michigan.gov/PFASLandApplication BioTech has invested in testing equipment and follows strict EGLE guidelines. Presently EGLE’s threshold concentration for PFOS in biosolids to be considered industrially impacted is 150 ppb.  The largest component of biosolids is organic matter. As a soil conditioner, organic matter improves the consistency of sandy soils and loosens clay. The improved texture of these treated soils promotes dense, healthy root growth. Plants are then able to take up nutrients more easily with the availability of additional micronutrients, often producing a higher yield than is possible with equivalent commercial or synthetic fertilizers. By allowing the soil to better absorb and retain water, the organic matter from biosolids also reduces erosion and helps with crop survival during dry seasons.
Treated wastewater biosolids are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, two essential elements for crop growth. Different crops require specific amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus for optimal growth. BioTech Agronomics Inc. agronomists work closely with the farmers, clients, and regulators to apply biosolids to farmland in the amount necessary to meet the plant’s nutrient needs according to recommended practices. Our staff of trained professionals locates and permits land application sites close to biosolid or residual-producing facilities. We supply those facilities with adequate acreage to ensure the success of their land application program. Our agronomist and technicians provide the following:
 Biosolids are used to fertilize fields for raising crops. Agricultural uses of biosolids, that meet strict quality criteria and application rates, have been shown to produce significant improvements in crop growth and yield.
Nutrients found in biosolids, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and trace elements such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, sulfur, and zinc, are necessary for crop production and growth. The use of biosolids reduces the farmer’s production costs and replenishes the organic matter that has been depleted over time. Organic matter improves soil structure by increasing the soil’s ability to absorb and stores moisture. The organic nitrogen and phosphorous found in biosolids are used very efficiently by crops because these plant nutrients are released slowly throughout the growing season. Furthermore, enables the crop to absorb these nutrients as the crop grows. This efficiency lessens the likelihood of groundwater pollution of nitrogen and phosphorous.  We here at BioTech Agronomics believe that biosolids recycling is an essential step in providing healthy agricultural and environmental restoration for future generations.
Biosolids are the result of sewage sludge that has undergone an advanced scientific treatment process at publicly owned municipal water treatment facilities across the country. Water treatment plants use chemicals to remove pathogens, restore ph balance, and the results are nutrient rich biosolids that can be used for agricultural and forest restoration purposes. In Michigan, around 50% of the Wastewater Treatment Plants treat sewage sludge to a level to be considered biosolids for the purpose of land application. The level of treatment affects the options by which the biosolids can be land applied. By state and federal regulation, there are two main types of biosolids, Class A – Exceptional Quality, and Class B. We have already written an article on Biosolids Classification if you want to learn more about the differences. Biosolids are the definition of a renewable resource as water treatment facilities will always need to get rid of sewer sludge and with the help of science, we use biosolids to enrich soil for multiple applications. Thus resulting in the perfect fertilizer and safe for our environment with hardly no nutrient runoff into our streams and affecting our water table. |