Your Local Sewage Plant a Gold/Silver Mine?

[longknife]

Wanna dig around in that stuff.


Well, Discover reports that one million inhabitants flush $13 million worth of precious metals down toilet and sewer drains each year.


Read the story @ Sewage Sludge Is Flush With Gold and Platinum

 

[Mr. H.]

Bill Gates is on it.

 

[Old Rocks]

Actually, recovering rare resources from sewage is wise if it can be done economically.

 

[longknife]

Actually, recovering rare resources from sewage is wise if it can be done economically.

That's the problem according to the article. It isn't that easy to do.

 

[Old Rocks]

Yep. but there is a lot of money there for someone, or some municipality, if they can figure out how to do it. Oppertunity knocks, even if it is in shit.

 

[westwall]

There's 4 to 5 billion dollars worth of gold in California's central valley too. The problem is you have to destroy 15 billion dollars worth of farmland to get it. There's gold in the oceans too. Tons of it. If you were going to work on a system to recover gold, that would be your best source.

 

[Old Rocks]

Yes, but the sewage is actually a resource, if one can remove the toxins. But, if removed as elements, many of the toxins are actually valuable in themselves. And we will be creating more sewage constantly.

 

[westwall]

Yes, but the sewage is actually a resource, if one can remove the toxins. But, if removed as elements, many of the toxins are actually valuable in themselves. And we will be creating more sewage constantly.

That's true, of course, but it all comes down to energy. There is more energy needed to siphon out all the toxins than just extracting the gold from sea water. What would be interesting is a process to burn the sewage for power generation, and then extracting the toxins and precious metals from whatever filter system is used.

That would have some possiblities.

 

[Old Rocks]

Yes that would. And it might be easier to remove the metals and such from the ash. Would not add CO2 to the atmosphere as this is cyclic CO2, already part of the carbon cycle.

 

[westwall]

Yes that would. And it might be easier to remove the metals and such from the ash. Would not add CO2 to the atmosphere as this is cyclic CO2, already part of the carbon cycle.

Sure it would (not that that matters anyway) CO2 is produced generating the energy required to power the burner. CO2 is produced no matter what you do. How can you not understand that concept?

 

[Old Rocks]

How can you, supposedly a Phd Geologist, not understand the carbon cycle? It is only when we take sequestered carbon, such as coal, petroleum, or clathrates, and put it into the atmosphere, that we add to the total content.

 

[westwall]

How can you, supposedly a Phd Geologist, not understand the carbon cycle? It is only when we take sequestered carbon, such as coal, petroleum, or clathrates, and put it into the atmosphere, that we add to the total content.

I understand the carbon cycle quite well. How is it that you can't understand simple physics? Even if the power used to separate the waste water comes from "green" energy sources the process of manufacturing THEM creates CO2.

How is it you can't understand that?

Inquiring minds want to know!