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Re: GBlist: Living Machines
Living Machines are indeed fascinating. I toured the one at Body Shop
International headquarters in Toronto with John Todd. Todd and his wife
are using a home system, but generally they are sized for a production
facility, small municipality, or public institution. They have also
been used to clean hazardous waste ponds.
Basically, the water is cleaned through anaerobic and aerobic digestion,
and a mix of plant species from around the world that are tailored to
the constituents in a particular waste stream. After UV treatment, the
water is cleaner than drinking water standards. And the site is a
delightful greenhouse. At Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry, a
living machine cleans sewage and provides habitat for endangered
butterfly species. As far as I remember, the Toronto facility required
no heat input.
Manufacturers of confectionaries are the biggest users to date. The
high fat content can make other forms of waste water disposal difficult
and expensive.
If you know of any publishing outlets that might be interested in doing
a story on living machines, please let me know -- the concept and the
pictures would be great to get out to a wider audience.
Cindy
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