Author: Ollan Herr

As the world’s population continues to grow, there is an increasing demand for synthetic and mineral fertilizers to produce enough food. Phosphorus is one of the essential elements used in commercial fertilizers, and most of it is extracted from open-cast mines. However, the production of these fertilizers requires the use of sulfuric acid, which is facing shortages in the coming...

The devastating impact of the COVID pandemic and the associated lock down has given many of us a renewed appreciation of our natural surroundings and our fragile ecosystem. The focus on climate change and the general health of our plant has to date been focused on our carbon footprint but there is now a growing understanding of the need to...

The HANAPAK human urine treatment system is a new nature based method to treat a large part of the waste water nutrients in new Eco Houses. The separation of human urine and toilet solids from domestic waste water will prevent most of the nitrates and almost half of the phosphates from polluting ground water. The protection of ground water from...

United Nations Sustainability Goal 6 Water A Challenge for New House Building To end the wasting and dumping of phosphates, nitrates and potash from septic tanks into the ground  To protect the water quality in nearby rivers from these nutrient pollutants  To play a part in returning streams and rivers to their former pristine unpolluted condition and  To increase recycling and the...

With the latest water shortages in Skerries, County Dublin, should new buildings in Ireland be required to have Rainwater Harvesting Systems? Gravity based systems would cost less to install and operate. Every so often some community in Ireland has to manage without a reliable mains water supply. It’s the turn now of the people of Skerries to have to make...

Avoid hose bans and protect your home from water shortages by treating and recycling your own Grey Water.  The summer of 2018 will be remembered for the intense heat and the extended long dry period. Indeed likewise most of North America and Europe has been suffering from the same extended heat wave and drought. . https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-independent/20180711/281706910445471 The report from Paul Melia 11 th July...

The national hose ban looks like it will be with us for months. With this present national and international heat wave being linked to climate change and with the increasing probability of more long term droughts; all new house buildings should install at least one waterless toilet in response to future water crisis situations.    Due to Climate Change, it’s...

“Brexit price increases could affect poorer households most” – but the projected shortages of fertilizer as a result of phosphate depletion will have a much more serious long term impact on world food prices and food security The ESRI Economic and Social Research Institute is Ireland’s independent source of evidence for policy. Their latest report states that a hard Brexit...

Will your septic tank and the waste water pipes in your house require to be changed completely in about 30 years time? This is a new domestic treatment system that recycles phosphorus from urine to provide sustainable fertilizer for kitchen gardens The need to separate and recycle phosphorus will become the most urgent waste water treatment goal over the next 30...

What is Phosphorus: Phosphorus is a natural resource used as a fertiliser in the production of food.  Almost all phosphorus rock is mined in countries outside of Europe, making the EU potentially vulnerable to a future phosphorous and therefore a food shortage.   What is the phosphorus problem?: Phosphorus is key element in fertilizer for the production of food crops. As the...