Recycling Biomass

biomass – organic matter that is alive or was once alive vocabulary words! biomass – organic matter that is alive or was once alive

vocabulary words! decompose – when material is broken down into energy, small matter and nutrients

composting – helping organic material decompose faster vocabulary words! composting – helping organic material decompose faster

thermal energy – energy in the form of heat vocabulary words! thermal energy – energy in the form of heat

Think about all of the trash you and your family create at home.

What kinds of things end up in the trash? paper plastic glass metal food

Based on how much trash is produced by your family, what is your hypothesis on how much garbage Americans generate?

How much garbage does a typical American family of four generate in one week? A. About 20 pound B. 50 pounds C. 80-150 pounds D. 250 pounds

How much garbage is that for each person for one day. A. 1 pound B How much garbage is that for each person for one day? A. 1 pound B. 3 - 4 pounds C. Over 10 pounds D. 22 pounds

Americans generate about 190 to 200 million tons of garbage a year Americans generate about 190 to 200 million tons of garbage a year. That is enough trash to fill a bumper-to-bumper convoy of garbage trucks halfway to the moon.

What happens to most of this garbage? It goes to a dump or landfill

What can we do to help reduce the amount of garbage in the dump? Recycle paper plastic glass metal Compost food scraps

In nature, there are no garbage trucks or landfills In nature, there are no garbage trucks or landfills. What happens to the waste, food scraps and dead plant or animal material?

In nature, biomass (living or used to be living) material decomposes.

Matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed but they can change forms. Because of this scientific law, all matter and energy on Earth are recycled at one point or another.

When biomass decomposes, it helps recycle energy and nutrients back into the environment. When dead things decompose, many things are released. The most common is a bad smell.

Decomposing biomass also releases thermal energy (heat) as it breaks down. When the bacteria and other microscopic decomposers break down the biomass, they release heat. A large compost pile can become extremely hot.

For example, when a bird dies, its body gets broken down into energy and smaller nutrients that return to the soil. A plant growing in that area can then use some of that energy and material as fertilizer to grow Draw this diagram

Biomass decomposes faster in hotter temperatures.

Biomass decomposes slower in cold temperatures

If decomposition did not happen, the world would be full of dead plant and animal material .

Matter and energy can be recycled by decay. Decomposing is nature’s way of recycling.

We can recycle our organic (biomass) trash in a compost pile. Almost all of our food trash (except bones), will decompose nicely in a compost pile. Compost makes good, fertile soil that can be placed on yards or gardens.

Video Links http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX51 08735b1a6d7a60577051&t=Time-Lapse-Videos   http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX74 670e63736750537c055d&t=Time-Lapse-Videos http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX7b 6a5f426f7f5d7d5a7059&t=Time-Lapse-Videos

Think of everything you throw away that can decompose; fruit peels, meat, bread, vegetable matter etc… What happens to all of that biomass? Is there something you can do with your non-meat food scraps that can save space in a landfill?

We are going to fill a plastic compost column and check its temperature and appearance each day.

Before we add material to the column, we need to create a data table Before we add material to the column, we need to create a data table. Under your vocabulary words and notes, create a table that looks like this:

Each class will also have a coffee can composter that you will be able to bring non-meat items from home to put in it. egg shells salad without dressing fruit peels pieces of bread potato peelings

Filling the compost column . Fill your compost column 2/3 full of “green” materials. Shredding the material into smaller pieces will quicken the process. “greens” – green leaves, fruit or vegetable scraps, grass or plant clippings enough to fill 2L bottle 2/3 full

Fill the rest of your column with “brown” materials Fill the rest of your column with “brown” materials. Shred into smaller pieces for best results. “browns” – dry leaves, straw, hay, or sawdust enough to fill 2L bottle 1/3full

Add soil to the bucket Mix everything up by hand Add pond water to moisten

Collecting Data Using a thermometer, measure the temperature of the middle of the column. Record your measurements on the data collection table. Smell the compost column by wafting air from the top. Record your observation. Record a physical description (what it looks like) of the column each day. Once all of the data is collected, plot the daily temperatures as a line graph.

Plot the data as a line graph

Complete the rest of the lab handout after all data is complete.