A U. S. Environmental Protection Agency researcher says that biodiesel can be made from municipal sewage sludge that would cost about the same as diesel made from non-renewable petroleum.

In the latest episode of the American Chemical Society's (ACS) podcast series, "Global Challenges/Chemistry Solutions," the EPA's David M. Kargbo says sewage treatment plants could use microorganisms that produce higher amounts of oil ... up to 10 billion gallons of biodiesel, more than three times the nation's current biodiesel production capacity:

Kargbo points out in the podcast that demand for biodiesel has led to the search for cost-effective biodiesel feedstocks, or raw materials. Soybeans, sunflower seeds and other food crops have been used as raw materials but are expensive. Sewage sludge is an attractive alternative feedstock -- the United States alone produces about seven million tons of it each year. Sludge is a good source of raw materials for biodiesel.
Kargbo's results appear in ACS' Energy & Fuels, a bi-monthly journal: "Biodiesel Production from Municipal Sewage Sludges."
The free podcast is available at iTunes and from ACS at www.acs.org/globalchallenges.