![]() ![]() Such concerns are driving some states to take a closer look at biosolids and sewage management programs as increased testing is consistently finding levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are alarming health officials and the public. ![]() “It can contain up to 90,000 man-made chemicals and we don’t even know what new chemicals are made synergistically by combining them,” she told Civil Eats. The Sierra Club Washington’s Darlene Schanfald calls biosolids a “witch’s brew” of toxic substances. Advocates argue that without stronger, comprehensive regulations that cover what types of waste can be used in biosolids-and what waste industries are allowed to send into public sewer systems-the nation is taking unknown risks with its food and water supplies, not to mention the health of farmers and people living in farm communities. While some see it as an effective way to close the loop on recycling waste, some scientists, health professionals, and advocates say using biosolids in agriculture is poisoning the nation’s farmland and compounding a number of health risks. The use of biosolids in agriculture is increasingly coming under fire as a potential health and environmental threat, however. As a fertilizer, it’s popular with some farmers because most wastewater treatment plants give it away for free or sell it at prices that are below the cost of synthetic fertilizers. Over 50 percent of the approximately 4.75 million dry metric tons of biosolids produced nationally each year is treated and applied to cropland. ![]() “The focus here has been on recycling and the production of beneficial products-clean water, energy, and soil amendment fertilizer … including biosolids,” said Dan Thompson, division manager of business operations for TAGRO. Tacoma produces about 5,000 dry tons of biosolids annually and sells it in bags under the brand name TAGRO to about 9,000 customers at local hardware stores, as well as to urban gardeners and farmers in the Tacoma region. The plants further treat the product to reduce pathogens, bacteria, heavy metals, and odors, and convert it into a fertilizer called biosolids, which is high in phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients that help plants grow. The water is separated, treated, and discharged into the Puget Sound, which leaves behind sludge-a mix of human excrement, industrial waste, and everything else that ends up in Tacoma’s sewers. Each day, about 20 million gallons of sewage flows into the city of Tacoma’s wastewater treatment plants. ![]()
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