1、,Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League NC Healthy Communities WWW.BREDL.ORG,Land application of sewage sludge: Risks and recommendations,- 1988 - Ocean dumping of sewage sludge banned. 1991 WEF Name Change Task Force Over 250 entrees: “All growth,“ “purenutri,“ “biolife,“ “bioslurp,“ “black gold,“
2、 “geoslime,“ “sca-doo,“ “the end product,“ “humanure,“ “hu-doo,“ “organic residuals,“ “bioresidue,“ “urban biomass,“ “powergro,“ “organite,“ “recyclite,“ “nutri-cake“ and “ROSE,“ short for “recycling of solids environmentally.“,The winning name: BIOSOLIDS!,Orange: 19,319,988 gal on 1817.76-acres Cha
3、tham: 19,982,500 gal on 1151.33-acres Alamance: 19,789,200 gal on 969.20-acres Union County: Over 11,000-acres permitted for sludge *DWQ 2007 data based on av. 20,000 gal per acre = 20,000,000 gal. per yr.,What is sludge?,“Residual, semi-solid material left from industrial wastewater or sewage treat
4、ment processes.”“Anything that is dumped into a sewer that is removed from water by the treatment process becomes sludge.” “Includes landfill leachate and runoff from farmlands, industry and development.” “Pretty much anything that humans living and working in a town or city flush down their toilets
5、 or pour down their drains.” “Inevitably a noxious brew of vastly various and incompatible materials unpredictable in themselves and in the toxicity of their amalgamation, incalculably but certainly wildly dangerous to life.” “Growing and continuous mountain of hazardous waste produced daily by wast
6、ewater treatment plants.”,In 2003, a coalition of 73 labor, environment, and farm groups formally petitioned EPA for a moratorium on the land application of sewage sludge. Signatories include the United Mine Workers of America, Clean Water Action, the Organic Consumers Association, the Center for Fo
7、od Safety, Farm Aid, and Citizens for a Future New Hampshire. The National Farmers Union opposes sludge spreading on agricultural land National organic standards prohibit use of sludge in organically-grown food productsInstitute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP): “Smart Guide on Sludge Use in
8、Food Production” (2008)At least 8 major food companies prohibit purchase of produce grown on land “fertilized” with sludge because of potential liabilities.,Growing opposition.,“Naturally Superior”“Safe, nutrient-rich organic material”“Maintains lands long-term productivity” “Rich in nitrogen and ph
9、osphorus, and contains micronutrients such as sulfur, magnesium, calcium, copper, zinc, and some potassium.”“Almost half of all biosolids produced are being recycled, and everyone knows that recycling benefits the environment.” “Pretreatment requires that industrial plants treat or remove any contam
10、inants from their wastewater before it is discharged to a WWTP.” “Specifically-mandated treatments minimize any potential odors.” “Biosolids must meet strict quality criteria and regulations set by the USEPA . based on EPAs rigorous review of decades of long-term scientific studies regarding the saf
11、ety and efficacy of biosolids recycling.” Best of all it is FREE for farmers!,Treatment and testing consists of:,Lime stabilization and aerobic digestion to “disinfect” sludge by reducing organic matter, pathogen content, offensive odorsTesting required for 9 metals, nutrients, total coliform once p
12、er week or less depending on volumes produced Other methods of getting rid of sludge: incineration, land filling, pelletizing, composting using “Class A” sludgeTesting of soils that receive sludge done once per yearShipped to and spread on farmers fields free of charge.Win-win situation.,WWTPs do no
13、t test or remove: Unregulated chemicals Emerging chemicals Specific pathogens (MRSA, swine flu, H1N1 viruses, Tamiflu vaccine, hepatitis A, Herpes virus, Poliovirus, Necrotizing bacteria) Prescription pharmaceutical drugs, illegal drugs Hormones Steroids Endocrine disrupting chemicals Flame retardan
14、ts Radioactive substances Toxic metals Polychlorinated biphenyls Dioxins Polymers used to solidify sludge PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) Prions Nanoparticles Unknown chemicals,1976 Toxic Substances Control Act requires manufacturers to report to the federal government new chemicals they int
15、end to market. But the law exempts from public disclosure any information that could harm their bottom line. Estimated 84,000 chemicals in commercial use.Approx 700 new chemicals introduced into hands of consumers each year. 20% of chemical ingredients protected as trade secrets.In March, 2010, more
16、 than half of the 65 “substantial risk“ reports filed with the Environmental Protection Agency involved secret chemicals. ”. makes it impossible for regulators to control potential dangers or for consumers to know which toxic substances they might be exposed to.”- Obama Administration http:/ Federal
17、 Clean Water Act defines sewage sludge as a “pollutant” 33USC 1462 (6). Part 503.9(t) Pollutant is an organic substance, an inorganic substance, a combination of organic and organic substances, or a pathogenic organism that, after discharge and upon exposure, ingestion, inhalation, or assimilation i
18、nto an organism either directly from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through the food chain, could, on the basis of information available to the Administrator of EPA, cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutations, physiological malfunctions (including malfuncti
19、on in reproduction), or physical deformations in either organisms (humans) or offspring (children) of the organisms.,(2008). EPAs “Targeted National Sewage Sludge Survey” (TNSSS) sampled 74 selected waste water treatment plants in 35 states during 2006 to 2007. High concentrations of toxic contamina
20、nts with heavy metals, steroids and pharmaceuticals, including the antibacterials, triclocarban and triclosan. Despite the prevalence of these toxic chemicals in the environment and their potential adverse impacts to human health and the environment, EPA maintains that it is not appropriate to specu
21、late on the significance of the results at this time.Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), Section 405(d) stipulates that EPA must identify and regulate toxic pollutants that may be present in biosolids (sewage sludge) at levels of concern for public health and the environment. http:/www.epa.gov/watersci
22、ence/biosolids/tnsss-tech.pdf,Johns Hopkins studies (Rolf U. Halden et al) conclude that 50 percent of triclosan and 76 percent of triclocarban remain unchanged by aerobic and anaerobic digestion in a typical WWTP. Both accumulate in sludge. Estimate that more than 100,000 lbs. of triclosan and 300,
23、000 lbs. of triclocarban are spread on farmlands each year.Heidler, Sapkota, Halden. Partitioning, Persistence, and Accumulation in Digested Sludge of the Topical Antiseptic Triclocarban during Wastewater Treatment. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2006, 40 (11), pp 36343639,(2006). Eastern Washington Univer
24、sity study found dozens of medicinal, industrial and household compounds in treated sewage sludge, also known as biosolids, that government agencies sell as lawn-and-garden enhancements.“I dont think people understood before this that they might be applying pharmaceuticals and disinfectants to their
25、 front lawns.“- Thomas Burke, Professor of Public Health Policy, Johns Hopkins University,What proof do we have that sludge is dangerous?,On Nov. 9, 1998, McElmurray & Sons, Inc., and Boyceland Dairy Farms, filed separate lawsuits against the City of Augusta in the U.S. District Court in the Souther
26、n District of Georgia, after the deaths of hundreds of dairy cattle and loss of hundreds of acres of productive farmland as a result of elevated levels of thallium, arsenic, chromium, PCBS, and molybdenum found in sewage sludge used as a fertilizer in 1998. Cadmium and molybdenum were recorded at 37
27、-1,400% higher than permitted levels. http:/www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_10789.cfm,Milwaukee, WI. (2007). City spent over $4 million to scrape tons of Class A sewage sludge “Milorganite” off 30 public parks and playgrounds because it was contaminated with PCBs (polychloride biphenyl eth
28、ers). Some PCB levels in the sludge exceeded EPA superfund limits. Three more incidents of PCB contamination followed. http:/ NC (2008). The City of Raleigh spent $15 million to extend municipal water lines to residences with nitrate contamination to 16 private drinking water wells as a result of ov
29、er-application of sewage sludge by the city. Sludge runoff polluted the Neuse River, a drinking water resource for communities downstream of Raleigh. http:/www.newhillca.org/wwdocs/RaleighWantsCleanupWaiver.pdf,Lawrence County, Al. (2009) Farmers filed a class action lawsuit against Synagro, and loc
30、al industries which discharged toxic, carcinogenic PFOAs and PFOS (*perfluorinated chemicals, used in manufacturing Teflon products) into the sewers, resulting in contamination of 5,000 acres of private drinking water wells, farmland, and livestock. PFOAs and PFOs are carcinogenic to animals, and ha
31、ve been linked with birth defects, cancer, immune dysfunction, and liver damage. Synagro stated it did not test the sludge from Decatur Utilities for PFOAs because it did not know the sludge contained the compounds. http:/www2.fluoridealert.org/Pollution/Perfluorinated-chemicals/Alabama-PFOA-contami
32、nated- sludge-spread-in-Lawrence-County,Dalton, GA. (2009). Spreading of “biosolids” from the sewer plant in Dalton, Georgia, was halted when high levels of PFOAs and PFOs were found in the sludge, which had been composted and sold to businesses and individuals in the Dalton area since 2003. Dalton
33、Utilities estimated that 80 million pounds of the compost were sold and distributed. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division found the chemicals in soil, groundwater, and surface waters, including the Conasauga River and Holly Creek. Chemicals also found in bass and catfish. Impact studies (in
34、cluding blood and tissue analyses) on deer and turkey are being planned to determine potential impacts of PFOA and PFOS on the local wildlife population. *Note: EPA national drinking water PHAs for perfluorooctanaoic acid (PFOA) = 0.4 ppm micrograms per liter and PFOs = 0.2 ppb. PFOA values ranged f
35、rom 1,900 to 4,500 ppb and PFO values ranging from 210 to 2,500 ppb. The one sample of fresh sewage sludge had a concentration of PFOA of 91 ppb and PFOS of 210 ppb. http:/www.epa.gov/region4/water/documents/doc_h_pfc_statement_daltonga.pdf,St. Joseph, MO. (2009). At least two dozen northwest Missou
36、ri landowners filed a lawsuit against the former and current owners of a tannery, the chromium manufacturer, and engineering firm that designed sludge system that provided chromium-tainted sludge for use as a fertilizer on farms. Several other lawsuits filed alleging the hexavalent chromium (chrom 6
37、) found in the sludge caused a cluster of brain tumors. http:/ attributed to sludge spreading, sewage(1991) Shayne Connor, 22, of Greenfield, NH came home from college for Thanksgiving. Sludge had been spread near his home during week. Shayne always slept with the windows open. Thanksgiving night, h
38、is mother heard him call for help and found him having difficulty breathing with a high temperature. Hospitalized, and died within 24 hours with a diagnosis of community pneumonia. Family members also complained of illnesses they attributed to sludge. Twenty four persons in neighborhood complained o
39、f respiratory problems. Out-of-court settlement with gag order placed on Connor family by Synagro. (1994) Tony Behun, 11, of Osceola Mills, PA, rode his dirt bike over a freshly sludge applied field. According to testimony, there were no signs or notices to restrict access. He became ill during the
40、night and died of Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia within three days. The diagnosis and cause of death was listed as viral and S. aureus pneumonia. (1995) Danny Pennock, 17, of Berks County, PA died within two weeks after riding ATV over a sludged farm field and then playing basketball outside (alone
41、) near a sludge applied field. Same night developed a sudden onset high fever and respiratory distress. Placed in ICU to assist breathing; went into a coma overnight. MRI showed holes forming in his lungs. Diagnosis and cause of death, pneumonia, probable S. aureus. Seth Jones, 26, of Erwin, TN is t
42、erminally ill and a resident of hospice. Worked spreading muni sludge for a farmer. He became suddenly ill with difficulty breathing and hospitalized for pneumonia. Developed tumors and abscesses in his lungs, liver and kidneys. A biopsy of both lower lobes of his lung showed via DNA the same bacter
43、ia present in the sewage sludge. A Copperbasin, TN, woman, age 26, was white water rafting in the Ocoee River the day after raw sewage was discharged illegally into the river. She developed sudden onset atypical pneumonia and died three days later in the hospital. No autopsy was conducted, no invest
44、igation done because the discharge was not reported for over a month. In Cadiz, Ohio a 30 year-old man went hunting and crossed sludge-applied fields near his home. He developed sudden onset flu-like symptoms and pneumonia. He was hospitalized, and now is unable to work because of severe joint pains
45、. His mother and father both have severe and newly diagnosed respiratory problems they attribute to sludge in field next to house.,Harford County, MD. (2008) A 51-yr.old woman, Lin Eyer, rode her horse through a field of freshly spread sewage sludge in the Susquehanna State Park and one week later b
46、ecame ill with an infection which physicians could not identify. A dentist removed all of her teeth in an attempt to stop the infection. Bills introduced in the Maryland General Assembly to ban companies from leasing parkland to spread sludge. Efforts by residents to stop the sludge spreading by Tex
47、as-based Synagro were finally successful. http:/74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:fFZfIwlPrm4J: University of Toledo study (2007) of residents living in Wood County, OH, near farm fields permitted to receive sludge found . increased risks for certain respiratory, gastrointestinal, and other diseases amon
48、g residents. Khuder et al, Health Survey of Residents Living Near Farm Fields Permitted to Receive Biosolids, Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health, Vol. 62, No. 1, 2007.,Uptake by animals .A recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota has found that vegetables such as corn, pota
49、toes and lettuce absorb antibiotics when grown in soil fertilized with livestock manure. Livestock and dairy animals ingest large quantities of soil when grazing and consequently, sludge contaminants, which can ultimately end up in the food produced from these animals. Food animals may ingest contam
50、inated soil attached to harvested animal feed crops. Many chemical contaminants (including dioxins, PCBs, pesticides and some flame retardants), and a few heavy metals (such as cadmium) found in sludge tend to bio-accumulate in fat tissue and milk fat.IATP Smart Food Guide on Sludge Use in Food Production: http:/www.iatp.org/foodandhealth/,
