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In 1996, the National Academy of Sciences published an analysis of the federal biosolids regulations. This nationwide peer review report concludes:
"In summary, society produces large volumes of treated municipal wastewater and sewage sludge that must be either disposed of or re-used. While no disposal or re-use option can guarantee complete safety, the use of these materials in the production of crops for human consumption,
when practiced in accordance with existing federal guidelines and regulations, present negligible risk to the consumer, to crop production, and to the environment."
For a copy of the full report, see
www.nap.edu/
readingroom
/books/sludge/
contents.html or download a copy at
www.epa.gov/owm/biolib.htm.
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Questions and Answers • Benefits of Biosolids • How Are Biosolids Used in New England? • History of Biosolids Use • New England Research
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Intensive research on the uses of biosolids as soil amendments and fertilizers
has been conducted continuously since the 1970s at university and government research institutions throughout the United States and around the world.
While discussion continues in the scientific community about details and new findings, the overwhelming majority of research indicates that biosolids recycling in accordance with federal regulations creates minimal risks to public health and the environment.
This finding is reported in several large-scale, peer-reviewed, summaries of research, including:
- the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s "A Guide to the Biosolids Risk Assessments for the EPA Part 503 Rule,"
- the National Research Council’s "Use of Reclaimed Water and Sludge in Food Crop Production,"
- the Soil Science Society of America’s "Sewage Sludge: Land Utilization and the Environment," and
- extensive literature reviews produced by the University of Washington, Seattle.
In New England, research on the use of biosolids has occurred since the 1970s. For instance, in 1978, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services published a report on research into the impacts to crops, soils, and water of biosolids used to grow corn in the southern part of the state. Other New England studies have examined impacts to groundwater, tree growth response, composting methods, nitrogen dynamics, and impacts to soils.
The use of pulp & paper mill residuals in forestry and land recalmation has been studied in New England (and elsewhere) since the late 1980’s. Topics have included the impacts to groundwater, tree growth response, impacts to soils, and impacts on wildlife.
NEBRA maintains a library of research papers, literature reviews, and other resources. For more information, contact NEBRA at 603-323-7654 or email info@nebiosolids.org.
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The Scientific Foundation Supporting Biosolids Recycling
What Does The Scientific Evidence About Biosolids Show?
No other agricultural practice or product has been subjected to such rigorous scientific assessment and risk evaluation as biosolids recycling. Scientific opinion about biosolids has evolved over the past four decades as increasing data becomes available from long-term studies. Everything learned to date provides increasing reassurance that biosolids recycling in accordance with regulations and best management practices is protective of human health and the environment.
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Have Farmers, Their Families, And Their Crops Been Tested?
Yes! A five-year comprehensive study by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio State University, Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, and the Ohio Department of Health included a health effects study of 47 farms using biosolids compared with 46 control farms not using biosolids. This study provided a direct evaluation of human health risks from using biosolids in established land application programs. It included health questionnaire surveys and, more importantly, blood testing of the participating farm families, which provided an objective measure of infection (including sub-clinical infections). The study demonstrated that exposure to land applied biosolids has no negative health effects. (Environmental Research, Vol. 38, 1985, p 332-388).
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What Are The Major Findings From The Studies?
In 1993, the USEPA finalized a national regulation for biosolids use--the so-called "503 rule." This regulation was based on an exhaustive review of decades of experience with biosolids use and hundreds of scientific studies by university and government researchers from around the nation. The best scientific talent and data were assembled and used to structure the final 503 rule, headed by a team of twelve researchers with over 300 combined years of training and research experience. The team included faculty of the Universities of Alabama, California, Colorado, Cornell, Florida, Ohio State, and Washington--as well as researchers from USDA and USEPA. The 503 rule is the most thoroughly researched regulation ever promulgated by USEPA, and included an extensive risk assessment and peer review.
In 1996, the National Research Council of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences reviewed the 503 rule and reported in "Use of Reclaimed Water and Sludge [Biosolids] in Food Crop Production" the following conclusions: "While no disposal or re-use option can guarantee complete safety, the use of these materials in the production of crops for human consumption, when practiced in accordance with existing federal guidelines and regulations, presents negligible risk to the consumer, to crop production, and to the environment. Current technology to remove trace metals and other potential pollutants from wastewater, coupled with existing regulations and guidelines governing the use of reclaimed wastewater and biosolids in crop production, are adequate to protect human health and the environment. Numerical limits on concentration levels of trace metals added to cropland by biosolids are adequate to assure the safety of crops produced for human consumption."
www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/sludge/index.html.
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Many additional studies attest to the safety and efficacy of biosolids recycling:
FINDING: "In fact, in all the years that properly treated biosolids have been applied to land, we have been unable to find one documented case of illness or disease that resulted."
SOURCE: M. Prothro, former Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water, USEPA, 1992.
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A MEMBER OF NEBRA'S RESEARCH COMMITTEE VISITS A RESEARCH SITE WHERE THE IMPACTS TO GROUNDWATER FROM BIOSOLIDS AND PULP & PAPER MILL RESIDUALS USED IN THE RECLAMATION OF A GRAVEL PIT ARE BEING STUDIED. |
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FINDING: Biosolids are extremely safe when used in agriculture as a nutrient source and soil conditioner. They can be used in ways that do not endanger the environment or the food chain.
SOURCE: Rufus L. Chaney, Senior Scientist, Soil-Microbial Systems Laboratory of Agriculture Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
FINDING: Biosolids provide nutrients and organic matter that can be used beneficially for growing crops. They can supply appreciable amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus. The return of organic solids to the soil will contribute to the maintenance of organic matter levels. Some biosolids also help neutralize acidity in soils (similar to the function played by agricultural limestone) so as to help maintain the proper soil pH for crop growth.
SOURCE: Lee W. Jacobs, Associate Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University.
FINDING: "Studies in New Mexico have shown sustained improved growth and nutritional quality of desirable native vegetation on rangeland and reduced run-off of rain water from a one-time, 10 to 20 dry tons per acre surface application of biosolids."
SOURCE: USEPA, 1994.
FINDING: Runoff from pastures receiving a surface application of biosolids exhibited the least overall potential for pollution when compared with pasture land that received applications of dairy and poultry manure or to commercial fertilizer.
SOURCE: McLeod, R. V. and R. O. Hegg, Journal of Environmental Quality, 1984.
FINDING: Groundwater and surface water monitoring data from the Hampton Roads, Virginia, biosolids management program shows no environmental degradation. The site was monitored more extensively that any other site surveyed.
SOURCE: Water Environment Research Foundation, 1993.
FINDING: In recent years, crop yields on biosolids-improved farm land in Yuma, Arizona, were 10 to 85 percent higher that crop yields on soils receiving commercial fertilizers. In addition, no significant increase in metal concentrations in plant tissues was observed.
SOURCE: Water Environment Research Foundation, 1993.
FINDING: Use of biosolids on severely degraded minelands in Pennsylvania has been highly successful in reclamation and revegetation efforts with no negative impacts to regional water quality. "We have monitoring data for thirty-three (33) biosolids projects, one hundred seventy five (175) monitoring points, and a total of 1622 samples. The sample data spans a time period of 14 years. In all this data over a period of 14 years of monitoring, we have not experienced any deleterious trends in the quality of water as a result of using biosolids to reclaim mine lands. We are seeing improvements to acid mine drainage (AMD) water quality and, as a result, we are using biosolids to do reclamation in conjunction with watershed rehabilitation."
SOURCE: Letter, L. Douglas Saylor, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, January 8, 1999.
FINDING: "Exceptional quality sludge can be beneficially used in agriculture without degrading the environment," according to research at a closely-monitored Minnesota watershed where biosolids were used over a 20-year period as a fertilizer and soil amendment. "Periodic monitoring of the small stream below the watershed showed no degradation of water quality over the study period." Groundwater was also not adversely affected. Corn yields were the same or greater than controls.
SOURCE: Dowdy et. al, eds., USDA Agricultural Research Service/Univ. of Minnesota: Sewage Sludge: Land Utilization and the Environment, 1994.
FINDING: Spectacular growth increases in Douglas fir trees have been demonstrated on low productivity sites fertilized with biosolids.
SOURCE: Michael Van Ham, PhD, and J. P. Kimmins: "Recycling Biosolids and Other Organic Wastes as Slow Release Fertilizers," Final Report to Science Council of British Columbia, 1994.
FINDING: "Studies by the University of Washington in the Northwest, and the U.S. Forest Service in the Southeast, on the use of biosolids as a fertilizer in silviculture have shown as much as a three-fold increase in tree growth compared to controls for certain tree species."
SOURCE: USEPA, 1994.
(From the NEBRA fact sheet series compiled from publications of USEPA, USDA, Northwest Biosolids Management Association, Water Environment Federation, and the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Last revised 6-30-98, 2-4-99.)
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