Sludge Watch ==> Sludge Biosolids - What you don't know

[Maureen Reilly]

http://emilschirmer.66blogs.com/2007/08/18/biosolids-aka-sewer-sludge-what-you-dont-know/


Biosolids aka Sewer Sludge What You Don’t Know
By Conrad R Cain

Picture everything that goes down your sink and toilet in addition to human 
waste; such as medicines, cleaners, dyes, spoiled food. drain cleaners, 
cosmetics, pesticides, solvents, etc. Now consider what else in your 
vicinity uses the public sewer system (i.e. hospitals and mortuaries, animal 
clinics and pet shops. All may be adding a nice infectious blend of 
bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. Now add in businesses and industry 
(auto painting and repair shops, furniture stripping, dry cleaning, metal 
plating, printing shops, and all types of manufacturing. We’re talking 
asbestos, lead, mercury, PCB’s, dioxins, flourans and hundreds of other 
man-made chemicals.

Our public sewer system carries this material to waste water treatment 
plants, whose chief job is to treat the water to release back into streams, 
rivers, and oceans. What’s left over is sewer sludge; a nasty concentrated 
muck, which is considered too toxic to dump in oceans or put into landfills. 
In fact, the more efficient the treatment plant, the more toxic the biosolid 
(sewer sludge). So let’s spread sewer sludge on the land and call it 
‘beneficial biosolids! This is exactly what’s happening across the nation, 
thanks to the EPA and the public relations departments of the waste 
industry.

The EPA goes on further to give ‘excellent quality’ ratings to sludge if it 
is composted for as little as two months! Composted or not, sewer sludge 
toxicities vary depending on the location of the treatment plant, what 
industries are in the area, and what is dumped down the sewer on any given 
day. Product uniformity therefore, is inconsistent, even without considering 
accidental spills, illegal dumping, or the cumulative effects of applying 
biosolids to the same land year after year.

Homeowners, if aware of the above, may be outraged and insist on not using 
biosolids (sewer sludge). Landscape contractors should be aware of potential 
liabilities from employees and customers. Municipalities should also be 
aware of sewer sludge products applied to parks, recreation areas, and 
stream bank restoration projects.

For back ground research information regarding this topic visit the Cornel 
Waste Management Institute website at

cwmi.css.cornell.edu/Sludge.html

News release provided by Conrad Cain For Organic and Green Living 
information please visit:http://www.mygreennetwork.com/ Article Source: 
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Conrad_R_Cain 
http://EzineArticles.com/?Biosolids-aka-Sewer-Sludge-What-You-Dont-Know&id=432745