Sludge Watch ==> Stoney Creek Ontario - Sludge: Nasty by any name

[Maureen Reilly]

Nasty by any terminology

(Jun 15, 2007)
When the city revised its sewer-use bylaw last year, it added 25 previously 
unregulated organic compounds, as recommended in a review by consultant 
Conestoga-Rovers and Associates. They include:

Volatile organic compounds: Generally found in solvents and fuels, as their 
name implies, they can escape into the air, posing a hazard for sewer 
workers. They are also water soluble and can wind up in sewage sludge.

The health risk varies by compound, but a well-known example is benzene, a 
human carcinogen.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Resulting from the partial or incomplete 
burning of wood, coal, mineral oil and other organic materials, they are 
non-soluble and often end up in sewage sludge.

This is a concern because sludge is converted into "biosolids" for use as 
fertilizer and PAHs can move into the food chain through plants. Potential 
health impacts from chronic exposure include birth defects.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): Used in electrical equipment, hydraulic 
fluids and as flame retardant, PCBs also generally wind up in sewage sludge.

Chronic exposure is linked to changes in liver function and reproductive 
systems.

Endocrine disrupting compounds: The two regulated by the city's bylaw are 
known as phthalates, chemicals commonly used as a plasticizer -- including 
in many children's toys -- that can end up in sewage sludge.

Suspected of disrupting the body's hormonal systems, which regulate 
functions like growth, development and maturation, chronic exposure is 
linked to birth defects.

Pesticides: Used to kill weeds, the eight pesticides covered by the bylaw 
have, in some cases, been linked to cancer and birth defects.

http://www.stoneycreeknews.com/scn/news/news_814248.html