MidAtlantic Biosolids Association

March 2024 - MABA Reg/Leg Update

National

 

Senate EPW

 

The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works will hold a hearing on March 20 at 10 a.m. ET titled "Examining PFAS as Hazardous Substances".  View information about the hearing, including the panelists HERE, and view the hearing by visiting the Senate EPW YouTube live stream by clicking HERE.

 

MABA, along with over 50 other organizations submitted a letter to the Senate EPW to encourage their consideration of an exemption from CERCLA liability for passive PFAS receivers.  You can view and download that letter by clicking HERE.

 

US EPA

 

On January 31, 2024, the USEPA released an updated version of Method 1633, which outlines how to test for PFAS in various sources such as surface water, groundwater, wastewater, biosolids, sediment, soils, and fish tissue.  Additionally, an updated version of Method 1621, covering adsorbable fluorine, was also posted.  Method 1633 has been updated after the successful completion of a multi-lab validation under the leadership of the Department of Defense. These updates signify that the methods are now finalized and the USEPA encourages their use, although revisions may still occur during the rulemaking process. 

 

More information is available by clicking HERE.

 

Pennsylvania

 

In November 2023, Pennsylvania Representative Jim Rigby introduced Pennsylvania’s House Resolution 257 – concerning proposed General Permits 07, 08 and 09 regarding the management of biosolids. This resolution urges the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, as a result of the findings of the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee's report, not to implement the proposed revisions. 

 

Representative Rigby wrote in his house co-sponsorship memoranda, "This resolution directly follows the direction in the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee’s recently released study commissioned by HR149.  As LBFC summarized: 'Permit changes may create unintended consequences for biosolids management, which could result in higher fees for ratepayers. I am concerned about these higher fees impacting sewage rate payers in Pennsylvania.

 

While the LBFC report provided estimates for the direct costs related to permit changes, they also identified several indirect costs that could follow compliance with DEP’s proposed permit revisions. Although the cost of these unintended consequences will be site-specific these costs undoubtedly will be passed along to local ratepayers in the form of increased fees.'  Ultimately these additional fees will have a disproportionate impact on families that are least able to pay increased sewage rates."

 

MABA encourages you to read this memoranda and house resolution, and consider reaching out to your legislators to ask them to support this resolution.  You can find your legislators by clicking HERE.

 

Maryland


In December 2023, the Maryland Department of the Environment released the Maryland PFAS Action Plan.  The update indicated that MDE has issued 14 NPDES permits with specific PFAS monitoring requirements for influent, effluent and biosolids. The Department’s report also stated that the biosolids testing was completed in the third quarter 2023 and a decision would be made by the end of 2023. However, to date, it is our understanding that MDE has not reached a decision on issuing any permits.

 

The MABA Reg/Leg Committee sent a letter to the Maryland Department of the Environment in February 2024 to request that MDE provide MABA with testing data findings and what approach MDE will be taking moving forward with respect to ending the moratorium and moving forward on the issuance of permits that we understand MDE has processed but not issued. 

 

You can view and download this letter by clicking HERE.

 

Virginia

 

HB 870 from Del. David Bulova, D-Fairfax, would require the Virginia State Water Control Board to adopt regulations to address situations when wastewater treatment plant  storage capacity is exceeded due to adverse weather conditions, resulting in the flow of biosolids — or sewage sludge — into state waters.

 

Bulova told the House last month these sewage overflow events are expected to occur more frequently because of the increased frequency, intensity and duration of storm events being driven by climate change. 

 

Representing the Virginia Biosolids Council, Kyle Shreve said biosolids, a byproduct of sewage treated at wastewater plants, are often used as fertilizer on farm fields. However, he said biosolids can’t be used during periods of heavy rainfall and can begin to build up in storage facilities and potentially create water quality issues if they get in state waters.

 

The issue started gaining attention in 2018, when Virginia had its highest level of precipitation since 1895, according to data from the National Centers for Environmental Information. A series of intense storms hit the commonwealth the following year, flooding neighborhoods and overwhelming infrastructure. 

 

During that time period, Shreve said there were multiple storage challenges that the wastewater facilities were unable to deal with under current regulations, which offer different temporary solutions depending on the facility. 

 

Shreve said the bill asks the Department of Environmental Quality to update the existing biosolids regulations so plans can be preapproved in the event severe weather prevents land application of biosolids in the future. 

 

The legislation passed the House and Senate unanimously.

 

New Jersey

 

On January 17, 2023, the Commissioner signed Administrative Order 2023-01  to encourage the collection of data that will aid in efforts to identify, reduce and eliminate sources of PFAS in wastewater and its residuals.

 

The Division of Water Quality is undertaking an effort to identify, reduce and eliminate sources of PFAS in industrial wastewater.  As part of the effort to identify PFAS at the source, the Division began their strategy by focusing on the direct industrial dischargers to surface water (Category B permits) and industrial dischargers to a POTW (Category L permits), along with working with Delegated Local Agencies to begin identifying, reducing and eliminating sources of PFAS discharged into their systems. The Division created and issued a survey to permittees to gather information regarding potential sources of PFAS and operational processes. The Division also issued a Request for Information to gather wastewater sampling data from the surveyed permittees. This data will aid the Division in understanding the scope of PFAS in wastewater discharges.  

 

For additional information regarding PFAS monitoring in the NJDEP surface water division click HERE.

 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (Department) has officially adopted amendments to the Ground Water Quality Standards, N.J.A.C. 7:9C (GWQS) and the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Regulations, N.J.A.C. 7:14A (NJPDES) to address perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in discharges to ground water.  

 

In response to the adopted amendments, the Division of Water Quality began modifying NJPDES DGW permits to include monitoring for PFOA, PFNA and PFOS.

The Ground Water Application Checklist  and the Technical Manual for NJPDES DGW Permits  have been updated to specify the requirement for PFAS monitoring as part of the Pollutant Analysis Summary in DGW permit applications.

 

Monitoring results for the NJPDES DGW permitted facilities that have been modified to include a requirement to monitor for PFOA, PFNA and PFOS can be viewed utilizing DEP DataMiner. To obtain this data, Search by Category, NJPDES Permitting Program.

 

For additional information regarding PFAS monitoring in the NJDEP ground water division click HERE.

 

New York

 

The New York State Department of Conservation (NYSDEC) adopted the Materials Management Program Policy 7 - Biosolids Recycling in New York State - Interim Strategy for the Control of PFAS Compounds (DMM7), as well as the Parts 360-366, 369, 371, and 377.  These were adopted on September 20, 2023,  and became effective October 20, 2023. 

 

The NYS DEC is in the process of sampling and analyses in coordination with SUNY at this time.  

 

Additionally, you can review the information from the October 16, 2023 webinar about the NYSDEC DMM-7 Policy.

 

You can watch the webinar on MABA's YouTube & subscribe today, and download the presentation and Q&A below:

 

Presentation: NYSDEC MABA Webinar Presentation - DMM Program Policy 7

Sally Rowland, PhD, PE, Environmental Engineer 3, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

 

Additionally, you can download the questions/answers shared during the webinar by clicking HERE.  And you can review the list of industries (and SIC codes) as potential primary sources of PFOA/PFOS, by clicking HERE, and referencing Appendix A.

 

Delaware

 

In Delaware, various wastewater streams (domestic, industrial and municipal) are treated and discharged into surface water bodies (NPDES discharges) as well as onto the ground surface, where it infiltrates the soil and ultimately enters groundwater (on-site wastewater discharges). Biosolids are land applied at numerous sites across the state.

 

DNREC’s Water Resource Protection team has started a statewide study of PFAS in wastewater.

 

Biosolids were selected to be examined first under a Biosolids Project Design and Sampling Plan. In December 2022, samples of biosolids (before being land applied), soils (from a selected land application site) and groundwater (from the monitoring wells installed at the selected site) were collected.

 

Project Design and Sampling Plan for wastewater influent, effluent and discharge receival media (soil and groundwater) has been completed. Field sampling is expected to start in the summer of 2023. 

 

In addition, samples of septages from individual septic systems will also be collected and evaluated, under a Project Design and Sampling Plan for septages.

 

For additional information regarding the DNREC PFAS in Wastewater, click HERE.

 

January 2024 - Executive Director’s Report to MABA Members

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With great power comes great responsibility…

The New Year is upon us, and the developments of 2022 and 2023 have propelled MABA into a seat of great accomplishment and standing as an organization and leader in the biosolids sector.  MABA’s leadership has done tremendous work to develop the historically robust educational offerings as well as its communications to inform and connect the regional and national biosolids sector and the communities they serve.  Additionally, MABA has rejuvenated and bolstered its membership, thus increasing its financial growth and stability.  The leadership has worked diligently to ensure MABA is aware of and engaged in up-to-date scientific, regulatory and legislative developments and likewise able to communicate this key information to its members on a regular basis. Furthermore, they have led the charge to create a new sister organization, the Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Foundation, with a focus on education and research, to broaden the reach and capabilities in the future.

MABA’s developments could be described as exceptional, momentous, or even, powerful.  And with this great power comes great responsibility.  And whether you ascribe to the proverb of the Spider-Man (or Marvel) universe, or rather to one of the more ancient accounts of the sentiment from the story of the Sword of Damocles, the meaning remains much the same - “power cannot simply be enjoyed for its privileges alone but necessarily makes its holders morally responsible both for what they choose to do with it and for what they fail to do with it.”

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There are great responsibilities on board for MABA, and the MABA members will be key in stepping up and sharing their interest and availability to join the committees and focus group.  Some of the initiatives taking place include:

  • The Membership Committee will work to connect with current members and reach out to the prospects.  

  • The Regulatory/Legislative Committee will work in keeping an ear to the ground of the regulatory and legislative occurrences in the region.  

  • The PFAS Focus Group will focus on new information to share and involvement in crucial PFAS research projects.

  • The Communications Committee will work to bring the MABA booth to regional conferences, and to create new fact sheets and other valuable information for members.

The Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Foundation (MABF) will pose a critical challenge and opportunity in the year ahead.  MABF was created to provide an organization charged solely with education and research, and the communication of both to the biosolids sector and the community.  As the building of MABF begins, it is imperative that MABA members consider new roles within this organization.  Some of these include:

  • The Programming Committee

  • The Research Committee

  • The Community Education and Communication Committee

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There is no doubt that MABA and MABF are poised for a strong year ahead, and although there is no proverbial sword of Damocles dangling above, the responsibilities that accompany that strength might seem foreboding or invigorating.  The challenge and reward will be in making it the latter. 

If you are interested in learning more about MABA, MABF, and getting more involved, please reach out to me at [email protected] or 845-901-7905. 

 

Biosolids NewsClips - March 6, 2024

NewsClips is filled with articles from around the region and the world. This edition includes some positive and informative articles, including an article from Ashland, Missouri, where they are just beginning plans for land application.  There are also informative stories, including an article about how researchers from the University of Córdoba, Spain, have developed a sustainable, simplified way of converting sewage sludge into high-value activated carbon.  
 
Unfortunately, there are some less-than-positive articles in this edition, including articles about issues at facilities and within local communities, as well as issues surrounding concern and conversation about PFAS and microplastics. 
 
The monthly newsclips are brought to you by the MABA Communications Committee, and they are looking for MABA members who are interested in learning more about their work for the biosolids sector.  Please reach out to Mary Firestone if you are interested in checking out an upcoming Communications Committee meeting. 
 
Stay tuned for more information from MABA.  If you have biosolids news to share, please reach out to Mary Firestone at 845-901-7905 or [email protected]

Biosolids News 

MABA Region
Controversial fertilizer factory is moving towards the finish line
Moreau, NY (31 Jan 2024) - After over two years of applications, public hearings and even litigation- the controversial project looking to make its home in the Moreau Industrial Park may be finally making some strides towards the first phase of construction. But, not if town officials and local environmental groups have something to say about it. Saratoga Biochar Solutions is looking to help solve one of the biggest challenges New York faces- TOO MUCH WASTE. 
DEC takes community input on proposed Moreau biochar facility
Saratoga Biochar cries foul after Moreau moratorium vote
 
What’s that smell in Schuylkill County?
Schuylkill County, PA (2 Feb 2024) - Residents in the west end of Schuylkill County say they’ve been dealing with a foul smell coming from a mulch supplier producing biosolids. They say they’re concerned about the smell, and the impact spreading biosolids has on the environment, and on their health. Residents are concerned about the odor coming from natural soil products in Tremont, a mulch supplier that produces biosolids. Biosolids are organic materials recycled from sewage.
 
Finalizing PFAS Detection Methods, EPA Moves Closer to Locating and Limiting Further PFAS Releases and Requiring Their Cleanup
Washington, DC (9 Feb 2024) - EPA’s plans to investigate – and eventually establish limits on and liability for – PFAS in wastewater discharges and biosolids crossed a significant milestone on January 31, 2024, with the completion of two new analytical methods to detect these ubiquitous contaminants. The most significant of the two is Method 1633, which provides a standardized quantitative method for laboratories to detect 40 different PFAS compounds, at very low levels, in wastewater, surface water, groundwater, soil, biosolids, sediment, landfill leachate, and fish tissue. Method 1621 is a low-cost screening method for the presence of fluorine-containing organic compounds, which could lead to use of the more sensitive Method 1633 to further characterize any PFAS in the sample. 
 
How Sewage Sludge Carries Toxic PFAS from Toilet to Table
Washington, DC (8 Feb 2024) - A few years ago, state testing at dozens of Maine farms uncovered alarming levels of toxic PFAS contamination. These forever chemicals were in the soil and water, crops and animals. Farms throughout the state were forced to shutter or cull their herds. While some farms have recovered, others have not. Some farmers have tested themselves and their families, finding high levels of PFAS contamination in their bodies. The main culprit: sewage sludge, the leftovers from treating wastewater. In many states, it’s common practice — and even encouraged by state officials — for farmers to spread sludge on their fields as fertilizer. 
 
Casella sues Town of Thurston to kill local law banning the spread of sewage sludge on fields
Thurston, NY (19 Feb 2024) - A unit of Casella Waste Systems Inc. filed suit late yesterday against the Town of Thurston to try to block enforcement of a new local law that bans the spread of municipal sewage sludge on certain Steuben County fields. The Vermont-based company that operates landfills and composting facilities across New York and New England alleges that Thurston’s law violates the state’s Right to Farm law as well as state solid waste policy. The suit asks a Steuben County Supreme Court judge to invalidate the law and prevent it from being enforced.
 
City to enter into $50 million contract for private management of Back River biosolids
Baltimore, MD (16 Feb 2024) - On the eve of the second anniversary of the state’s temporary takeover of the Back River sewage plant in 2022, Baltimore City is calling on a private company to manage its key facilities.
The so-far-unannounced, no-bid contract with Operations Management International (OMI) will start at $50 million and could increase to $100 million over an eight-year period.
Scott administration entered into secret contracts to operate the Back River sewer plant with private consultants
 
Nationally
Getting Ready: How York is fighting back against forever PFAS chemicals
Portsmouth, NH (30 Jan 2024) - Last fall, The York Weekly reported that the York Sewer District is suing Dupont and other chemical companies because the PFAS they manufacture contaminates the biosolids removed from the town's wastewater. Disposing of this sludge is more expensive because of a 2022 Maine law that bans spreading it as fertilizer on farmlands. Now, rather than recycling the nutrient-rich biosolids in the soil, the sludge must be sent to landfills, which has doubled the cost of its disposal. The sewer district wants those responsible to pay, not its customers.
 
City of Ashland moves to reduce sewer expenses; Plans for a more sustainable practice
Ashland, MO (31 Jan 2024) - On Jan. 16, 2024, the Ashland Board of Aldermen unanimously approved the purchase of a dump trailer to enable the sanitary sewer division to haul biosolids from the city’s wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) to the Columbia landfill for disposal. Biosolids are a sewage byproduct that has undergone treatment to reduce pathogens (dnr.mo.gov). Furthermore, Creel says the city has also applied for a wastewater discharge permit renewal through the Department of Natural Resources that will allow Ashland to begin biosolid land applications.
 
How the weird and wonderful microbes in wastewater can make our cities more sustainable
Waltham, MA (31 Jan 2024) - We also need sources of renewable energy. Thanks to naturally occurring microbes, our water utilities can produce renewable biogas from human waste. By reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, their poo biogas can help to mitigate climate change. So we need to learn more about these microbes to ensure they are doing the best possible job of processing our waste. One way of doing that is by monitoring DNA in human waste sludge.
 
Sewage burning? Yes, it’s a thing in Western Washington
Seattle, WA (3 Feb 2024) - Four cities in Western Washington burn their sewage sludge: Anacortes, Bellingham, Lynnwood, and Vancouver, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA announced Wednesday that Lynnwood was paying a $550,259 fine for air pollution from its sewage incinerator. Lynnwood officials say a pollution scrubber at the city’s wastewater treatment plant didn’t always work as planned, a frustrating experience for its plant operators. To comply with the federal Clean Air Act, the city of Lynnwood plans to stop burning sewage sludge by May 31.
 
Study tracks emerging contaminants from landfill to treatment plant to application
Champaign, IL (6 Feb 2024) - Treatment plants can effectively remove microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from wastewater before they’re discharged to lakes and rivers, but large amounts of contaminants end up in solid waste, called biosolids, often used on agricultural fields as soil nutrients. By land applying this material, these contaminants then are re-released back into the environment.  In a recent study published in an Illinois Sustainable Technology Center report, John Scott, analytical chemist at ISTC in the University of Illinois, studied the fate of microplastics and PFAS as they moved from landfill leachate, or water that filters though the mound of trash, to wastewater treatment plants and beyond. 
 
Oregon biosolids fertilizer study anticipates federal action
Salem, OR (12 Feb 2024) - Lawmakers are taking another look at funding a study of so-called “forever chemicals” on Oregon farmland fertilized with treated sewage after a similar proposal failed last year. Supporters say the analysis is needed to ensure Oregon’s particular situation is taken into account as federal regulators increase their oversight of PFAS chemicals in biosolids used as fertilizer.
 
Studies look into exposure and mental impact of PFAS
Fairfield, ME (15 Feb 2024) - It's been called a "slow-motion" disaster. Contamination from toxic chemicals known as PFAS seeped into the water supply of hundreds of farms and properties across Maine. The source was wastewater sludge trucked to farms and spread as fertilizer for decades. Now, two doctors are taking a deeper look at Mainers dealing with the emotional toll caused by the ongoing crisis to provide better health monitoring and mental health support in the future.
 
Watershed council digs into potential Spring Creek contamination
Lewistown, MT (15 Feb 2024) - The Big Spring Creek Watershed Council continues to seek the cause of possible contamination in the section of Big Spring Creek that runs past the Berg Lumber property north of Lewistown. During a regular meeting Monday, Feb. 12, the council took steps to investigate two potential sources of possible pollution into the creek. Outgoing Public Works Director for the City of Lewistown Matt Hays told the group biosolids (solid, nutrient-rich products of the water treatment process frequently used as fertilizer) from the city’s wastewater treatment plant, which sits upstream from the Berg Lumber property, may be contaminating the creek.
 
Safe fertilizer? Critics say human waste and industrial sludge poisoning farmland
Blount County, AL (19 Feb 2024) - It's become a fierce debate across the country and here in Alabama. The so called sewer sludge which is human and industrial waste that's being sprayed or dumped on farmland is causing more controversy. Companies promote it as a cheap fertilizer. Government regulators use cleaner terms like biosolids approved for land applications to describe it.
 
Grandview residents file suit against biosolids company
Grandview, TX (19 Feb 2024) - Five Grandview residents claim health, animal and property damages in a suit against a biosolids company. The plaintiffs, owners of two Grandview properties, filed suit against Synagro Technologies Thursday in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County in Maryland. "Plaintiff's farms were poisoned by toxic chemicals in a biosolids-based fertilizer produced and marketed by Synagro when a neighboring farmer spread it on his crops," according to the court filing.
PFAS in biosolids prompt lawsuits
 
Officials call for action against carcinogenic farming sludge: ‘It’s dangerous that we’re not taking this more seriously’
Columbia, SC (23 Feb 2024) - Long billed as a cheap fertilizer and irrigant, sludge may, in fact, pose devastating health risks. In July, The State, based in Columbia, South Carolina, published an investigation that linked the substance to toxic “forever chemicals” in waterways. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control examined bodies of water for three years and revealed two-thirds of tests contained “one or both of the most common types of forever chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, at levels above a proposed federal standard,” The State reported, noting 350 public wells and 18 surface water intake pipes were within a couple of miles of sludge sites.
 
Report: record levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in NE Tennessee sewage sludge used as crop fertilizer
Bristol, TN (26 Feb 2024) - Processed sewage sludge from a Bristol, Tenn. wastewater plant contains among the highest levels of so-called forever chemical contamination detected in the U.S., according to a report released today by Sierra Club Tennessee.The treated wastewater, discharged in local waterways, poses risks not only to drinking water, but to farmland across Sullivan County — and the resulting harvests that wind up on family dinner tables in Tennessee and beyond.
 
Internationally
Worthy alternative: A new field experiment shows that fertiliser derived from faecal sludge can improve crop yields
New Delhi, India (30 Jan 2024) - India has constructed over 100 million household toilets under its Swachh Bharat Mission in recent years. While this has improved the country’s overall sanitation levels, it has thrown open the challenge of handling vast amounts of faecal sludge, the mixture of human excreta and water. One of the solutions lies in separating the solid and liquid components and treating them separately. The liquid can be decontaminated and used for irrigation and toilet flushing. The solid can be composted and pasteurised to make biosolids and used as organic fertiliser.
 
Europe's Wastewater Measure to Apply 'Polluter Pays' Fee for Microplastics, PFAS
Carol Stream, IL (31 Jan 2024) - On Jan. 29, 2024, the European Commission (EC) announced a provisional agreement between the European Parliament and the Council revising the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Per the EC, the revised directive will "substantially strengthen the protection of human health and the environment from harmful discharges of urban wastewater" and lead to cleaner rivers, lakes, groundwater and seas all around Europe.
 
Wastewater plant stench gets even worse
Christchurch, New Zealand (1 Feb 2024) - Monitoring at the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant shows the foul stench wafting from the facility has become even worse over the past few days. Christchurch City Council said on Wednesday the finding has been backed up by its monitoring stations beyond the boundary of the Bromley plant. An investigation identified the odour was coming from the primary settlement tanks, which process wastewater before it enters the temporary activated sludge treatment plant, said a city council spokesperson.
 
Biosolids survey material will 'more clearly' acknowledge risks, CRD board says
Capital Regional District, British Columbia, Canada (2 Feb 2024) - Information provided to the public about biosolids as part of a consultation process will “more clearly” acknowledge the health and environmental risks of biosolid uses “if not properly managed.” That’s what the Capital Regional District board decided after a survey put together by staff and a consultant came under fire this month from some environmental groups and board directors.
Virtual open house Tuesday for public input on future of biosolids in the capital region
 
Evidence of PFAS (aka 'forever chemicals') found in 29 sewerage plants across Tasmania
Tazmania, Australia (6 Feb 2024) - Following a Right to Information (RTI) request by Friends of the Earth (FOE), the Tasmanian water authority revealed that PFAS chemicals were found in almost all samples taken from 29 Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) around the state. The environmental organisation’s Australian branch received the information in December, which was obtained by TasWater’s study on the group of more than 4000 chemicals representing per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
 
Sustainable process turns sewage sludge into high-value activated carbon
Cordoba, Spain (7 Feb 2024) - Researchers have developed a simplified, sustainable method of converting sewage sludge from wastewater treatment into high-value activated carbon that can be used in a wide range of industrial and residential applications. Researchers from the University of Córdoba, Spain, have developed a sustainable, simplified way of converting sewage sludge into high-value activated carbon.
 
Recycled Food Waste: Unseen Contaminants and the Fungi Solution
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong (9 Feb 2024) - In an era where sustainability is at the forefront of global conversations, recycling food waste is a significant step towards a greener planet. However, recent research from the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) has brought a new dimension to this conversation, revealing a potential risk associated with recycled food waste. It appears that this waste may be contaminated with pharmaceutical residues, posing a risk to soil and water ecosystems. This discovery was made by NIBIO researcher Astrid Solvåg Nesse, who found that biogas digestate from food waste contained almost as much pharmaceutical residues as digestate from sewage sludge.
 
Australians are washing microplastics down the drain and it’s ending up on our farms
Waltham, MA (15 Feb 2024) - Australian wastewater treatment plants produce thousands of tonnes of treated sewage sludge every year. This nutrient-rich material is then dried to make “biosolids”, which are used to fertilise agricultural soil. Unfortunately every kilogram of biosolids also contains thousands of tiny pieces of plastic. These pieces are so small they can only be seen under a microscope, so they’re called microplastics.
 
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