Hazards of Biosolids Presentation

Biosolids, also known as sludge, are the dried residues of: surface water run off, hospital, factory and commercial wastes combined with organic matter as well as a mixture of petroleum residues, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, viruses, spores and dangerous bacteria's.

Studies have shown that residents living within approximately 1 kilometer ( 1.6 miles) of land application sites have been affected. They generally complain of irritation of skin rashes and burning of the eyes, throat, and lungs, as well as, nose bleeds, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, flu like symptoms and diarrhea, after exposure to aerosol particles caused by winds blowing from treated sludge fields. A prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus infections of the skin and respiratory tract have been found. Approximately 1 in 4 of 54 individuals studied were infected and this also included 2 mortalities (septicemia, pneumonia). Scientists have tested waste water treatment and found over 80 viruses in it that are not able to be removed or killed by treatment in the waste water plants. EPA guidelines only test for 9 heavy metals when there are over 500 in sludge. The 503 guidelines from EPA were established over 20 years ago from which less substances were actually in wastewater treatment. The wide array of pharmaceuticals, steroids and hormones in the EPA report, indicates that the sewage treatment process does not degrade these organic chemicals effectively and leaves large deposits in sewage sludge.

Farmers and landowners seem to be unaware of the toxicity of sludge. The heavy metals, chemicals, deadly Micro organisms and pollutants in sludge, are destroying our farmlands as well as our ground water, streams, rivers, lakes and ponds. The crops that these farmers are producing are absorbing these toxins. Consequently, they are given to farm animals and are entering into our food chain from which we are being poisoned. These pollutants are showing up in the meats we eat and the milk we drink, as well as the crops that we are consuming.

New understanding about the movement of contaminants (both chemicals and pathogenic organisms) through soils into groundwater has been developed in recent years. This includes information showing that contaminants may “piggy-back” on other chemicals that move in water (a termed called “facilitated transport”). Thus a chemical which by itself is relatively immobile in soils (such as many metals), can move rapidly through soils when other chemicals are present (such as organic matter in biosolids). Current guidelines now in placed are inadequate to prevent water pollution.

Children and seniors as well as those who have autoimmune diseases or have been treated with chemotherapy and radiation are more susceptible to these deadly micro organisms and pollutants in biosolids. This sludge is supposed to be checked and monitored but it is not being done nor is there any verification that these deadly Micro organisms are being killed or the other components in sludge are even documented. Landowners are purposely being kept in the dark about what is being applied on their lands.

The land permits in Louisa county are close to 17,000 acres of land that these biosolids are going to be applied. Almost every citizen in our county will be affected by these applications.