We sampled sewage sludge from 13 wastewater treatment plants across three states. We found every resident adds microplastics to farmland, in dried sewage sludge (biosolids) used as fertiliser.
Articles on Biosolids
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We need to pay close attention to the potential impacts that high levels of microplastics might have on environments and find ways to reduce microplastic levels in Canada’s wastewater stream.
New restrictions on PFAS and other potentially hazardous chemicals in Australia present an opportunity for industry to develop alternatives for new, safe and clean products.
We must stop using biosolids for farmlands immediately, especially when alternative ways to recycle wastewater sludge already exist.
The solids from wastewater plants are usually dumped into landfills because they are contaminated with heavy metals. Now there is a way to remove the metals so the waste can be used as fertilizer.
Mining waste rock from historic mines or even treated sewage to find useful metals and minerals could be a sustainable way to meet demand for these finite resources.
Top contributors
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Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
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Research Geochemist—Environment, disasters, and health, U.S. Geological Survey
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Research Physical Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey
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Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
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Professor of Environmental Science, Griffith University
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Associate Professor, School of Engineering, RMIT University
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Lecturer, Griffith University
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Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University
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PhD Candidate in Emerging Technologies Governance, Institue for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
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Senior Research Consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
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Associate Professor, Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University