Millions of tons are spreading in agricultural lands in agricultural lands throughout the United Kingdom every year despite the fact that it contains chemicals forever, precisely generosity and toxic waste, and experts say that the current outdated regulations are not suitable for the purpose.
The investigation conducted by the trustee and the water gatherings in England has set the hot points in England and showed the place where the practice could be harmful to rivers.
Football – the remaining solid material after treatment of wastewater – loaded with Pfas “Chemicals to Forever”, flame inhibitors, medications, precise plastic, and toxic waste from homes and industry. Water companies are named the brand as vital solid materials and offer them to farmers or sell them as fertilizers rich in nutrients.
It spreads to vast areas under the regulation of light touch and the minimum scrutiny, unwanted for toxic substances.
“It seems that” black gold ” – contains nitrogen and phosphate with valuable soil, said the water industry. “But hidden inside it is fine plastic, PFAS forever chemicalsEndocrine conflicts, medicines and heavy metals. “
About 87 % of the 3.6 -meter sewage sludge in the UK is applied to agricultural lands. “People have seen wastewater in rivers … they need to know the sludge, where they go and so on,” said an unknown environment agency officer.
The program of investigation in the chemical industry in the water industry was found on nunelvol, hormones plays, cancer -causing PFOS, antibiotics, antimicrobials, and anti -corrosion chemicals in each sample tested from 11 treatment actions.
Cardiff and Manchester universities are estimated 31000 to 42,000 tons of fine plastic It is spread in European agricultural lands annually through sludge, as the UK faces the worst pollution.
The rules specified in 1989 require the test only for some heavy minerals, and the Elasta says they are “inappropriate for the purpose.”
The investigation has identified about 34,000 registered sites in England where sludge is stored, usually before spreading to the same location or in a nearby field, although it can be transferred sometimes long distances. Among them, about 33,000 sites are defined as agricultural land.
In 2023 alone, more than 768,000 tons of dry solid materials spread on 152,000 hectares. The numbers are constantly decreased between 715,000 and 800,000 tons.
Some provinces are more affected than others: in Hampshire, Lincolnchy, north of Yorkshire and Acex, the largest number of sites, with 6371 between them.
The spread of sludge is subject to waste exemptions, allowing companies to store or apply waste on the ground without an environmental permit, provided that certain conditions such as avoiding great risks to water, soil, air, or wildlife are met. But enforcement is weak. “No one is checking. No one cares,” one said EA Insider.
One of the EA employees explained that the toxicity of the sludge depends on local sources: “It is possible that anywhere with an industrial real estate is more polluted by a rural area.”
Industrial waste, such as the filtration, is often contradictory to sewage works, mixed with local waste, and the resulting sludge is spread in the same rules as any biological insulation.
Polluted fields become silent sources of pollution. Even unpleasant sludge can be a problem if mismanaged. When a lot of nutrients reach rivers, they nourish algae flowers that prevent sunlight and starve the water life of the oxygen – a process called catastrophic.
The investigation found that one in every 20 sites for storing sludge in England is 100 meters from the river, and 1277 sites 500 meters from the water classified as Eutrophic by EA.
The investigation found that 73 % of all sludge sites – 23,844 – are within the weak areas of nitrate (NVZS), where strict rules apply due to pollution risk. In England, it does not meet any rivers of chemical standards and only 14 % meet environmental standards.
The spread of sludge in Wales and Scotland also occurs. Almost a quarter of the sludge storage sites in Scottish sites that can be determined are inside NVZS. A study from the James Hutton Institute found that fine plastic levels increased by 1450 % after four years of sludge in the north of Lanquachire and remained high after 22 years. In Northern Ireland, most of the sludge is burned.
“Although sludge can be a beneficial fertilizer, it is mixed with chemical pollutants fans. The organization must be strengthened from PFA, BPA and Glyphosate,” said Richard Pinwell, CEO of Wildlife and Crimean Link.
Professor Robert Hug, from the James Hyton Institute, said: “At the present time, sludge will only be examined for minerals and the receiving environment for minerals is verified, but I do not think it is accurately examined,” said Professor Robert Hug, of the James Hyton Institute.
“We all put chemicals down in drainage, and take medications – ends up in sludge and on the ground, and we can enter the food chain.” He said that alternative options – equivalent to the land and burning – have the limits of energy and high costs.
He said: “The cost of removing chemicals from the expensive sludge also … The industry contains a few options.”
A source in the water industry said: “Collections in this industry are not outside the perpetration of evil in the public service for water management. They are only bound by the lack of research and development.”
A Water UK spokesman said that water companies support research and experience new uses for purchasoric, including aviation fuel. “The UK has banned some products with accurate plastic – we need the same thing for PFAs, as well as a national cleaning plan funded by pollutants manufacturers. Border pollutants, which is why we call for coordinated procedures throughout Europe.”
Shobhi Sharma, of Charity Trust, said that the government used a lack of financing as an excuse “for the lack of poisoning of our agricultural lands.” She called for more compact chemical restrictions and a “polluted” model. She said, “France has already provided taxes for PFAs.
EA said that the sludge should not harm the soil or water, and that it imposed strict rules, including through more than 4,500 farm searches last year, which led to more than 6000 procedures to reduce pollution.
The Ministry of Environment, Food and Faithful said that it wants to use safe and sustainable sludge and launched an independent water committee to review the organizational framework in cooperation with EA, farmers and water companies.
