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Calls for stricter rules on use of sewage sludge on farmland
The Guardian
|July 08, 2025
Millions of tonnes of treated sewage sludge is spread on farmland across the UK every year despite containing microplastics and toxic waste, and experts say the outdated current regulations are not fit for purpose.
An investigation by the Guardian and Watershed has identified England's sludge-spreading hotspots and shown where the practice could be damaging rivers.
Sludge - the solid matter left after sewage treatment - is laden with PFAS "forever chemicals", flame retardants, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, and toxic waste from homes and industry. Water companies rebrand it as biosolids and give or sell it to farmers as a nutrient-rich fertiliser.
About 87% of the UK's 3.6m tonnes of sewage sludge is applied to farmland. The water industry's chemicals investigation programme found hormone-damaging nonylphenols and phthalates, the banned carcinogen PFOS, antibiotics, antimicrobials and anti-corrosion chemicals in every sample from 11 treatment works.
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