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Land Application of Biosolids in Europe: Possibilities, Con-Straints and Future Perspectives
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This review examines how sewage sludge, or biosolids, is used as agricultural fertilizer across European countries and the regulations governing this practice. While biosolids provide valuable nutrients like phosphorus, the study highlights concerns about contaminants including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals that could enter soil and food chains through land application.
The agricultural use of good quality sludge represents a value-added route to ensure growth sustainability in Europe, where raw material availability, for example, for phosphorus, is insufficient to meet demand. However, the possible presence of pathogens, pharmaceuticals and heavy metals requires specific regulations to minimize sludge-related health issues and environmental risks. The current regulation on sludge agricultural use applied by many EU countries is here presented and compared, highlighting scarce harmonization of the legislative framework among Member States. Actual issues, such as the fate of emerging micropollutants and microplastics in sludge-amended soils, and public health concerns regarding sludge spreading during the COVID-19 epidemic, are considered, too.
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Sewage Sludge in Agricultural Lands. The Legislative Framework in EU-28
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This review examines the legislative framework across EU member states for using sewage sludge as agricultural fertilizer. While sludge provides valuable nutrients and organic matter, researchers found it can also contain contaminants including microplastics, heavy metals, and pathogens. The study highlights the need for updated regulations that account for emerging pollutants like microplastics to better protect soil health and food safety.
A review on the fate and effects of contaminants in biosolids applied on land: Hazards and government regulatory policies
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This review examines the contaminants, including microplastics and persistent organic pollutants, that remain in treated sewage sludge (biosolids) when it is applied to farmland as fertilizer. These pollutants can accumulate in soil and potentially enter crops and groundwater, creating exposure pathways to humans. The authors argue that current government regulations on biosolid use, particularly in the US, are outdated and need updating to address emerging contaminants like microplastics.
Biosolids-derived fertilisers: A review of challenges and opportunities
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This review examines the use of treated sewage sludge (biosolids) as farm fertilizer and the concern that it introduces microplastics and persistent organic contaminants into agricultural soil. While biosolids provide valuable nutrients for crops, the microplastics they contain can accumulate in soil over time and potentially enter the food chain. The authors discuss thermal processing and nutrient recovery technologies that could help remove contaminants while preserving the fertilizer value of biosolids.
Sewage Sludge in Agricultural Lands: The Legislative Framework in EU-28
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This study examines how European Union member states regulate the use of sewage sludge in agriculture, finding significant inconsistencies in permissible heavy metal limits and a near-total absence of regulations for emerging contaminants like microplastics and pharmaceuticals. The core EU directive governing sewage sludge application has not been substantially updated since 1986. The findings highlight a critical need for harmonized, modernized regulations to protect soil health and food safety across Europe.
Challenges and solutions of municipal biosolids market creation: A critical review
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This review examines the challenges of using municipal biosolids, the nutrient-rich byproduct of wastewater treatment, as agricultural fertilizer. While biosolids help recycle nitrogen and phosphorus back into farmland, emerging contaminants like microplastics and PFAS are raising concerns about their safety. The study highlights the need for updated regulations and innovative treatment technologies to balance resource recovery with environmental and health protection.
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