Millions of tonnes of toxic sewage sludge are spread across UK farmland every year—loaded with PFAS ‘forever chemicals,’ microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals.
Water companies rebrand this waste as “biosolids” and market it as fertiliser. But under rules dating back to 1989, it’s tested only for a handful of heavy metals, leaving hormone disruptors, banned carcinogens, and antibiotics unchecked.
A new investigation pinpoints 34,000 sludge sites in England, with hotspots in Hampshire, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, and Essex. Meanwhile, scientists warn the UK could be facing Europe’s worst soil microplastic contamination, with up to 42,000 tonnes spread annually.
As one Environment Agency insider put it: “People have seen sewage in rivers—now they need to know what’s going on in their fields and into their food.”
News Credit: The Guardian
Picture Credit: Adrian Arbib/Alamy