PROBLEM OCH RISKER VID ANVÄNDNING AV SLAM I JORDBRUKET / Problems and Risks in Agricultural Sludge Use
Sewage sludge is in most cases not accepted as a fertilizer in agriculture. The reason is a concern for eventual environmental effects due to the presence of environmentally hazardous substances in sludge. Use of sludge in agriculture will not lead to environmental effects. A risk analysis shows this. Consequently, there are no environmentally hazardous substances in sludge. There is though a presence of unnecessary substances. Concerning heavy metals sludge can continously be used for thousand years without any problem. At the same time the world reserves of most heavy metals are expected to be used up within a number of decades. The concern within sludge use in agriculture is not based on facts. The problem is a general lack of knowledge in the society. This lack of knowledge in combination with that the only information which have reached the public is that there is a presence of environmentally hazardous substances in sludge are the main reasons to the existing concern. One problem is that there are many interests, which want to emphasize a presence of environmentally hazardous substances in sludge.