Spreading of sewage sludge to land - impacts on human health and environment (CR/2016/23): project summary
This is the project summary of the research project undertaken by the James Hutton Institute on the impacts on human health and environment arising from the spreading of sewage sludge to land (CR/2016/23).
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5. Quantitative risk assessment
Table 5‑1 summarises the main findings of the (semi-)quantitative risk assessment. The study suggests that malodour is potentially the highest priority issue to tackle. Reduction in odour exposure should improve well-being in affected communities as well as possibly influencing perceptions of risk.
The other nine risks flagged are all organic and/or pharmaceutical chemical agents. Concentrations of these can be reduced or minimised through process controls, and even under worst-case scenario conditions they pose low risks to receptors. It might be sensible to undertake some monitoring work to keep a watching brief on these agents.
It was not possible to fully assess a number of (high profile) agents including microplastics and anti-microbial resistance. Further data gathering may be required in order to provide a more complete assessment.
| Potentially hazardous agent | Outome | Magnitude of risk (worst case) | Uncertainty | Possible mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malodour | Annoyance | Medium | High |
|
| Nonylphenol | HQ>1 | Low | Medium |
|
| Nonylphenol diethoxylate | HQ>1 | Low | High | |
| PBDE-99 | HQ>1 | Low | Medium |
|
| PBDE-209 | HQ>1 | Low | Medium | |
| Benzothiazole | HQ>1 | Low-Medium | High |
|
| Triclocarban | HQ>1 | Low | Medium |
|
| Cyclomethicone 5 | HQ>1 | Low | Medium |
|
| Cyclomethicone 6 | HQ>1 | Low | Medium | |
| Atenolol | HQ>1 | Low | High – Very High |
|
| Chemical exposures (general) | HQ>1 | Low - Medium | Medium – Very High |
|
ADAS. 2001. The Safe Sludge Matrix: Guidelines for the Application of Sewage Sludge to Agricultural Land. 3rd Edition, ADAS, Gleadthorpes.
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