HYGIENIC ASPECTS OF BIOSOLIDS RE-USE

Land application of biosolids provides agricultural benefits and presents a cost-effective method of sludge disposal following wastewater treatment. However, re-use of this product causes health concerns that must be addressed and satisfied before land application is an accepted practice. Health concerns include pathogen transmission to food or agricultural workers, contamination of ground water or surface water with faecal material from field run-off, and build-up of heavy metals or organic contaminants. However, manures can contain pathogenic microorganisms which creates the potential for the spread of zoonoses from the farm environment into the food chain or aqueous environment. There is little quantitative information on the fate of manure pathogens durin