Sewage sludge: ‘all at sea’ no more, just up the proverbial without a comparative risk assessment

Response of intertidal macrofauna to multiple disturbance types and intensities – An experimental approach

“…Increased total biomass Eleftheriou et al (1982), Rowlatt et al (1991), Rees et al (1992b), Rees and Rowlatt (1995), Moore (2003), Kress et al (2004), Elias et al (2005), Rees et al (2006), and Whomersley et al (2007) Fishing Changes in sedimentology and roughness, frequency of sediment plumes, changes in trophic structure, increased scavengers (Asterias rubens), removal of target species, death/ injury of large long lived benthic species (Glycymerus glycymerus) and bioturbating species (Echinocardium cordatum) reduction in biomass, abundance, species number and diversity Hall (1994), Dayton et al (1995), Macdonald et al (1996), Kaiser and Spencer (1996), Brown and Wilson (1997), Jennings and Kaiser (1998), Hansson et al (2000), Lindegarth et al (2000), Jennings et al (2001), Kaiser et al (2001), andDe Biasi (2004) transportation and freshwater and organic inputs (Elliot et al, 1998, Zajac, 2004Fujii, 2007). Common species found inhabiting intertidal mud flats are generally regarded as opportunistic and display more-or-less continual reproductive activity and recruitment through the year (Bagheri and Mclusky, 1982;Lillebo et al, 1999;Rossi, 2003;Bolam, 2004) as opposed to a more episodic, distinctly seasonal pattern.…”

BiosolidsA Fuel or a Waste? An Integrated Appraisal of Five Co-combustion Scenarios with Policy Analysis

“…This paper adopts an integrated approach, examining the environmental impact, energy balance, risks, costs, and sustainability of biosolids' co-combustion with coal, municipal solid waste (MSW), and biomass co-fuels and as a supplementary fuel in other industrial processes (e.g., cement manufacture). While similar approaches have been adopted for wastewater treatment (9,10), this analysis has been historically lacking in biosolids management, although often called for as a prerequisite to project-based environmental assessment (11,12). The aim was to undertake a generic assessment and explore, with data, the complexities of the tradeoffs required and the implications these might have for an improved policy context.…”

Benthic responses to organic enrichment and climatic events in the western North Sea

“…Published studies following the cessation of sewagesludge disposal are limited (see Moore, 2003), but include Rodger et al (1991), and Webster & Campbell (2002) for the Scottish west coast, Shelton (1971) for the outer Thames estuary, south-east England, Birchenough & Frid (in press) and Rees et al (2003) for the present study area o¡ the north-east English coast, and Reid et al (1995) and Hill et al (1996) for the New York Bight. However, given the nature of the activity, important parallels may be drawn with a much larger body of information on the e¡ects of organic enrichment at the seabed arising principally from the pipeline discharge of sewage e¥uent, but also from pulp mill e¥uent, a synthesis of which led to the evolution of the classical 'enrichment' model of Pearson & Rosenberg (1978) for the responses of benthic communities.…”

“…Swanson et al (2004) reached a similar conclusion from a review of the consequences of sewage-sludge disposal to the New York Bight area, relative to alternative landbased policy options. Thus, while noting that the costb ene¢t issue was now an academic one following the earlier US ban on sea disposal of sewage sludge (and, similarly, for European waters: see also Moore, 2003), the authors concluded that the ¢ndings may still have relevance in a global context in response to increasing pressures to upgrade sewage treatment facilities, leading to corresponding increases in sludge generation.…”