Editing Sewage sludge (section)

=== Other hazardous substances ===
Sewage treatment plants receive various forms of hazardous waste from hospitals, nursing homes, industry and households. Low levels of constituents such as [[Polychlorinated biphenyl|PCBs]], [[Polychlorinated dibenzodioxins|dioxin]], and [[brominated]] [[flame retardant]]s, may remain in treated sludge.<ref name="Henry2005">{{cite web |last=Henry |first=Christopher |date=January 2005 |title=Understanding Biosolids |url=http://faculty.washington.edu/clh/understandingbiosolids/Ch7organics.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221223427/http://faculty.washington.edu/clh/understandingbiosolids/Ch7organics.pdf |archive-date=21 February 2012 |access-date=1 June 2017 |website=[[University of Washington]]}}</ref><ref name="BiosolidsUSGS2016">{{cite web |date=16 November 2016 |title=Household Chemicals and Drugs Found in Biosolids from Wastewater Treatment Plants |url=http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/biosolids.html |access-date=1 June 2017 |website=[[United States Geological Survey]]}}</ref> There are potentially thousands of other components of sludge that remain untested/undetected disposed of from modern society that also end up in sludge (pharmaceuticals, nano particles, etc.) which have been proven to be hazardous to both human and ecological health.<ref name="EPA822R08014" />

In 2013, in South Carolina PCBs were discovered in very high levels in wastewater sludge. The problem was not discovered until thousands of acres of farm land in [[South Carolina]] were discovered to be contaminated by this [[hazardous]] material. SCDHEC issued emergency regulatory order banning all PCB laden sewage sludge from being land applied on farm fields or deposited into landfills in South Carolina.<ref name="SCDHECSep2013">{{cite web |last=Plowden |first=Mark |date=25 September 2013 |title=DHEC Issues Emergency Regulation, Expands Investigation into PCBs Found at Water Treatment Plants |url=http://www.scdhec.gov/administration/news/2013/nr20130925-01.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926153115/http://www.scdhec.gov/administration/news/2013/nr20130925-01.htm |archive-date=26 September 2013 |access-date=1 June 2017 |website=[[South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control|SCDHEC]]}}</ref><ref name="SCDHEC4413">{{cite web |date=25 October 2013 |title=Emergency Regulation for Management of Wastewater System Sludge |url=http://www.scdhec.gov/administration/news/docs/PCBEmergencyRegFINAL.pdf |access-date=1 June 2017 |website=[[South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control|SCDHEC]]}}</ref>

Also in 2013, after DHEC request, the city of Charlotte decided to stop land applying sewage sludge in South Carolina while authorities investigated the source of PCB contamination.<ref name="Henderson2014">{{cite web |last=Henderson |first=Bruce |date=14 April 2014 |title=Charlotte PCB cleanup costs to top $1.3 million |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article9112850.html |access-date=1 June 2017 |website=[[The Charlotte Observer]]}}</ref> In February 2014, the city of Charlotte admitted PCBs have entered their sewage treatment centers as well.<ref name="HendersonLyttleBethea2014">{{cite web |last1=Henderson |first1=Bruce |last2=Lyttle |first2=Steve |last3=Bethea |first3=April |date=7 February 2014 |title=Task force named to probe chemical dumping |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article9095525.html |access-date=1 June 2017 |website=[[The Charlotte Observer]]}}</ref>

Contaminants of concern in sewage sludge are plasticizers, PDBEs, [[PFASs]] ("forever chemicals"),<ref>{{cite web |date=26 February 2020 |title=Toxic 'Risk Assessment of Pollutants in Biosolids |url=https://www.epa.gov/biosolids/risk-assessment-pollutants-biosolids |access-date=28 March 2022 |website=EPA}}</ref> 
and others generated by human activities, including personal care products and medicines. Synthetic fibers from fabrics persist in treated sewage sludge as well as in biosolids-treated soils and may thus serve as an indicator of past biosolids application.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zubris |first1=Kimberly Ann V. |last2=Richards |first2=Brian K. |year=2005 |title=Synthetic fibers as an indicator of land application of sludge |journal=Environmental Pollution |volume=138 |issue=2 |pages=201–11 |doi=10.1016/j.envpol.2005.04.013 |pmid=15967553|bibcode=2005EPoll.138..201Z }}</ref>