Can the concentrations of toxic metals be eliminated by preventing the discharge of metals into the sewer system?
Even if urine and feces alone were mixed and transported by tap water, the resulting sludge would be high enough in metals to make its use as fertilizer inadvisable. Metals and toxic chemicals from industry (i.e., “point-source” contamination) can–and should–be reduced. Nevertheless, sewage sludge will, by reason of its unpredictability, remain too dangerous to risk using. Furthermore, the metals and chemicals now in commerce are bound to find their way into the sewers systems since sewers provide such convenient and cheap means of disposal. This only adds to the reason why sludge will forever be a high risk substance and therefore useless in a sustainable agriculture.
Related Questions
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- Can the concentrations of toxic metals be eliminated by preventing the discharge of metals into the sewer system?
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