Are nutrients found in biosolids contributing to the decline in the Chesapeake Bay?
Urban wastewater plants reclaim the nutrients from sewage, thereby preventing their discharge into Virginia streams and rivers. When applied to farmland, the nutrients in biosolids—primarily nitrogen and phosphorus—replace the nutrients from the commercial fertilizer farmers would otherwise use. When managed and applied correctly using best management practices, biosolids nutrients pose no more risk to the environment than the other types of nutrients that farmers use. Moreover, the use of biosolids on farmland closes a recycling loop begun when farm products are shipped to urban areas.
