Dear fellow gardeners,
Welcome to springtime in the Pacific Northwest. It is the time of year to buy our favorite seeds and potting soil and think about how we are going to arrange our flower beds and gardens. With that in mind, I found that many potting soils and gardening centers have soil that contains biosolids.
Biosolids is the marketing term that is used to replace the term sewage sludge. Sewage sludge is the solids that are left after the sewage has been treated by a wastewater treatment plant. The treatment plant processes anything that is flushed down the toilet or flushed down a drain system. Sewage sludge contains human and animal feces, pathogens, medical waste, industrial chemicals, forever plastics (PFAS), pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and anything else that someone has placed in the sewage system. The municipal sewage systems remove some but not all the contaminates and whatever is left is placed on farmland, in forests and in soil that can be purchased either in a bag or given away by the truckload.
I personally do not want biosolid products in my garden, flower beds or my powerpots. I do not want my grandkids, pets or my husband and I to be exposed to the unknown dangers that are in biosolid products.
I have called the company that makes the potting soil that I have used for years, and they have assured me that there are no biosolids in those potting soil bags. Please be careful when you purchase your garden supplies and ask what is in the soil bags. Please be careful when you purchase your garden supplies and ask what is in the soil. Many people will tell you that Class A biosolids are just fine. After my husband and I have done extensive research reading articles, calling agencies and visiting with various groups within this state and other states, we totally disagree.
For further information on biosolids we have created a Facebook group called Toledo Citizens Against Bio Sludge. You are welcome to listen to the videos and read the articles that we have posted.
Have a great spring and summer.
Sharon Layton
Retired Nursing Faculty
Lower Columbia College
