Removal of sewage sludge to agricultural areas in the Netherlands, 1981-2000
Only a limited proportion of sewage sludge from industrial wastewater treatment plants is still used as fertiliser and/or for soil improvement.
| Nutrients | Metals | |||||||||
| nitrogen | phosphorus | cadmium | chromium | copper | mercury | lead | nickel | zinc | arsenic | |
| as N | as P2O5 | |||||||||
| million kg | 1 000 kg | |||||||||
| 1981 | 3,6 | 3,8 | 0,4 | 10 | 34 | 0,2 | 23 | 2,9 | 106 | 0,4 |
| 1990 | 4,6 | 4,4 | 0,2 | 4,0 | 31 | 0,1 | 14 | 2,0 | 74 | 0,5 |
| 1995 1) | 1,5 | 1,0 | 0,02 | 0,5 | 1,4 | 0 | 0,4 | 0,3 | 4 | 0,1 |
| 1999 1) | 0,9 | 0,7 | 0,06 | 0,5 | 1,1 | 0 | 0,3 | 0,2 | 4 | 0,1 |
| 2000 1) | 1,5 | 1,3 | 0,02 | 0,6 | 1,3 | 0 | 0,5 | 0,3 | 5 | 0,1 |
| 2001 1) | 1,4 | 0,8 | 0,02 | 0,5 | 1,1 | 0 | 0,3 | 0,3 | 4 | 0,1 |
| Source: CBS. | CBS/EDC/May03/0155 | |||||||||
| 1) Only sludge from IWWTPs. | ||||||||||
Policy
On 1 January 1995 the removal of sludge from UWWTPs to agricultural areas was ended following the introduction of the second phase standards of the 'BOOM' decree on the quality and use of other organic fertilisers (LNV/VROM, 1991, 1998, 2001). Only a limited proportion of clean sludge from industrial wastewater treatment plants (IWWTPs) is still used as fertiliser and/or for soil improvement (anti-dust mixture). For details of the quantity of dry matter in the sewage sludge removed,
References
- CBS (2003). Statline. Zuiveringsslib van bedrijven. Statistics Netherlands, Voorburg/Heerlen.
- LNV/VROM (1991). Besluit kwaliteit en gebruik van overige organische meststoffen (BOOM). Bulletin of Acts, Orders and Decrees 1991, 613, The Hague.
- LNV/VROM (1998, 2001). Besluit houdende regels met betrekking tot de kwaliteit en het op of in de bodem brengen van overige organische meststoffen (Besluit kwaliteit en gebruik van overige organische meststoffen (BOOM)). Bulletin of Acts, Orders and Decrees 1998, 391 and Bulletin of Acts, Orders and Decrees 2001, 479, The Hague.
Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium
- Guide to societal developments relating to Actors in the water chain
- Discharges into water and burden on surface water in the Netherlands, 1990, 1995, 1999 and 2000
- Guide to Environmental theme of Eutrophication
Relevant information outside of the Environmental Data Compendium
- More information about the discharge of oxygen-demanding substances and the burden on surface water can be found on Statline (Statistics Netherlands). Information about the regulations for sludge landfill can be found in the Besluit kwaliteit en gebruik van overige organische meststoffen.
