Mysterious Infections Linked to Sewage Sludge Disposal Practices
The National Whistleblower Center
3238 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Contact: Stephen M. Kohn 202 342 6980
Mary Jane Wilmoth 202 342 1902
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mysterious Infections Linked to Sewage Sludge Disposal Practices
Article published in British medical journal blames mixtures of toxic chemicals and pathogens in processed sewage sludge for unusual infections among residents living in rural areas follows National Academy of Sciences Report warning that chemical/pathogen mixtures may have unexpected effects on public health
WASHINGTON, DC July 8, 2002
In a study of residents living near agricultural areas throughout the U.S. and Canada where sewage sludge is used as a cheap fertilizer, EPA microbiologist David Lewis found unexplained infections among families complaining of burning eyes, burning lungs, skin rashes and other symptoms of chemical irritation.
The study is the first to document sludge-related illnesses among residents. It was published by the British medical journal (BMC-Public Health) and will be available to physicians online this week through PubMed. The study was co-authored by researchers at the University of Georgia and a pediatrician treating sludge-exposed children in Menifee, California.
"Families complaining of skin and respiratory irritation from exposure to sewage sludge are often plagued with infections," according to Lewis, lead author of the study.
"Most of the infections we studied were caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. But some infections couldnt be identified by standard tests."
In Menifee, CA, for example, Tina Childers has lived next to sludged fields for two years and suffers from recurrent S. aureus infections inside her nose and mouth. Earlier this year, her husband Billy was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery to deal with a different type of staph (Staphylococcus epidermitis) that developed two days after a minor surgical incision was contaminated with soil blowing from the sludge field.
The Childers' 5-yr-old daughter Autumn hasnt been so fortunate. She spends much of her time getting respiratory therapy and antibiotics for infections that doctors haven't yet been able to identify. Everything from tonsillectomy and removal of her adenoids, to injections of the powerful antibiotic rocephrine, have failed to stop the infections. The only time the family seems to get over their bouts of infections is when is they get away from the area. Her doctor, a co-author of the study, has urged the Childers to move.
Two Pennsylvania children included in the first-of-its-kind study died of Staph aureus infections. One was 11-yr-old Tony Behun, who rode his bike through freshly applied sludge and the other, Danny Pennock, was a 16-yr-old who often hunted on sludge-treated fields.
"EPA didnt consider Staph aureus to be a significant public health risk even though its a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and is commonly found in sewage," Lewis said.
"When approving the sludge rule, EPA looked at chemical and pathogen risks separately without considering that certain chemicals could increase risks of infection." Chemicals such as lime, Lewis says, added during processing sludge, can irritate the skin and respiratory tract and make people more susceptible to infection. The American Chemical Society published a second article by Lewis on pathogen risks from sludge in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Last week, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the EPA failed to properly address public health risks from using processed sewage sludge, known as biosolids, as a commercial fertilizer. Approximately 60% of an estimated 5.6 million tons of dry sludge are used or disposed of annually in the United States.
The NAS report entitled "Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices" cites growing allegations that exposure to Class B sludge, the most common form, is causing illnesses and sporadic deaths among residents. The report concludes that EPA has failed to properly respond to concerns about pathogens raised in an earlier NAS report published in 1996. Certain types of exposure, such as inhalation of sludge particles, "were not adequately evaluated by the EPA" and no work has been done on risks from mixtures of pathogens and chemicals found in sludge, the NAS study states.
"The EPA misled the public on sewage sludge safety and now private industry is very vulnerable to toxic tort lawsuits," said Stephen M. Kohn, NWC Chairman of the Board and attorney for David Lewis. "In order to protect small property owners who accept sewage sludge from inadvertently harming the public, EPA should immediately suspend all dumping permits for Class B sludge until the agency conducts the necessary research and ensures that a revised rule is safe," Kohn added.
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Dr. Lewiss research article on illnesses and deaths among residents exposed to sewage sludge, which is the first to document such cases in the medical literature, can be accessed from the BMC-Public Health web site: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/2/11/qc
Dr. Lewiss July 1, 2002 feature article, "Pathogen Risks from Applying Sewage Sludge to Land," can be accessed from the American Chemical Societys web site:
http://pubs.acs.org/journals/esthag/index_magazine.html
High-resolution color photographs from Dr. Lewiss research on sludge can be downloaded for free from the University of Georgia web site as follows:
Go to http://photo.alumni.uga.edu/photohome.htm Search for "David Lewis" Enter user "NEWS" and password "UGAPHOTO"
National Academy of Sciences Report: Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices (7-2-02)http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084865/html/
Additional contacts: Billy and Tina Childers (Suffering from staph infections, daughter Autumn has unexplained infections that dont respond well to antibiotics)
909 679 1582 Tinas cell phone: 909 816 1055
Russell & Antoinette Pennock (son Danny died of Staph aureus infection, seven other individuals living in or regularly visiting household developed staph infections)
Tele. 610 589 5152
Joe Behun (Father of Tony Behun, who died of staph infection after riding bike though fields of sludge)
Tele. (814) 378 5123
Ellen Harrison (Director of Cornell Waste Management Institute, member of NAS sludge panel)
Tele. 607 255 8576
The National Whistleblower Center
3238 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Contact: Stephen M. Kohn 202 342 6980
Mary Jane Wilmoth 202 342 1902
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mysterious Infections Linked to Sewage Sludge Disposal Practices
Article published in British medical journal blames mixtures of toxic chemicals and pathogens in processed sewage sludge for unusual infections among residents living in rural areas follows National Academy of Sciences Report warning that chemical/pathogen mixtures may have unexpected effects on public health
WASHINGTON, DC July 8, 2002
In a study of residents living near agricultural areas throughout the U.S. and Canada where sewage sludge is used as a cheap fertilizer, EPA microbiologist David Lewis found unexplained infections among families complaining of burning eyes, burning lungs, skin rashes and other symptoms of chemical irritation.
The study is the first to document sludge-related illnesses among residents. It was published by the British medical journal (BMC-Public Health) and will be available to physicians online this week through PubMed. The study was co-authored by researchers at the University of Georgia and a pediatrician treating sludge-exposed children in Menifee, California.
"Families complaining of skin and respiratory irritation from exposure to sewage sludge are often plagued with infections," according to Lewis, lead author of the study.
"Most of the infections we studied were caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections. But some infections couldnt be identified by standard tests."
In Menifee, CA, for example, Tina Childers has lived next to sludged fields for two years and suffers from recurrent S. aureus infections inside her nose and mouth. Earlier this year, her husband Billy was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery to deal with a different type of staph (Staphylococcus epidermitis) that developed two days after a minor surgical incision was contaminated with soil blowing from the sludge field.
The Childers' 5-yr-old daughter Autumn hasnt been so fortunate. She spends much of her time getting respiratory therapy and antibiotics for infections that doctors haven't yet been able to identify. Everything from tonsillectomy and removal of her adenoids, to injections of the powerful antibiotic rocephrine, have failed to stop the infections. The only time the family seems to get over their bouts of infections is when is they get away from the area. Her doctor, a co-author of the study, has urged the Childers to move.
Two Pennsylvania children included in the first-of-its-kind study died of Staph aureus infections. One was 11-yr-old Tony Behun, who rode his bike through freshly applied sludge and the other, Danny Pennock, was a 16-yr-old who often hunted on sludge-treated fields.
"EPA didnt consider Staph aureus to be a significant public health risk even though its a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and is commonly found in sewage," Lewis said.
"When approving the sludge rule, EPA looked at chemical and pathogen risks separately without considering that certain chemicals could increase risks of infection." Chemicals such as lime, Lewis says, added during processing sludge, can irritate the skin and respiratory tract and make people more susceptible to infection. The American Chemical Society published a second article by Lewis on pathogen risks from sludge in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Last week, the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the EPA failed to properly address public health risks from using processed sewage sludge, known as biosolids, as a commercial fertilizer. Approximately 60% of an estimated 5.6 million tons of dry sludge are used or disposed of annually in the United States.
The NAS report entitled "Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices" cites growing allegations that exposure to Class B sludge, the most common form, is causing illnesses and sporadic deaths among residents. The report concludes that EPA has failed to properly respond to concerns about pathogens raised in an earlier NAS report published in 1996. Certain types of exposure, such as inhalation of sludge particles, "were not adequately evaluated by the EPA" and no work has been done on risks from mixtures of pathogens and chemicals found in sludge, the NAS study states.
"The EPA misled the public on sewage sludge safety and now private industry is very vulnerable to toxic tort lawsuits," said Stephen M. Kohn, NWC Chairman of the Board and attorney for David Lewis. "In order to protect small property owners who accept sewage sludge from inadvertently harming the public, EPA should immediately suspend all dumping permits for Class B sludge until the agency conducts the necessary research and ensures that a revised rule is safe," Kohn added.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Lewiss research article on illnesses and deaths among residents exposed to sewage sludge, which is the first to document such cases in the medical literature, can be accessed from the BMC-Public Health web site: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/2/11/qc
Dr. Lewiss July 1, 2002 feature article, "Pathogen Risks from Applying Sewage Sludge to Land," can be accessed from the American Chemical Societys web site:
http://pubs.acs.org/journals/esthag/index_magazine.html
High-resolution color photographs from Dr. Lewiss research on sludge can be downloaded for free from the University of Georgia web site as follows:
Go to http://photo.alumni.uga.edu/photohome.htm Search for "David Lewis" Enter user "NEWS" and password "UGAPHOTO"
National Academy of Sciences Report: Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices (7-2-02)http://www.nap.edu/books/0309084865/html/
Additional contacts: Billy and Tina Childers (Suffering from staph infections, daughter Autumn has unexplained infections that dont respond well to antibiotics)
909 679 1582 Tinas cell phone: 909 816 1055
Russell & Antoinette Pennock (son Danny died of Staph aureus infection, seven other individuals living in or regularly visiting household developed staph infections)
Tele. 610 589 5152
Joe Behun (Father of Tony Behun, who died of staph infection after riding bike though fields of sludge)
Tele. (814) 378 5123
Ellen Harrison (Director of Cornell Waste Management Institute, member of NAS sludge panel)
Tele. 607 255 8576
posted by Sludge at 5:21 AM
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