DRAFT AMENDMENT OF THE OFFICIAL STANDARDS FOR NORMAL FERTILIZERS 
 
Fertilizers made from sludge produced in the sewage and other treatment processes 
generally have large variations in fertilizer composition, making it difficult to guarantee the main nutrients.
 For this reason, the current Japanese government standard for "Sludge 
fertilizer" does not guarantee the main nutrients. 
On the other hand, among conventional “Sludge fertilizer”, those that have been 
thoroughly quality-controlled will have stable quality, and their main nutrients can be guaranteed. For this reason, the government will establish a new standard for "Microbe phosphate fertilizer" as a fertilizer whose main nutrients can be guaranteed, if they are manufactured in accordance with a quality control plan that has been confirmed in advance by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.   In addition, the government will establish an official standard for the Raw-material 
Specification of "Wastewater treatment active sediment" so that it can be used as a raw material for “Microbe phosphate fertilizer”.  
(Establishment of the Official St andard for the Following Fertilizer) 
Phosphate Fertilizer with three-year -term of validity of registration 
Type of 
fertilizer Minimum content of
 main nutrients (%
) Maximum permissible 
content of toxic sub
stances (%) Other limited 
particulars 
Microbe 
phosphate fertilizer (either of the following fertilizers: 1. Fertilizers made exclusively from the raw material in the requirement 1 of Wastewater Refer to the 
Annexed table X provided that  Total phosphoric acid 
1.0 P
2O5 Arsenic     0.005 As 
Cadmium   0.0005 Cd Mercury    0.0002 Hg Nickel      0.03 Ni Chromium   0.05 Cr Lead       0.01 Pb 1. The fertilizer must 
be manufactured in accordance with a plan confirmed by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to properly analyze and control the components of the fertilizer in order to stabilize the main nutrients of the Microbe phosphate fertilizer. 2. The fertilizer which treatment 
active sediment in the Raw-material Specification. 2. Fertilizers made by mixing the raw material in the requirement 2 of Wastewater treatment active sediment in the Raw-material Specification with animal and vegetable matter materials or dried fertilizers made from this mixture. 3. Fertilizers 
made by depositing or agitating and rotting the raw material in the requirement raw material of 
Wastewater treatment active sediment in the Raw-material Specification is not undergone vegetation experiment must be recognized not to be toxic to plants as a result of undergoing vegetation experiment on toxicity to plants. 3. The fertilizer must use “the certified ingredient” which was confirmed by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to have been produced in processing plants which can’t be contaminated with bovine vertebral column and cattle which didn’t go through slaughter. 1 of 
Wastewater treatment active sediment in the Raw-material Specification or a mixture of such raw material with animal or vegetable material or the raw material in the requirement 2 of Wastewater treatment active sediment in the Raw-material Specification. 4. Fertilizers made exclusively from the raw material in the requirement 2 of Wastewater treatment active sediment in 
the Raw-material Specification.) 
 
(Establishment of the Official Standard for the Raw-materials 
Specification) 
Type of the material Requirements of the material 
Wastewater treatment 
active sediment 1. The following materials, which have been confirmed 
to conform to the criteria in Annexed Table No.1 of the Ministry Ordinance on “Establishment of Criteria Relating to Industrial Wastes Containing Metals, etc.” (Prime Minister's Office Ordinance No. 5 of 1973) and, in the case of being used for the product which is not required the investigation of vegetation experiment on toxicity for plants, have been recognized not to be toxic to plants as a result of the investigation of vegetation experiment on toxicity for plants. (1) Concentrated, digested, dehydrated or dried 
sludge obtained from end-treatment plants of sewerage, treatment plants of excrement, treatment plants of village draining, septic tanks, or draining treatment plants of factories or places of production. 
(2) Excrement mixed with coagulating agent or animal 
excrement mixed with coagulating agent or deodorant agent, or such excrement dehydrated or dried. 
2. Ashes obtained by calcination of materials listed in 1 
above or calcination of materials listed in 1 above mixed with raw materials of plant or animal, which have been recognized not to be toxic to plants as a result of the investigation of vegetation experiment on toxicity for plants in the case of being used for the product which is not required the investigation of vegetation experiment on toxicity for plants 
 Annexed table X 
1. (1) For a fertilizer with guaranteed total nitrogen: 
       T otal nitrogen   1.0  N 
(2)For a fertilizer with guaranteed ammoniacal nitrogen:       
Ammoniacal nitrogen   1.0   N 
(3) For a fertilizer with guaranteed nitrate nitrogen: 
Nitrate nitrogen    1.0   N 
2. (1) For a fertilizer with guaranteed total phosphoric acid:                
Total phosphoric acid   1.0   P 2O5 
(2) For a fertilizer with guaranteed citric acid-soluble phosphoric acid: 
Citric acid-soluble phosphoric acid   1.0   P 2O5 
(3) For a fertilizer with guaranteed citrate-soluble phosphoric acid: 
Citrate-soluble phosphoric acid    1.0   P 2O5 
(4) For a fertilizer with guaranteed water-soluble phosphoric acid: 
Water-soluble phosphoric acid   1.0   P 2O5 
3. (1) For a fertilizer with guaranteed total potassium: 
Total potassium   1.0   K 2O 
(2) For a fertilizer with guaranteed citric acid-soluble potassium: 
Citric acid-soluble potassium    1.0   K 2O 
(3) For a fertilizer with guaranteed water-soluble potassium: 
Water-soluble potassium   1.0   K 2O 
4.For a fertilizer with guaranteed alkalinity:  Alkalinity  
5.0   CaO or CaO+MgO 
5. (1) For a fertilizer with guaranteed acid-soluble calcium: 
Acid-soluble calcium   1.0   CaO 
(2) For a fertilizer with guaranteed citric acid-soluble calcium: 
Citric acid-soluble calcium   1.0   CaO 
(3) For a fertilizer with guaranteed water-soluble calcium:  
Water-soluble calcium    1.0   CaO 
6.(1) For a fertilizer with guaranteed acid-soluble silicic acid: 
Acid-soluble silicic acid    5.0   SiO 2 
(2) For a fertilizer with guaranteed water-soluble silicic acid 
Water-soluble silicic acid   5.0   SiO 2 
7.(1) For a fertilizer with guaranteed acid-soluble magnesium: 
Acid-soluble   magnesium   1.0   MgO 
(2) For a fertilizer with guaranteed citric acid-soluble magnesium: 
Citric acid-soluble magnesium   1.0   MgO (3) For a fertilizer with guaranteed water-soluble magnesium: 
Water-soluble magnesium   1.0   MgO 
8. (1) For a fertilizer with guaranteed acid-soluble manganese: 
Acid-soluble manganese   0.10   MnO 
(2) For a fertilizer with guaranteed citric acid-soluble manganese: 
Citric acid-soluble manganese   0.10   MnO 
(3) For a fertilizer with guaranteed water-soluble manganese: 
Water-soluble manganese   0.10   MnO 
9. (1) For a fertilizer with guaranteed citric acid-soluble boron: 
Citric acid-soluble boron   0.05   B 2O3 
(2) For a fertilizer with guaranteed water-soluble boron: 
Water-soluble boron   0.05   B 2O3 
10. For a fertilizer with guaranteed acid-soluble sulfur:  
Acid-soluble sulfur   1.0    SO 4