Recycling biosolids on land captures nutrients that would otherwise be lost and maintains the productivity of soil, one of our most vital resources. Biosolids are a valuable resource that can be used productively rather than treated as a waste to be dumped and buried at considerable cost. This issue has been studied by agricultural scientists for decades. Protection of food crops was a major consideration in setting the standards for biosolids that could be used in agriculture. Research and field experience confirms that crops are not negatively affected when the regulations are followed.
King County applies biosolids to wheat, hops, and other crops in eastern Washington.
Scientists from WSU have repeatedly tested the crops fertilized with biosolids and found no differences in quality from those treated with chemical fertilizers. Scientists at the Univ. They have not found any animals that are harmed by this practice. Because biosolids makes vegetation grow faster, animals from deer to mice benefit by having more nutritious food and better habitat. Recently the National Marine Fisheries Service evaluated the county's biosolids program and decided that biosolids application posed no risk to chinook and, in fact, provided an environmental benefit by enhancing forest growth.