Taste tests showed that consumers said they disliked the tomatoes grown in sludge. But in blind taste tests, consumers preferred the sludge tomatoes over all other tomatoes. Current research is checking the heavy metal amounts in municipal solid waste. Nickel, zinc, and copper kill plants when present in high levels, plus, cadmium and lead cause health problems in humans. Metals can only be taken up by the plant in the ionic state .
Studies show most metals in solid waste are in the combined state .
Scientists are hopeful that continued research will lower consumer concerns. If testing shows the use of municipal waste is economical and safe, recycling from our landfills and sewage plants will be promising. Recycling must include organics since targeting only inorganics will not adequately reduce the rate at which America is generating trash for landfills. The government officials from Megalopolis have approached the county council about using a large tract of sandy soil for sludge disposal. The materials shipped to the county land will be totally inert.