Lowman Amy, Wing Steve, Crump Carolyn, MacDonald Pia D M, Heaney Chris, Aitken Michael D
Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
J Environ Health. 2011 Jan-Feb;73(6):14-20.
A majority of treated sewage sludge (biosolids) from U.S. wastewater treatment plants is applied to farmland as a soil amendment. Residents living close to treated farmland have reported becoming ill following land application of sludge. No systematic tracking or investigation of these reports or of land application practices that could affect off-site migration of chemical and biological constituents of the sludge has occurred, however. In the study described in this article, the authors conducted a web-based survey and phone interviews with officials at federal, state, and local regulatory and health agencies and municipal wastewater treatment plants for input on how to design and implement an investigation protocol for tracking and responding to reports of human illness near land application sites. Officials expressed a need for and interest in implementing a systematic, standardized investigation protocol and offered insights on aids and barriers to its use and collaboration among diverse agencies. Additional opinions and innovative solutions expressed in this article will assist interested users in the implementation of the investigation protocol.
美国污水处理厂处理后的大部分污泥（生物固体）被用作土壤改良剂施用于农田。居住在经过处理的农田附近的居民报告称，在污泥施用于土地后出现了生病的情况。然而，对于这些报告以及可能影响污泥化学和生物成分场外迁移的土地施用做法，尚未进行系统的跟踪或调查。在本文所述的研究中，作者开展了一项基于网络的调查，并对联邦、州和地方监管及卫生机构以及市政污水处理厂的官员进行了电话访谈，以获取有关如何设计和实施调查方案的意见，该方案用于跟踪和应对土地施用地点附近人类疾病报告。官员们表示需要并有意实施一项系统、标准化的调查方案，并就其使用的辅助手段和障碍以及不同机构之间的合作提供了见解。本文中表达的其他意见和创新解决方案将有助于感兴趣的用户实施该调查方案。
