Sewage sludge can contain
disease-causing microbes, synthetic chemicals and heavy metals that can
cause acute and chronic disease. Many of these contaminants can persist
in soil for centuries and can enter the food system through crops grown
on sludge-treated land, as well as animals that graze on contaminated
land.
While the major Listeria outbreak in Canada has subsided, two unrelated
recalls still show the possibility of Listeria contamination in foods
north and south of the Canadian border.