April 2002

NEW STUDIES CONFIRM LAS SAFETY IN TERRESTRIAL, MARINE ENVIRONMENTS

Eight new studies demonstrating the environmental safety of LAS appear in the latest issue of The CLER Review (Vol. 7, No. 1) the technical journal of the Council for LAB/LAS Environmental Research (CLER).

The studies include a five-part comprehensive terrestrial safety assessment by Danish and other researchers, who conclude that residual levels of LAS in biosolids-amended soils do not pose any significant risk to the environment from typical use of biosolids (sewage sludge) as fertilizer.

Other highlights in the current issue of the Review include:

< Research confirming that LAS biodegrades completely and rapidly (over 75 percent within two months) in biosolids-soil mixtures.

< A study reporting that mixing the biosolids into a compost results in rapid elimination of LAS with a biodegradation half life of 7 to 9 days.

< One of the first studies to consider the safety of LAS in marine environments, using real-world environmental monitoring data to demonstrate that LAS levels in sea water pose low risk to oceanic fish and other organisms that live in the open sea.

“The research results in this edition of The CLER Review are of major importance because they illustrate a new depth and breadth of understanding of the terrestrial environment and the safety of LAS in biosolids-amended soils,” said Dr. John Heinze, CLER’s technical director and editor of the Review. “They provide definitive answers to questions that have been raised on this issue in recent years, particularly in Europe and the US, where biosolids are widely used as fertilizer.”

Copies of the CLER Review are available by contacting Francie Israeli at 202-737-0171 or sending an email request to cler@cler.com.