Sludge is a by-product of wastewater treatment that is commonly recycled into agricultural soils. This practice brings important benefits: it supplies essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers, improves soil organic matter, and helps retain water in the soil.
However, concerns remain about the presence and spread of emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, microplastics, antimicrobial resistance genes, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and other ‘forever chemicals’, which may pose risks to human health and the environment.
The Sludge Futures project will review both established and emerging technologies that can reduce these contaminants, providing a clear overview of the current state of knowledge. The project will also examine alternative pathways for sludge use, such as forestry, energy crops and land reclamation, broadening the options beyond food production.
In addition, it will run participatory workshops with stakeholders (regulators, farmers and consumers) to identify cascading hazards and the stakeholders’ risk priorities for further regulation design, communication and implementation.
The outputs of the technological review and stakeholder engagement will:
- Generate evidence for Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as they focus on fundamental reform to the management of the water system.
- Help underpin decisions that balance resource recovery with environmental protection, public health and food security.
This project is funded by the 2025–2026 Research England Policy Support Fund.