WHAT'S NEW

August 2000

In February 2000, a fertilizer manufacturer in Washington discovered that the zinc sulfate raw material they were using to produce several types of fertilizers was heavily contaminated with cadmium, a toxic metal that has no nutritive value to plants. The zinc sulfate was tested by the Department of Ecology and found to contain up to 215,000 parts per million cadmium when the specifications for this material stated it contained less than 10 parts per million cadmium. This material was imported from China and other shipments of zinc sulfate to Washington as well as other states from the same source in China were found to contain varying, but extremely high, cadmium concentrations. Ecology has distributed a Focus Sheet "Imported Cadmium-Contaminated Zinc Sulfate Used in Fertilizer and Other Products" publication #00040025 ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0004025.html detailing this incident to alert consumers, fertilizer manufacturers and officials in other states about the potential for contamination in zinc sulfate and products derived from zinc sulfate.

April 30, 1999

A collaborative research effort between the Washington State departments of Ecology, Agriculture and Health resulted in the publication of a report documenting the findings of three studies:
  1. Quantification of metals and dioxins in bulk and home-use fertilizer products,
  2. Determination if certain metals have accumulated in agricultural soils of Washington’s Columbia Basin, and
  3. An initial assessment of typical concentrations of dioxins in Washington state soils.

This publication, Final Report: Screening Survey for Metals and Dioxins in Fertilizer Products and Soils in Washington State is available on the internet at ecy.wa.gov/biblio/99309.html or by contacting Jean Witt, Ecology publication officer, at (360) 407-7472 and requesting Publication # 99-309. The Supplemental Appendices to this report are also available on the internet at ecy.wa.gov/biblio/99310.html or by contacting Ecology's Publications Office and requesting Publication # 99-310.

January 1999

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been studying the issue of heavy metals and other contaminants in fertilizers and has published its findings in Background Report on Fertilizer Use, Contaminants and Regulations, EPA 747-R-98-003.

November 1998

PRELIMINARY Screening Survey for Metals and Dioxins in Fertilizer Products and Soils in Washington State. This publication is the preliminary report to the Screening Survey (Final Report) noted above. For a copy of this report, please contact Jean Witt, Ecology publication officer, at (360) 407-7472 and request Publication # 98-331.

December 1997

A first response to public concern about the potential for adverse effects to human health and the environment from the recycling of solid and hazardous wastes in fertilizers was the document Screening Survey for Metals in Fertilizers and Industrial By-Product Fertilizers in Washington State. This study focused on determining the concentration of metals in:

  1. Fertilizers primarily produced from raw materials,
  2. Fertilizers produced from industrial by-products, and
  3. Soil amendments that include lime.