Human feces as fertilizer? Cyclospora raises questions, doctor says
(NewsNation) — Epidemic that triggers diarrhea in the USA cyclospora This raises questions about how human feces intersects with imported products, says a health researcher at Johns Hopkins University.
“‘Are people using human sewage as fertilizer?’ I’ve heard a lot about it. “I think we need to monitor conditions on farms much more carefully,” said Dr. Neal Shah. “Katie Pavlich Tonight” on Friday.
Federal officials have said there is a link between iceberg lettuce from Mexico and cases of stomach parasites across the U.S., but health experts, including Shah, warn there may be more than one food source that needs to be identified.
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Americans don’t know enough about how some of their foods are grown abroad, Shah said. In some countries, especially with the increase in fertilizer prices, “humanity” is used as fertilizer.
In the US, treated sewage sludge, known as “biosolids,” can be used to “condition soil or fertilize crops or vegetation growing on the soil.” US Environmental Protection Agency.
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