Summary report issued on dioxins and metals in fertilizers and soils

As mandated by the 1998 Washington State Fertilizer Regulation Act, studies were undertaken to: Quantify metals and dioxins in bulk and homeuse fertilizer products; Determine if certain metals have accumulated in agricultural soils; and Provide an initial assessment of typical concentrations of dioxins in statewide soils. Last month, the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) provided an executive summary of those studies.

Fifty-one fertilizer products were sampled for eight heavy metals and 17 types of dioxins. Most fertilizers had nondetectable or extremely low levels of dioxin, with 70 percent having less than one-tenth of one part per trillion (pptr) toxic equivalents (TEQs). …