European Commission 22 May 2023, COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE EVALUATION Council Directive 86/278/EEC of 12 June 1986 on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture

Executive summary The Sewage Sludge Directive 1 (SSD) aims at encouraging the use of sewage sludge in agriculture while preventing negative health and environmental impacts. It sets quality requirements for the sludge and the soil on which it is to be used, by setting upper limits on their content in seven heavy metals (cadmium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, mercury, chromium).