William Toffey and the Water Environment Federation (WEF)
Toffey is the author of: Biosolids Odorant Emissions as a Cause of Somatic Disease
He claims sludge victims have a psycho-somatic mental disease. That is the problem with allowing waste the industry's
sludge experts and scientists to interpret scientific terms. Somatic means "of the body", or "Somatic Cells from the body
that compose the tissues, organs, and parts of that individual other than the germ (sex) cells." And yes, the chemicals
volatilizing as odors from biosolids sites do damage the somatic cells of the human body.
The waste Industry claims sewage workers do not get sick any more. Why would the industry lie. Before the
Water Pollution Control Federation changed its name to Water Environment Federation this was a very
dangerous occupation.
While the wastewater industry organization, Water Environment Federation and it's Foundation, (WEF-
WERF) claim exposure to pathogenic microbial contaminated sewage effluents (sludge biosolids and
reclaimed water) are safe since the 1994 public relations program to change public perception about the
danger, the wastewater industry is a very danger career field. In fact, before the name change to WEF, one
1987 Water Pollution Control Federation (WPCF) study noted, Sam "Hadeed reported that the wastewater
industry has retained its number one status as the most dangerous career field based on the results of the
1986 Annual WPCF Safety Survey."
There are studies to back up Hadeed's claim, such as, "Neurotoxic Effects of Solvent Exposure
on Sewage Treatment Workers" in the Archives of Environmental Health, July/August, 1988, 43, (4), pp.
263-68. They found after examining nineteen STWs (Sewage Treatment Workers) exposed to industrial
sewage that contained benzene, toluene, and other organic solvents at a primary sewage treatment plant in
New York City (Plant A). "that fourteen (74%) complained of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms
consistent with solvent exposure, including lightheadedness, fatigue, increased sleep requirement, and
headache."
In Epidemiological Studies of Neurotoxic, Reproductive, and Carcinogenic Effects of Complex
Mixtures, Carl M. Shy, UNC, September 1990-September 1992, states, Epidemiological studies of cancer
risks per se are practically infeasible in these environments due to inadequate populations at risk,
undefined exposures, and short time since first exposure. However, it is feasible to study the biological
uptake of some of the associated compounds in these populations."
For the waste industry, "William E. Toffey, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association [MABA], said
he doesn't blame municipalities for adopting local regulations as a tool to deal with residents' concerns. The real
problem, he said, is that residents, farmers and sludge suppliers often don't communicate."We don't tell people what
it is," Toffey said. "We don't tell people where it's coming from. People in the community say, 'This stuff is awful. How
can you do this to us?' " http://thewatchers.us/Sludge-dry_weight.html
"William Toffey, who oversees Philadelphia's waste program, swears biosolids is safe. He is,
in fact, a little giddy about composted human waste. "Biosolids are fun," he said." Toffey even wrote a
paper, Biosolids Odorant Emissions as a Cause of Somatic Disease . However, Toffey admits,
"noxious odors, have occurred, even with some regularity. Examples of such cases are putrid biosolids
compost along highways, noxious advanced-alkaline stabilized biosolids near elementary schools, and
stinky piles of biosolids pellets in a farmer’s field." But then he said, " Experts to the wastewater profession
have not been able to dismiss the role of biosolids in triggering IEI and psychogenic illnesses." "The
psychogenic theory presupposes that idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI) is an overvalued idea
explained by psychological and psychosocial processes." I do believe he just said us old country folks are
crazy and the industry bought experts will not consider otherwise?
Actually Hadeed and Toffey hoped we would never read the MSDS documents for the chemicals they admit
will cause the odors. The MSDS documents show the odor causing chemicals can cause serious health
problems and EPA states, "These compounds can be produced in easily detectable quantities during high
temperature processes. In composting, amines result from microbial decomposition that involves
decarboxylation of amino acids. The amines that are produced are easily volatilized when temperatures are
elevated above about 27 C [80.6 degree Fahrenheit]. In biosolids produced with polymeric flocculating
agents, high ambient temperatures can accentuate volatilization of amines that may be microbially split off
from the core backbone of the polymer. Amines include: methylamine, ethylamine, trimethylamine, and
diethylamine. Amines often accompany ammonia emissions, and if chlorine is used chloramines may be
released." http://thewatchers.us/NC_11-07.html