Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) monitor and (b) stop lead contamination in the food supply chain.

Defra monitors concentrations of ten heavy metals, including lead, in naturally-growing mosses as part of the European Moss Survey, which takes place every five years. The moss data provide a cost-effective measure of pollution deposition from the atmosphere which complements conventional precipitation analysis.

The latest report for the 2020-2022 survey is publicly available here. It shows that lead deposition has declined since 1990.

The UK Heavy Metals Network forms the basis of the UK’s compliance monitoring for the Air Quality Standards Regulations (2010), which covers lead, arsenic, cadmium, nickel and mercury. Lead in the PM₁₀ fraction of air (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of 10 µm or less) is measured at 26 sites. The UK has been compliant with applicable limit values in legislation for ambient lead in air for over 20 years.

Further details are publicly available here: Air Pollution in the UK report – Defra, UK.

Treated sewage sludge (commonly called biosolids) can be beneficially spread to agricultural land under the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations (SUiAR).

Details are publicly available here.

In England the Environment Agency is responsible for enforcing the SUiAR, which are supported by a sewage sludge in agriculture code of practice.

Details are publicly available here.

The SUiAR provides controls that protect the environment and human health when these organic materials are spread to agricultural land. Provided the use of sewage sludge is carried out in accordance with the relevant regulatory controls and good practice guidance is followed, the recycling of sewage sludge to land is an allowable activity.

The SUiAR require that sludge shall be used in such a way that the quality of the soil and of the surface and ground water is not impaired. A person using sludge has to ensure they can meet this requirement of the SUiAR. The requirement is applicable to all relevant contaminants which could, when sludge is used, cause the quality of the soil and of surface and ground water to be impaired. Lead is a contaminant that can be present in sludge and which is specifically listed in both the SUiAR and its supporting sewage sludge in agriculture code of practice.

Emissions of lead from industrial installations in England are subject to stringent emission limits and monitoring requirements under The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.