Farmers and environmental watchdogs in North Carolina are growing increasingly wary about biosolids being applied to some of the state's farm fields, because the treated waste might contain harmful forever chemicals, WRAL News reported.
It's a problem growing in parallel to the chemicals' prevalence on Earth, now found in blood, water, and soil. New studies have added to the biosolid scrutiny.
What's happening?
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called forever chemicals or PFAS, are minuscule particles that are part of many everyday products, including non-stick cookware, food packaging, and firefighting foam. Thousands of PFAS chemicals have been used for decades. Since they take nearly forever to break down, the substances have had time to leach into nearly all parts of the environment, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Biosolids are treated human and industrial waste streams that are used as a fertilizer, put in a special landfill, or incinerated, per the EPA. Farmers in North Carolina and elsewhere have been using the waste as a field treatment for decades as a useful end for the substance. Biosolids are applied to less than 1% of North Carolina land, with strict regulations regarding animal grazing and crop harvesting timelines afterward, according to WRAL.
About 20 million acres of farmland nationwide "could" be treated with biosolids with no national guidelines to test the waste for PFAS, according to estimates from the Environmental Working Group.
"From the public perspective, there's less cost versus other methods of disposing of it. At the end of the day, that's what we're doing, because it has to go somewhere," North Carolina farmer Stuart Beam told the news agency.
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Are PFAS really in the waste?
Beam has no doubt that biosolids contain forever chemicals.
"The question is, at what levels?" he told WRAL.
A cautionary tale can be found in Texas, where PFAS-contaminated biosolid runoff has been linked to soiled land and fish and cattle deaths that have devastated farmers, according to the Texas Tribune.
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Majorly 😥 A recent EPA assessment raised more concerns about forever chemicals found in water and waste. It's part of the warning signs that caused concern in North Carolina, per WRAL. The story stated that PFAS chemicals have been found in wells and other water sources there, too. The cause is linked to fields treated with biosolids, according to experts interviewed by WRAL.
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"We really need more testing," Keith Larick, natural resources director at the North Carolina Farm Bureau, said in the story. "Farmers need to know that if they accept biosolids, they're safe."
What's being done to help?
In North Carolina, WRAL reported that environmental officials have tested sludge in 2023 and 2024, with results expected this year. More information is a start to better understanding how to prevent PFAS contamination.
Researchers from multiple labs are working on ways to collect and destroy forever chemicals with filters and ultraviolet light. Successful efforts on those fronts could prevent the PFAS from ending up in biosolids.
You can use your voice by contacting local lawmakers and asking them to vote for better PFAS protections. It's also important to stay educated on what products contain harmful substances. Cleaner cosmetics, sunscreen, and other products are already on store shelves.
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