A recent report by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, revealed that biosolids, or sewage sludge, are the cause of PFAS contamination in 70 million acres of land in the U.S. Despite the alarming and growing number, a 2023 list of Biosolids Land Application Sites in Iowa City stated approximately 945.48 was applied to fields. Out of the 86,800 fields in the state, 41,294.087 tons were used to “nurture” soils regardless of possible PFAS contamination.
PFAS, known as per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances, has been one of the leading dilemmas spreading across the U.S. In a nutshell, PFAS is an artificial chemical primarily in charge of substance resistance, commonly found in household items, construction materials, and firefighting foams.
Regardless of its valuable qualities, it poses a variety of health risks that affect its users through exposure, including birth complications, decreased response to vaccines, heightened cholesterol levels, kidney, prostate, or testicular cancer. The likelihood of contracting any of the said illnesses depends on the type of PFAS an individual is exposed to and based on the 2023 report in Iowa’s water supplies where traces of PFBS, PFOA, PFOS, and HFPO-DA were detected, there is a possibility citizens might encounter most of PFAS’ health effects.
The toxic compound does not easily decompose, considering it is chemically tightly bonded, which earned its name as a “forever chemical.” As such, it has found its way into water treatment plants and managed to contaminate biosolids. This circumstance has started to negatively affect the lives of farmers who rely on produce that can be exposed to contaminated biosolids. Five farmers from Texas have sent a claim against the Environmental Protection Agency, which emphasized the organization’s inability to implement regulations against PFAS efficiently and, therefore, prompted their source of income to reach a crashing halt. Unusable acres of land and damaged produce have pushed farmers to seek compensation for their losses.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has issued action plans about sampling public water facilities in its domain. Several protocols have been implemented to contain and filter possible PFAS water contaminations. However, there is still no enforced ban on PFAS in the state, especially on biosolids. In the Environmental Protection Agency’s criteria for testing biosolids for pollutants, no mention of PFAS warns farmers of its existence, and as of now, there are still no federal laws encompassing regulations for sewage sludge. The leniency in setting up protocols against this chemical is also observed through a national lens, as there is a lack of countrywide regulations for this crisis, despite 9,000 confirmed sites in 50 states having been identified in the U.S.
Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act, or S.747, is presumed to set a precedent in the U.S.’s fight against PFAS. If passed, the $500 million funded legislation will finance programs dedicated to monitoring and containing agricultural contamination, properly filtering or disposing of contaminated livestock and produce, and supporting farmers receiving financial and health aid. The data acquired from the PFAS contamination inspections can also benefit experts in discovering alternatives for PFAS, understanding its exposure limits, lessening its damage cost-effectively, and finding efficient ways to identify and measure the environment.
Until lawmakers finally take significant countermeasures against this compound, time can only tell when this adversity will stop challenging our preparedness and determination to resolve the nation’s extensive problem with toxins. Until then, it is expected that the estimated number of 200 Americans who have been served with high levels of PFAS will continue to rise.
Stan Gottfredson,
President and Chief Executive Officer of Atraxia Law