Maine Plans Removal of PFAS From Sewage Sludge Used as Fertilizer

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’, concentrated in sludge, are extremely difficult to dispose of safely and also poison farmland

Utility officials in Maine and elsewhere around the country are developing first-of-their-kind plans to eliminate toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” from sewage sludge spread as fertilizer on farmland.

Success would address a growing agricultural crisis and reshape how the nation handles its waste – the dangerous chemicals are thought to be contaminating all sludge at high levels, and poisoning food and water on around 20m acres (8m hectares) of farmland across the US.

But the technology that destroys PFAS remains unproven, especially in sludge, officials with the Portland Water District (PWD) of Maine acknowledge, and the utility is taking other steps to more efficiently dispose of the substance in the meantime.

“The safe disposal of [sewage sludge] is critical to safeguarding the environment and protecting public health,” said the PWD director of wastewater services, Scott Firmin. “We are leaving no stone unturned as we seek innovative and economical solutions to tackling the nationwide threat of PFAS.”