
Forever Chemicals in Sewage Sludge May Taint Nearly 70 Million Farmland Acres in U.S.
January 16, 2025 | Source: Smart Water Magazine
Nearly 70 million acres of U.S. farmland could be contaminated by the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, according to estimates from biosolids industry groups. This contamination stems from the widespread use of sewage sludge as fertilizer.
The practice remains largely unregulated, despite mounting evidence it could contaminate food and water, creating public health risks. State and federal policymakers need to tackle this threat with steps such as banning the use of PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge on farm fields.
Sewage sludge, also known as biosolids, is the byproduct of the wastewater treatment process. The Environmental Protection Agency began regulating biosolids in 1993 under the Clean Water Act. Since then, EWG and others have raised concerns about using biosolids in food production.
Using industry surveys, the National Biosolids Data Project estimates that about 18 percent of all U.S. agricultural lands could be using biosolids as a fertilizer, even though the sludge is often contaminated with PFAS. This creates dangers for the food supply on the almost 70 million farmland acres – equivalent roughly to the size of Nevada – where biosolids are used.