In a disturbing announcement, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned that toxic chemicals known as PFAS, found in sewage sludge used as fertilizer on farms, pose a significant cancer risk to people who regularly consume products from those farms. According to the agency’s draft risk assessment, in some cases the risk is “several orders of magnitude” above what is considered acceptable.
Forever Chemicals Contaminate Food Supply
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment and accumulate in the body over time. When ingested, these compounds can cause serious health problems including:
- Kidney cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Immune system damage
- Developmental issues in children
Most at risk are people who regularly eat or drink foods from farms using sewage sludge fertilizer contaminated with PFAS. The EPA singled out individuals who:
- Drink one quart of milk per day from dairy cows raised on PFAS-contaminated pastures
- Eat one or two servings of fish per week from lakes polluted by sludge runoff
- Drink PFAS-laden water
For these groups, cancer risk is elevated by several orders of magnitude beyond the acceptable threshold, an extremely alarming finding. While the assessment focused on farmers and nearby residents with long-term exposure, the implications for the broader food supply are deeply concerning.
Wastewater Treatment Byproducts Taint Farmland
The toxic sludge in question is a byproduct of wastewater treatment. When cities and towns process sewage, they separate the solids from the liquids. These solids are turned into nutrient-rich biosolids, or sludge, that is often used as cheap fertilizer on farmland. However, the EPA has now determined that wastewater treatment plants are unable to effectively filter out harmful PFAS that end up in the sludge.
Tens of millions of acres of farmland have been permitted to use sewage sludge.
For years, spreading treated sewage waste on agricultural fields has been seen as a cost-effective fertilizing method. But the EPA’s bombshell assessment calls into question this common practice and highlights the failure to regulate PFAS chemicals that are now pervasive in sludge.
Regulators Fail to Limit Contaminants
Despite having the authority to police toxic substances in sludge, the federal government has not set any limits on PFAS content. While the EPA does regulate some other contaminants like metals, forever chemicals have slipped through the cracks.
This draft assessment provides important information to help inform future actions by federal and state agencies as well as steps that wastewater systems, farmers and other stakeholders can take to protect people from PFAS exposure, while ensuring American industry keeps feeding and fueling our nation.
– Jane Nishida, EPA Acting Administrator
The EPA says it is working to monitor the food supply to safeguard the public from PFAS exposure. But for many Americans, the damage may already be done after years of unchecked contamination. Critics argue regulators have been far too slow to act on this threat.
Organic Farms Not Impacted
There is one silver lining in this distressing news. Organic farming regulations prohibit the use of sewage sludge, so foods grown on organic farms should be free of this particular contamination risk. Consumers who exclusively purchase organic, grass-fed animal products can have some peace of mind.
But for the vast majority of people who rely on conventionally-produced meats and dairy, as well as those living near fields treated with sludge, the specter of elevated cancer risk is impossible to ignore. It remains to be seen how regulators and industry will respond to the EPA’s dire warning and clean up a food production system tainted by forever chemicals.
