EPA: Forever chemicals found in food fertilized with sewage sludge

A new EPA report warns that PFAS in biosolids may contaminate water and food. In NC, past use as fertilizer threatens drinking water in the Triangle, leaving communities without clear solutions.
Posted 2/12/2025, 11:11:00 PM Updated 2/14/2025, 10:29:04 PM

acorns

Triangle resident Mary Grace does her best to make healthy

choices

Yeah I shop organics

Everything here is organic but she fears that no amount

of label reading can protect her from a hidden danger

in her food and water

We're being bombarded on many levels with these toxins

And the government doesn't seem to care

Her fears escalated after a new EPA report found forever

chemicals in sewage sludge used as fertilizer on farms could

pose serious health risks

And we've already so contaminated our food our water our

land our air we can breathe it in

It's

PA chemicals found in non-stick cookware waterproof clothing and household

products are linked to cancer thyroid disease and immune issues

They don't break down in the environment so when sewage

sludge or biosolids is used as fertilizer PFAS can seep

into the soil groundwater crops and livestock

Almost 2000 nanograms per liter

NC State researcher Detliff Knape found biosolids from Burlington applied

years ago on land in Chapel Hill are still contaminating

Can Creek Reservoir a drinking water source for Chapel Hill

and Carborough

It's well above what we would normally expect and the

only source that really could have contributed to this is

the Drainage from those fields

Despite the risks there are no federal limits on PFAST

and biosolids

I definitely feel reasonable regulations are the responsible civic thing

to do

With the Trump administration rolling back environmental regulations it's unclear

if or how the federal government will address PFAST pollution

in the years ahead Liz McLaughlin WREL News

© WRAL