Are farms near you applying biosolids to their land?

Sometimes “free” is not free.  Although using sewage byproducts on fields as fertilizer seems like a good way to “recycle” this kind of waste, and has been done for “many decades” in Europe and at least since the early 1990’s in the US, scientists are now finding that the “biosolids” also contain undesirable chemicals and metals that put neighboring communities, and our food chain, in danger. (Long-term impacts of sludge spreading on agricultural land (Signal), About Sewage Sludge)

The problem with sewage sludge is that it is an unpredictable mixture of whatever enters the sewers.  The inevitable byproduct of sewage treatment is sludge. Sewage sludge is a toxic mix of heavy metals, synthetic organic compounds (e.g., PCBs, PAHs), detergent metabolites, pharmaceuticals, and pathogens. There are as many as 100,000 chemicals used in American industry, and every year thousands more chemical compounds are put into commercial use. All of these can potentially enter the wastewater stream and any that do can end up in the sludge. (Sludge victims tell their stories to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works)

The most publicized contaminant is PFAS, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are man-made chemicals manufactured since the 1940s.  Nearly 15,000 types of PFAS chemicals exist, according to a chemicals database (CompTox) maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  The most troubling aspect of PFAs are due to: (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS))

• Numerous exposures: PFAS are used in hundreds of products globally, with many opportunities for human exposure.

• Persistence: PFAS remain in the environment for an unknown amount of time (some with a half-life exceeding several decades).

• Bioaccumulation: People may encounter different PFAS chemicals in various ways. Over time, people may take in more of the chemicals than they excrete, a process that leads to bioaccumulation in our bodies.

• Adverse health effects: from altered metabolism and body weight regulation, and risk of childhood obesity, to Increased risk of some cancers, to reduced ability of the immune system to fight infections.

Dust from fields that use biosolids can carry microplastics, which also may contain PFAs and pose an inhalation risk.  Microplastics are highly susceptible to be airborne, and have been repeatedly found in remote areas and higher elevations far away from their source.  Several studies have confirmed a high concentration of both microplastics and PFAS in dust samples, and inhaling microplastics can cause breathing irritation and oxidative stress in lung tissues, along with general inflammatory responses in airways and bronchi. Chronic exposure can also cause death. Similarly, inhalation of PFAS can cause acute lung toxicity and inhibit lung surfactant function, which prevents the little air sacs from collapsing during exhalation, ensures efficient gas exchange, and protects against infections. (Inhalation risks of wind-blown dust from biosolid-applied agricultural lands: Are they enriched with microplastics and PFAS?)

In addition, an air toxin has been identified for the first time in the US, even in the Western Hemisphere: medium chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs), a kind of toxic organic pollutant.  MCCPs are used in fluids for metalworking and in the construction of PVC and textiles. They are often found in wastewater and as a result, can end up in biosolid fertilizer, and they found their way into the air when Colorado University researchers set up their instruments near a field that had been treated with biosolid fertilizer.  The makeup of MCCPs is similar to PFAS; both last a long time in the environment.  (First-ever airborne toxic chemical detected in Western Hemisphere)

Who’s affected by the biosolids fertilizers?

• In one case, a woman living in Oklahoma became ill with cryptosporidiosis, a potentially deadly illness usually spread through feces-contaminated water.  She acquired it by power-washing the propane tank on her property, which is surrounded by fields on which biosolids fertilizer is applied yearly.  (Sewage fertilizer can cause illness and harm the environment. Why are some Oklahoma officials resistant to a ban?)

• A beef cattle farmer in Michigan has been shut down because the concentrations of PFAS in the cattle were too high; his farm used biosolid fertilizer for decades on its crops and fed the crops to the cattle.  (This farmer's livelihood was ruined by PFAS-contaminated fertilizer that few Midwest states test for) Maine discovered 78 contaminated farms and shut five of them down, and banned the use of biosolids as fertilizer.  Oklahoma just banned the use of biosolids as fertilizer starting in July 2027.

• Families living near farms which apply biosolids can have high levels of E. Coli in their water supply.  (Sewage sludge contaminates the drinking wells of New Scotland, neighbors say)  They also endure the stench of the fertilizer and droves of flies that are attracted to it.

• Farmers in Texas have had an unusually high number of animals die since runoff spilled over from a neighboring farm using biosolids.  Testing of the animals revealed high concentrations of PFAS.  (Texas farmers say sewage-based fertilizer tainted with “forever chemicals” poisoned their land and killed their livestock)  One county in Texas declared a State of Disaster this year due to PFAS contamination of its agricultural land.

• A 2013 study from the University of North Carolina found that 75% of people living near farms that spread biosolids experienced health issues “like burning eyes, nausea, vomiting, boils and rashes.” 

All of these stories show that it’s hard for homeowners in rural America to make a difference without laws to test for chemicals or ban use of biosolids as fertilizer.  They are left to pay for testing their own water and dust, and fiing expensive lawsuits that may not compensate for their efforts and expenses.  For farmers, biosolids are much cheaper than conventional fertilizer, and often free, which goes a long way to keeping small family farms afloat.  However, farmers have been misled for decades about the safety of this “free” option.  If the farmer does get its soil and animals tested, it may be shut down if chemical levels are too high.  Similarly, they also have to point the finger back to the company(s) that contaminated the biosolids, like an auto-parts supplier that dumped PFAS chemicals that ended up in a Michigan sewage treatment plant which sold the biosolid material.  Maine has established a $60 million fund to help farmers whose land or water has been contaminated with PFAS. 

What can one do?  At this point, the most important thing is to be informed about your water, air (and possibly soil) by testing, if you suspect that biosolids are being applied near your home.  If testing reveals that your home environment has high levels of PFAS or another chemical or pathogen, you can switch to bottled water or install a water filter, as well as use air purifiers like HEPA filters in your home to keep the chemical-laced dust and smell down.  Also, you can limit the effects of biosolids in/on your foods if you shop for organic foods; for example, Whole Foods does not buy from producers that use biosolids as fertilizers.  Alas, it’s not easy for those who can’t afford these organic foods, or homeowners with families who have been living in an area for a long time, or even farmers who expected to pass their land and business on to their children, when these toxic chemicals are uncovered.  Currently, Maine is the only state with an outright ban on using biosolids as fertilizer, which leaves a lot of US homeowners and farmers susceptible to continued pollution of farmland.  It’s just a matter of time before testing reveals where the chemicals have landed and where they’re coming from, so it’s best to be proactive and reactive if you have concerns about your or your family members’ health.

Photo by no one cares on Unsplash