People everywhere are dismayed by the sheer quantity and number of "forever chemicals" that contaminate our environment and our bodies. Unfortunately, we all have forever chemicals (PFOS, PFAS) in us (but in varying amounts). It turns out that the US government played a role in the forever chemicals found in our food, and why so many farms are now forever contaminated.
Decades ago, the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) started encouraging the use of biosolids or black sludge (the sludge that is left over at wastewater treatment plants) as a fertilizer on farms in the United States. That the use of this biosolid sludge could cause problems and harms has been known for decades.
The sludge contains heavy metals and PFOS and PFAS chemicals (forever chemicals because they bioaccumulate and persist in the environment). The chemicals are linked to all sorts of health harms (e.g., cancers, reproductive problems). [Note: We are exposed to forever chemicals in many products and in the environment daily.]
Well.... of course, applying this sludge across farms has now resulted in persistent contamination of both the soil and water at those farms, but also in the animals being raised on those farms. Estimates are up to a fifth of farms are contaminated. And yet the EPA still feels this practice of applying contaminated sludge is OK!!!
Very few mass media articles actually discuss the government's role in contaminating farms (and in this way our food). So the following 2 articles were a pleasant surprise - horrifying to read, but all true.
Bottom line: Eat as much organic food, or what you grew yourself, as much as possible. The biosolid sludge is not allowed on organic farms. Also, when buying top soil (dirt) or fertilizer for your garden, avoid any product that says "biosolids" in it. (e.g., Milorganite - known to contain PFAS and PFOS) Buy organic soil and fertilizer, if you can.
Until recently, very few mass media articles actually discussed the government's role in contaminating farms (and in this way our food). So the following 2 articles are horrifying to read, but all true.
(1) Excerpts from the New York Times: Something’s Poisoning America’s Land. Farmers Fear ‘Forever’ Chemicals.
For decades, farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer. It was rich in nutrients, and it helped keep the sludge out of landfills.
But a growing body of research shows that this black sludge, made from the sewage that flows from homes and factories, can contain heavy concentrations of chemicals thought to increase the risk of certain types of cancer and to cause birth defects and developmental delays in children.
Known as “forever chemicals” because of their longevity, these toxic contaminants are now being detected, sometimes at high levels, on farmland across the country, including in Texas, Maine, Michigan, New York and Tennessee. In some cases the chemicals are suspected of sickening or killing livestock and are turning up in produce. Farmers are beginning to fear for their own health.
(2) Excerpts from Yahoo News: Startling investigation exposes mountains of toxic sludge threatening America's food chain: 'People are scared to death'
A fertilizer used for decades by U.S. farms contains toxic chemicals that are being blamed for halting agricultural operations, killing animals, and endangering our food supply.
Across the United States, farmers have long been encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to spread municipal sewage onto their fields as a fertilizer. However, new research has shown that this "black sludge" can contain high concentrations of PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, The New York Times reported.
As states begin to test for concentrations of these chemicals on agricultural lands, some farmers have been forced to halt their operations in the interest of public health.
Meanwhile, PFAS, which the publication notes can enter the human food chain through contaminated crops and livestock, has been linked with a number of health maladies, including certain types of cancer and increased cholesterol levels. Plus, research has documented how mothers-to-be can pass these dangerous chemicals on to their babies.
As for the contaminated field sludge, the Times reported that more than two million dry tons were used on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018.
What's being done about black sludge affecting farms?
In 2022, Maine banned the use of sewage sludge on agricultural fields, the Times reported. Meanwhile, other states are beginning to test for these chemicals systematically. However, the EPA continues to promote the use of sludge on farmland.
Also in 2022, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group issued a warning that around 20 million acres of U.S. farmland could be affected. EWG estimated at the time that about 5% of U.S. farms use wastewater sludge. Perhaps most concerningly for consumers, though, is a lack of visibility into whether any purchased food may come from a farm that uses the sludge or feeds its animals any feedstock that may have been grown with it.