Overview

Since the 1940s, a broad class of synthetic compounds known as PFAS have been in use. Because of their exceptional resistance to heat, water, and discoloration, perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are utilized in many different commercial and industrial applications. PFAS have been present in a wide range of household products over the past few decades, including food packaging, fire extinguishing foam, and water-repellent carpeting and kitchenware. PFAS have a reputation for being extraordinarily durable in addition to being heat- and water-resistant. Because PFAS belong to a family of compounds with strong connections between carbon and fluorine atoms, they break down slowly. Additionally, PFAS is accumulable in the environment, PFAS have been linked to a number of health problems for humans, such as an increased risk of cancer, affects on a child's development, and a weakened immune system.

PFAS contamination has been a problem for agricultural operations in the last few years. The majority of the livestock on farms in Maine and New Mexico had to be disposed of in 2019 after tests found that the farms' soil, water, and livestock contained PFAS levels much beyond the EPA's safe threshold. Farming activities may be at risk from PFAS pollution because there is currently no known means to remove it completely.

While there are many other ways that PFAS might get contaminated, applying biosolids to farmland is one of the more frequent ways. The byproduct of treating wastewater is biosolids. The process of treating wastewater involves the separation of liquids from solids. After that, the solids undergo physical and chemical processing to get rid of any hazardous materials and create biosolids, a product that is high in nutrients. Although the EPA states that slightly more than half of the biosolids produced in the US are used as fertilizer for land application, some biosolids are burned or otherwise disposed of. Biosolids are applied to agricultural land to help with fertilizer provision and to enhance general soil health. PFAS have been discovered to withstand the treatment process, even though it attempts to remove contaminants and other hazardous chemicals from biosolids. Because PFAS are used in both industrial and domestic items, wastewater often contains these compounds. Biosolids and regions treated with biosolids applications have been shown to contain different degrees of PFAS pollution, as PFAS can outlast the wastewater treatment process.