The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned in a draft risk assessment that farmers could face risks from chemicals leaching into food and water. The assessment, now open for public comment, highlights that two types of PFAS chemicals can harm human health when present in biosolids at concentrations as low as 1 part per billion. These chemicals, commonly known as PFOA and PFOS, may leach from biosolids—sewage sludge—whether applied to land, disposed of in landfills, or incinerated.

Released recently, this draft risk assessment marks the EPA’s first comprehensive analysis of PFOA and PFOS contamination in biosolids. The findings come after years of concerns raised by farmers and state regulators, who have questioned the safety of land application despite its role in organic recycling.

Although the draft risk assessment is not enforceable, it could shape future regulatory actions. The EPA emphasizes targeting upstream sources of PFAS chemicals, such as industrial discharges, to address contamination at its origin.

As part of this strategy, the agency plans to establish “technology-based limits” on wastewater discharges from industrial sources, including landfills, under the Effluent Limitations Guidelines program. The EPA has been examining PFAS in landfill leachate for years and, in 2023, concluded that updated guidelines are necessary.

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