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.
Mary Grace has lived in Durham for decades, but lately, she’s been gripped with fear.
“People are hurting. People are getting cancer. People are dying because of this, and who's held accountable?” she asked, her voice heavy with emotion.
Grace, who lost multiple family members to cancer, believes that chemicals like PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are an invisible threat, lurking in drinking water, soil and food. These so-called “forever chemicals” don’t break down in the environment and have been linked to cancer, thyroid disorders, and other serious health effects.
“They don’t just disappear. They’re in our food, our water, our land, our air,” she said. “We have to become activists, because corporations and the government are not addressing this.”
Her concern stems from a newly released EPA Draft Sewage Sludge Risk Assessment, which found that PFAS chemicals, particularly PFOA and PFOS, are widespread in biosolids — treated sewage sludge that is applied as fertilizer on farmland. The report suggests that biosolids could be contaminating drinking water sources, livestock and the food supply at levels that exceed safety thresholds.
