https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/31/climate/pfas-fertilizer-sludge-farm.html
Fertilizer made from city sewage has been spread on millions of acres of farmland for decades. Scientists say it can contain high levels of the toxic substance.
Michigan hasn’t conducted widespread testing at other farms, partly out of concern for the economic effects on its agriculture industry.
This is fine.
I’d be more worried about pesticides than pfas.
Also pfas will probably stop showing up in drinking water and sewage in a couple of years. Its widespread usage is being questioned, and scientists are already working on ways to break them down.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-way-destroy-pfas-forever-chemicals-rcna43528
The problem with pfas is that it’s not just one chemical. PubChem says it’s more like 7 million. Yes there are ways to destroy/remove them and they are being used in remediation. However some methods work better for certain types of pfas, and all have some form of operational costs from manageable to expensive.
Yes there is public support for legislating the use of these chemicals; it is also a market with a value estimated around $28 billion. I don’t expect these companies or interests will be eager to encroach on these profits.
Even if legislators can regulate the use of these chemicals it will be challenging on at least 2 levels. Given the variety of pfas if one chemical is banned there is another pfas that can perform the same function with a slight molecular tweak so that legally, it is not banned/regulated. And, this stuff is in practically everything- and I’m not exaggerating; I knew someone doing research in this field. They had strict instructions on what products they could use bathing before work, no lotion, lip balm, cosmetics, even specific writing utensils and paper were required; all those items were prohibited not because they could foul a test, but because they likely contain pfas and would cause inconsistent data.
Drinking water aside we don’t exactly know how much of this is already out there or what it’s in.
We should definitely worry about pesticides, but pfas is pretty concerning, and worse, it’s impacts are still emerging with research.
Do they fear it? Because it seems like they keep doing it. Then they vote for the people that subsidize their doing it.