PFAS and Biosolids: The Hidden Threat Fertilizing Our Food Chain

The story of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination is no longer just about drinking water; it is about food, farms, and the future of American agriculture. While groundwater pollution has drawn national attention, a more insidious and underreported danger is spreading across the country through the very soil that sustains us: biosolid fertilizers laced with PFAS.

Biosolids are the treated sludge left over from wastewater treatment plants. Across the U.S., municipalities contract with private companies to remove and repurpose this waste, often turning it into fertilizer. These fertilizers are then sold or given to farmers, who apply them to fields to grow crops or feed livestock. What farmers often do not realize is that these biosolids can contain high concentrations of PFAS — synthetic chemicals that resist degradation, accumulate in soil and water, and are increasingly linked to serious health issues in humans and animals.

In places like Johnson County, Texas, the consequences have already become tragically clear. There, farmers reported widespread crop damage, contaminated groundwater, and even entire herds of livestock falling ill or dying. The biosolid fertilizer they believed would enrich their land instead poisoned it, threatening livelihoods, and the safety of the food supply. This is “a farm-to-table issue,” not just a rural farming crisis. What contaminates a field eventually contaminates a dinner plate.

PFAS enters this cycle in a straightforward, but dangerous, way. These chemicals are ubiquitous in consumer products, including everything from nonstick cookware to stain-resistant fabrics and make their way into human waste. Wastewater treatment does not remove PFAS, so they become concentrated in the resulting sludge. This sludge is then sold or distributed to farms as biosolid fertilizer. In the process, municipalities relieve themselves of costly waste disposal, while private biosolid processors profit. But the true cost, borne by farmers, communities, and consumers, is only beginning to come into focus.

What is more alarming is the systemic nature of the problem. Smaller farms with fewer resources and less regulatory support are disproportionately affected. Many rely on free or low-cost biosolid fertilizer provided by local governments or distributors, making them more vulnerable to PFAS exposure. Meanwhile, large commercial operations with deeper pockets can afford safer, more controlled alternatives. It is a dynamic that is not only unjust, but one that threatens to push small and sustainable farms out of business.

Litigation is underway in Texas, where Synagro Technologies and Renda Environmental are facing lawsuits for their role in distributing contaminated fertilizers. Additionally, many other manufacturers have lawsuits on the way. These companies, often contracted by wastewater utilities, claim proprietary treatment methods but they ignore the impact of PFAS becoming present in their products. Testing for these dangerous materials by these manufacturers is either insufficient or deliberately nonexistent.

And unlike the sweeping class-action settlements already reached with chemical giants like 3M and DuPont over PFAS in drinking water, current legal frameworks do not yet address the unique threat posed by biosolids. Those settlements cover municipal water systems, not the farmers now watching their soil, livestock, and livelihoods collapse.

It is not enough to litigate. Regulation must catch up. Federal and state agencies need to set enforceable PFAS limits for biosolids, just as they are doing for drinking water. Standards should prohibit the use of contaminated biosolids on food crops or grazing land. At a minimum, mandatory PFAS testing and transparent reporting must become part of every wastewater and fertilizer program.

This is a national food safety issue. It is a public health issue. And it is a social justice issue for the small farms that are bearing the brunt of a crisis they did not create.