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On Tuesday, January 14th, the US Environmental Protection Agency released a draft risk assessment for PFAS in sewage sludge applied to farmland as a fertilizer. The risk assessment highlights the numerous ways people can be exposed to PFAS when sludge is spread on farms and proposes a threshold for two common PFAS to protect people living on or near sludge-spread farms from the health impacts of exposure.

In response, Defend Our Health’s Campaign Manager, Adam Nordell, stated,

“The publication of EPA’s draft risk assessment and the proposed 1 part per billion (ppb) thresholds for PFOS and PFOA represents a massive step towards protecting farming communities and the public from the health risks posed by these chemicals. We applaud the agency staff for working with a clear-eyed understanding of the actual impacts of these chemicals on farmers across the country.

While we’re thrilled to see these numbers published, EPA’s risk assessment has gaps. It considers only two PFAS when we know the whole class of chemicals poses significant risks. It’s designed to protect the average adult. Still, it could be improved by protecting the most vulnerable community members – kids and pregnant people who eat a significant amount of food produced on contaminated land. EPA’s assessment considers exposure pathways in isolation, but we know that when farms are poisoned, the farming communities are exposed to multiple compounding pathways. It’s not enough to set a level that protects against too much PFAS in well water when kids on the farm might also be eating contaminated eggs, milk, meat, and vegetables and eating contaminated fish caught in neighboring ponds. We need a paradigm that protects the safety of the whole farm environment.

The fact that EPA’s model suggests a threshold of only 1 ppb for PFOA and PFOS – even with these significant modeling gaps – indicates how dangerous the practice of spreading sludge on land is. Yet, the practice continues unabated nationwide, with little to no PFAS testing and zero notification of risks. We urge the EPA to act swiftly to protect farmers and ensure the safety of the food supply.”