Fertilizers made from municipal wastewater are popular with some farmers in Oregon. They are nutrient-rich and cost-effective alternatives to synthetic fertilizers. But growing evidence shows toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS may be contaminating fields and animals. And Oregon environmental advocates have questions about how these chemicals are spreading on farms and the soil.

It’s why researchers and industry groups are again asking Oregon legislators for money to study how PFAS chemicals from wastewater biosolids spread through Oregon’s agricultural soils.

“Right now, we just don’t know Oregon’s story. PFAS are very hard, if not impossible, to get rid of in air, soil, water and animals, including humans,” Rep. Courtney Neron, D-Wilsonville, who’s sponsoring House Bill 2947 to study PFAS in agricultural fields, said at a House hearing Monday.

PFAS are man-made chemicals that don’t break down, and most wastewater facilities can’t treat them. High exposure to the chemicals has been linked to several illnesses, including cancer, decreased immune response and liver disease.

The chemicals can be found virtually everywhere and are in many products people use, such as in cookware, clothing and cleaning supplies. And they can be found in biosolids, a byproduct from municipal wastewater treatment plants.

Officials stress wastewater facilities are not the direct source of the chemicals in biosolids. Usually, they come from human waste that is flushed down the toilet.

About 95% of biosolids generated in Oregon are applied on farm fields that grow hay, wheat or pasture, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. That agency is charged with regulating biosolid fertilizer in the state.

Officials maintain that levels of PFAS in Oregon wastewater biosolids are low. But while DEQ and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency require treatment facilities to test biosolids for pathogens and heavy metals to protect human health and the environment, there are no standards for PFAS.

It’s driving some states to take a closer look at biosolids. In the Midwest, some states are beginning to test for PFAS in municipal water systems, watersheds and sites with suspected contamination and at least one state, Maine, has limited the use of biosolids on farms all together.

As other states take regulatory action, Oregon advocates say the state must do its part too, though they warn legislators shouldn’t make any decisions without first understanding the problem.

“Oregon must do the work necessary to ensure that PFAS is not contaminating products consumed by people or by animals, or our soil and water,” said Karen Lewotsky, the water program director at the Oregon Environmental Council. “The PFAS levels in our biosolids are far below those like Maine and Michigan. However, we have to clearly understand our situation so that Oregon leaders, municipal wastewater utilities and farmers can make sound, geographically-specific decisions about the future of those practices in our states.”

This is at least the third attempt at funding such a study. A similar bill was proposed during the 2024 legislative session, though it stalled in a House committee. If this current bill is approved by legislators, it will direct Oregon State University researchers to sample select agricultural fields and biosolids from wastewater facilities to find out whether PFAS chemicals are in agricultural soils, and to what extent to help inform mitigation efforts.

“To me this is a win-win in order for our agriculture community to understand what they’re putting on their fields so that we can correct any issues if they occur,” said Mark Owens, R-Crane, co-chair of the House agriculture committee.

The bill does not indicate how much the study will cost, though officials estimate it to be around $800,000. The bill also requires researchers to submit a final report to the House agriculture committee by summer of 2028.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/10/oregon-legislators-want-to-understand-harms-of-forever-chemicals-from-treated-sewage-on-farms/