This truck is death on a pale horse. There’s something going on in the woods here in Western Washington, and across the country in our agricultural fields. It’s a practice that’s not getting enough attention, and I’ve spoken of it before. Forever chemicals are being spread across the land as the answer to “What do we do with all our poo?”. I shit you not- we’re spreading it on food growing soil and in the woodlands which filter our drinking water. Yes folks, you’re eating and drinking toxic sludge, and it’s killing you. Forever Chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects, and much more. Yet the industry spreading the poop says it’s our own fault these chemicals are in the sludge. They also want you to know it’s not in the sewage treatment, just the sewage- which is spread on the ground, after treatment.
Today’s writing is about forever chemicals, but I will also mention heavy metals and prescription drugs are also in our sewage. Washington’s LOOP system reported a short list of metals well below EPA minimum concentrations here. Please know the research is slim in this arena, but the idea to spread sludge on our croplands and forests is still in action in almost every state, with no guardrails on some very dangerous chemicals. I’ve shared information in the past regarding the consequences of spreading biosolids in agricultural soils, and you can review that info here. In a nutshell, biosolids contain forever chemicals, and if they are concentrated, which is inevitable in treated sewage, the soil and water in areas where this toxic mush is spread becomes contaminated and unsafe for people- not to mention every other living thing affected. Why is this happening? Surly there is oversight. Sure, in theory.
Here’s a brief story of NYC’s shit and how it’s regulated.
EPA Biosolid Heavy Metal Breakdown
EPA Chemicals Found in Biosolids
There are no measurements of Forever Chemicals in offical studies. The EPA has not created measurement standards yet, but The European Union has. Their exact mesurment maximums are set here. Many other harmful chemical toxins are present in biosolids. In the EPA list above, I looked up two components to find out more. 4-Nitrophenol is used as a pH measurement (the color changing strips), but no studies on genotoxicity or carcinogenicity have been done. Hexachlorobiphenyl, a PCBs, which Washington State is trying to phase out of industrial production, because of its toxicity. We know this compound is present in biosolids, along with countless other with little known about their long term affects. It’s starting to cause noticeable changes in the environment, and in 2024, the EPA began trying to establish measurements for data analysis to set standards. They have a “roadmap” for drinking water standards. There is no actual regulation and testing going on publicly yet.
I’m not a chemist, but the idea of even considering treated sewage as organic seems negligent on the part of regulatory authority. Because of how widespread forever chemicals already are in the environment at dangerously high levels- where most of the studies being conducted are tied to drinking water at this time. 4 parts per trillionth is the going safe number for drinking water, which echos the EU standard. Web MD put out a helpful info sheet on PFSAs here. The current national database measuring PFSAs in our water can be found here. All this information may seem like a lot, and some of the data is still young, but we’re starting to realize just how much toxicity is now swirling in our very bodies, and consumed literally in what we eat and drink on a daily basis. It’s contaminated, and farms all over the country are waking up to government seizure of property, animals, and crops, while polluters continue to sidestep clean water protection, ignore contamination of industrial byproduct, or flat out blame the public for it’s household items purchased.
It is our fault, as a society, for not taking the time to learn about our chemistry before we unleashed it on ourselves. Out of sight out of mind- like nuclear waste, air pollution, water contamination, and food toxicity. If the water is clear with only a little chlorine smell, it’s clean right? Our healthcare system won’t put the finger on environmental cause, just keep donating to cancer research and we’ll see. Better living through chemistry, and technology- both of which are the mass polluting causes of our very extinction. Soon everything will be “all natural” because after all, even plutonium is organic.
EEC Forest Stewardship 