Read the full article by Esther Ciammachilli and Jackson Sinnenberg (WAMU 88.5).
“Virginia lawmakers have passed new testing regulations to keep PFAS or so-called ‘forever chemicals’ out of the food supply in the commonwealth. For decades, these chemicals have been used to make stain resistant carpets, food packaging, firefighting foam and more.
‘What we’re unfortunately finding is that the PFAS present in fertilizers and biosolids are being applied on farms and getting into crops and farm animals,’ Virginia Delegate Alfonso Lopez tells WAMU’s Morning Edition host Esther Ciammachilli. ‘It’s being done often without farmers’ knowledge.’
Scientists warn that PFAS do not break down naturally and exposure to these chemicals is linked to a multitude of health problems including cancer, thyroid disease, liver and kidney damage, and neurological disorders.
Lopez chairs the House Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources Committee and co-leads the State Water Commission. He explains these bills target biosolid sewage sludge that waste management facilities convert into fertilizers and sell to farmers”…