Biosolids PFAS Resources
The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in our water, food, and environment is a growing concern. Due to their widespread use and chemical stability, PFAS are found almost everywhere in the environment, including wastewater and biosolids. For most utilities, especially in California where domestic sources comprise most of the WWTP’s influent flow, a significant source of PFAS may be domestic wastewater which is difficult to control at the source. Additionally, industrial facilities may contribute significant loads to WWTP’s. These industrial facilities can reduce their use of PFAS or pre-treat their discharge.
Land application of biosolids as an agricultural soil amendment is widely practiced in an effort to recycle the nutrients and organic matter back to the soil, providing many environmental co-benefits. These co-benefits include improved soil fertility, offsetting synthetic fertilizer use, and increased carbon sequestration. Most biosolids contain lower concentrations of PFAS than everyday household items (like cosmetics and carpets).
The US EPA is conducting a biosolids risk assessment for two PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which is evaluating numerous exposure pathways to humans via land applied biosolids. While the EPA’s risk assessment will not establish federal regulatory limits; some states may use the concentrations from the risk assessment to establish state-level regulatory limits. A draft of the assessment is scheduled for release by the end of 2024.
The following list provides resources on the development of regulations and research on PFAS in biosolids, updated as of December 2024.
Bay Area Biosolids Coalition Frequently Asked Questions
US EPA website pages
PFAS in Biosolids: https://www.epa.gov/biosolids/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas-biosolids
Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation: https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas
PFAS411.org Information and Resources on PFAS Chemicals
California Water Environment Association (CWEA) articles
Tackling the PFAS Puzzle: Challenges and Solutions in Wastewater Treatment: https://www.cwea.org/news/tackling-the-pfas-puzzle-challenges-and-solutions-in-wastewater-treatment/
PFAS and Biosolids: What Wastewater Pros Need to Know: https://www.cwea.org/news/pfas-biosolids-what-you-need-to-know/
California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) website
Contains links to fact sheets, research and regulatory documents: https://casaweb.org/renewable-resources/pfas-1/
Water Environment Federation (WEF) documents
WEF PFAS Blueprint for Utility Managers – Strategies for the Next Five Years (requires login): https://www.accesswater.org/?id=-10116122
WEF PFAS Position Statement: https://www.wef.org/globalassets/assets-wef/4-topics/government-and-regulatory-affairs/policy-statements/position-statements/wef-pfas-position-statement-4-7-2020.pdf
NEIWPCC’s Biosolids Technology Hub (BioHub)
Includes a review of the published literature, technology vendors, and projects: https://neiwpcc.org/biohub/
Water Research Foundation (WRF) research project reports for more in-depth information (requires login)
WRF Project 5002: Determining the Role of Organic Matter Quality on PFAS Leaching from Sewage Sludge and Biosolids https://www.waterrf.org/research/projects/add-nsf-proposal-determining-role-organic-matter-quality-pfas-leaching-sewage
WRF Project 5031: Occurrence of PFAS Compounds in US Wastewater Treatment Plants https://www.waterrf.org/research/projects/occurrence-pfas-compounds-us-wastewater-treatment-plants
WRF Project 5042: Assessing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Release from Finished Biosolids https://www.waterrf.org/research/projects/assessing-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substance-release-finished-biosolids
WRF Project 5082: Investigation of Alternative Management Strategies to Prevent PFAS from Entering Drinking Water Supplies and Wastewater https://www.waterrf.org/research/projects/investigation-alternative-management-strategies-prevent-pfas-entering-drinking