"As worry mounts about health risks from exposure to ‘forever chemicals,’ Virginia communities push for testing and limits for biosolids"
"A flush of a toilet, the rinse of a washing machine, or the discharge from factories – it all ends up as wastewater. That waste is then treated and made into a sludge called biosolids. Biosolids can be converted to agricultural fertilizer and by using it, many farmers in Virginia may be unknowingly spreading toxic chemicals on their land that could end up in crops and the state’s waterways.
As state Sen. Richard Stuart, R-King George, said in a recent State Water Commission hearing, “we don’t want it to go in the river anymore, for goodness’ sake.”
Biosolids can contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which pose serious health risks if people are exposed to them in higher amounts. The danger has led some states to outright ban, or enact stricter requirements in the use of biosolids, and prompted calls from some Virginia communities to do the same.
PFAS are everywhere; Virginia doesn’t test for them in biosolids
Forever chemicals are in hundreds of products we use every day, from nonstick cookware to takeout food packaging and even dental floss. They take hundreds of years to break down and can be a serious challenge to remove from the environment. The use of these chemicals started around the 1940s and has only expanded with time."
Shannon Heckt reports for the Virginia Mercury November 24, 2025.
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