A new state study is sounding the alarm on "forever chemicals" hiding in North Carolina’s farmland.
Researchers with the Department of Environmental Quality have detected toxic PFAS chemicals at every stage of the state’s wastewater process. Most concerning for the agricultural community, the study found these man-made chemicals in sewage sludge, soil, and even in fields where treated sludge has been used as fertilizer for years.
Linked to cancer and other serious health risks, these "forever chemicals" remain largely unregulated in farming practices. Environmental experts say the findings raise fresh questions about the safety of current waste-disposal methods and the long-term impact on North Carolina’s food supply and groundwater.
State officials are now under pressure to determine how to manage these contaminants in rural communities that rely on these fields.
