Fertilizers manufactured from the sludgy leftovers of wastewater treatment processes can contain traces of potentially hazardous organic chemicals, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins University researchers.The research, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c02934">published today in journal Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>, provides one of the most comprehensive looks at the chemical composition of so-called biosolids across the country and is the first step toward identifying common chemical contaminants that may need government regulation. The findings could help the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prioritize which organic compounds to investigate further, the researchers said."We've been relatively in the dark when it comes to possible organic hazards in biosolids, and we need to know if there are any smoking guns that we're unaware of," said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://engineering.jhu.edu/faculty/carsten-prasse/">Carsten Prasse</a>, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering who studies environmental contaminants. "Regulators need to know what these types of fertilizers are made of to determine how they can be responsibly used."<blockquote>"We've been relatively in the dark when it comes to possible organic hazards in biosolids, and we need to know if there are any smoking guns that we're unaware of."<h5> - Carsten Prasse</h5>Assistant professor, Whiting School</blockquote>Using analytical chemistry techniques capable of identifying thousands of chemicals, Prasse and his team screened 16 samples of biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities in nine U.S. and three Canadian cities. Samples contained traces of pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and a variety of fragrances. Among them were bisphenol A (BPA), commonly found in plastics, and carbamazepine, a drug used to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder."Because there are so many compounds in biosolids, the question we had was how do we triage? How do we find the chemicals that are widespread and could potentially be problematic, that the EPA and other scientists would need to investigate before proposing regulations," Prasse said.The researchers then created lists of the chemicals found in each sample and compared them to compounds that popped up in multiple places across the country. They identified 92 compounds that were present in 80% or more of the samples.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/Johns_Hopkins_University_Getty_Images_Team_aims_to_improve_safety_of_fertilizers_made_from_wastewater_sludge_461986840c.jpg" alt="Johns Hopkins University / Getty Images: Team aims to improve safety of fertilizers made from wastewater sludge." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_Johns_Hopkins_University_Getty_Images_Team_aims_to_improve_safety_of_fertilizers_made_from_wastewater_sludge_461986840c.jpg 234w," sizes="100vw" width="1194" height="796">The researchers then cross-referenced those 92 compounds against the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/companies/310">EPA</a>'s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.epa.gov/comptox-tools/comptox-chemicals-dashboard">CompTox Chemical Dashboard</a>—a database that details the properties, hazards, and potential risks of thousands of chemicals. The dashboard helped the team identify which chemicals were most likely to pose threats to human health or the environment."We're not saying that these compounds pose a risk right now, because we haven't done a formal risk assessment," said <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pure.johnshopkins.edu/en/persons/matthew-newmeyer">Matthew Newmeyer</a>, a research associate at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and first author on the paper. "We're saying that these have a potential to be problematic and we need more information in order to make sure these biosolids are safe."Using biosolids can be beneficial, the researchers said. They are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients that help plants grow. They require less energy to make than synthetic alternatives. And wastewater facilities can sell biosolids to generate revenue to offset treatment costs and reduce waste sent to landfills or incinerators.More than half of the 3.76 million tons of biosolids produced in the United States in 2022 fertilized agricultural lands, golf courses, and other landscaped areas, according to the EPA. While direct contact with biosolids is likely limited to occupational exposures, the broader population could be exposed to contaminants absorbed by crops grown in such fertilizers, the researchers said.The team plans to measure the identified compounds in the biosolids and vegetables grown in biosolid-amended soil to determine if their concentration levels warrant concern. The researchers are also investigating risks to farmers, landscapers, and composters who work with biosolids.Authors include: Keeve Nachman and Qinfan Lyu of Johns Hopkins University, and Jon Sobus and Antony Williams of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.This research was supported by U.S. EPA grant R840247 and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant T42 OH0008428.

Team aims to improve safety of fertilizers made from wastewater sludge

<div><div>Developed during the 1940s, per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, have an enduring chemical structure—the result of a near unbreakable bond between two main ingredients: carbon and fluorine. The combination is considered strongest single bond in organic chemistry as defined in every general chemistry textbook.By the 1950s, PFAS were widely used in manufacturing and commercial production, according to the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council. But the compounds’ real claim to fame came when they were used in Teflon, a nonstick coating applied to cookware made with a type of PFAS called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).By the 1970s, the council noted, studies “found some PFAS in the blood of exposed workers and further studies in the 1990s ... reported detections in the blood of the general human population.”<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/University_of_Notre_Dame_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_cover_image_c1b7321932.jpg" alt="University of Notre Dame: The Forever Problem - Part 2: How We Got Here " srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_University_of_Notre_Dame_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_cover_image_c1b7321932.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="1681" height="1027"><div>Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports PFAS is likely in the blood of more than 97 percent of Americans. The chemicals’ ubiquitous use and everlasting nature, as well as their ability to migrate off treated materials, and, like other pollutants, dissolve readily into water or turn into aerosols, have resulted in researchers finding the chemicals in some of the most remote places on Earth. Due to their extreme persistence in the environment, PFAS have migrated over decades to the north and south poles, where they have been found in tissue samples of polar bears, minke whales, and ringed seals.Graham Peaslee, a professor in Notre Dame’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, first learned about PFAS in 2011 while teaching at Hope College in Holland, Michigan.He had a particular interest in using science to impact society—a considerable ambition for an experimental nuclear physicist. Peaslee developed a novel method to measure the nuclear and atomic content of various materials. The process included particle-induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) ion beam analysis. PIGE uses a proton beam to bombard the surface of any solid material, causing fluorine nuclei to emit gamma-rays, a type of high-energy light, which can be detected and measured to determine the total fluorine content of the material.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/University_of_Notre_Dame_Peter_Ringenberg_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_Professor_Graham_Peaslee_532eb5736a.jpg" alt="University of Notre Dame / Peter Ringenberg: Professor Graham Peaslee." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_University_of_Notre_Dame_Peter_Ringenberg_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_Professor_Graham_Peaslee_532eb5736a.jpg 156w," sizes="100vw" width="1200" height="1200">When struck by protons, all light nuclei emit gamma-rays on a variety of wavelengths, but “fluorine has two very distinctive wavelengths, so we know when we see those, that material contains fluorinated substances,” Peaslee said. After measuring the elemental content and distribution within the sample, Peaslee then uses liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry to analyze each sample’s chemical structure, separating the compounds in each sample.Peaslee knew his method could efficiently and cost-effectively detect fluorine content in consumer goods. Since he joined Notre Dame in 2016, he and his students have published a steady stream of studies detecting PFAS in everything from textiles, child car seats, face masks, and feminine hygiene products, to plastic containers, eye drops, school uniforms, dental floss, artificial turf, and cosmetics.Virtually every product type tested in Peaslee’s lab has had some samples that contained PFAS.In 2017, Peaslee’s lab published a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters that found PFAS in fast-food wrappers, which went viral. The research included more than 400 samples collected from fast-food restaurant chains including McDonald’s, Burger King, Chipotle, Starbucks, Jimmy John’s, Panera, and Chick-fil-A. The publication has been viewed more than 48,000 times, and the research garnered coverage by hundreds of news outlets.The study would change the trajectory of Peaslee’s career.Shortly after, Peaslee said, two US senators issued a letter to those fast-food companies who had been using products treated with the perfluorinated chemicals. They wanted to know what steps were being taken to remove those products from use and replace them with PFAS-free alternatives.The response was relatively swift, with most if not all of those companies switching to PFAS-free wrappers and paperboard containers in the following 18 months.“The central focus of my research changed after that paper,” Peaslee said. “I saw that I had an obligation to publish this applied science because it had the power to change policy. That was a real eye-opener for me and I thought, ‘I can do this, I can do it successfully.’ Being at Notre Dame, I can do it with a louder voice. We have a social responsibility to tell people about the dangers of these chemicals. That is why there is so much interest in PFAS from graduate students, faculty, and experts alike. We can make a contribution.”He has been relentless in his pursuit of that mission ever since.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/University_of_Notre_Dame_Peter_Ringenberg_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_Notre_Dame_s_St_Andre_accelerator_is_used_to_perform_particle_induced_gamma_ray_emission_72620445ca.jpg" alt="University of Notre Dame / Peter Ringenberg:Notre Dame’s St. Andre accelerator is used to perform particle-induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) ion beam analysis which can detect, measure and determine the total fluorine content of various materials efficiently and cost-effectively." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_University_of_Notre_Dame_Peter_Ringenberg_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_Notre_Dame_s_St_Andre_accelerator_is_used_to_perform_particle_induced_gamma_ray_emission_72620445ca.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="800" height="450">In 2018 Peaslee initiated his first study on PFAS in firefighter turnout and personal protective gear. His lab detected forever chemicals in both the inner and outer layers of jackets and pants. He received emails and gear samples from firefighters across the country and around the world and has been a returning speaker at the International Association of Fire Fighters’ biennial conference, educating the firefighting community about the use and dangers of PFAS, how the chemicals can migrate from the gear, coming in contact with and absorbing through the pores of the skin.Peaslee said some manufacturers of personal protective equipment made for firefighters have started swapping out gear treated with PFAS for PFAS-free alternatives. “It’s up to individual fire services to buy it—but it’s now being offered everywhere,” Peaslee said. “The big thing that’s changed is the union has switched 180 degrees from its previous stance and they are leading the charge.”<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/University_of_Notre_Dame_Peter_Ringenberg_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_Samples_of_different_materials_including_textiles_and_paper_products_are_affixed_to_a_testing_wheel_a8dc65f189.jpg" alt="University of Notre Dame / Peter Ringenberg: Samples of different materials including textiles and paper products are affixed to a testing wheel. PIGE uses a proton beam to bombard the surface of any solid material, causing fluorine nuclei to emit gamma-rays which are then measured to detect the presence of PFAS." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_University_of_Notre_Dame_Peter_Ringenberg_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_Samples_of_different_materials_including_textiles_and_paper_products_are_affixed_to_a_testing_wheel_a8dc65f189.jpg 235w," sizes="100vw" width="1600" height="1067">At home, Peaslee has worked closely with Indiana State Rep. Maureen Bauer, supporting her bill to start a biomonitoring program to measure PFAS concentrations in blood samples from current and former firefighters.In 2021, he published another viral paper on PFAS in cosmetics—viewed more than 128,000 times and covered by more than 400 news outlets.Then, in 2022, Peaslee came to another turning point. He developed a new method for quick, accurate, and cost-effective screening for the presence of PFAS in drinking water.There are a number of ways PFAS seep into groundwater systems—through industrial runoff, in contaminated biosolids used as fertilizer, and by slipping through wastewater treatment processes. But the use of PFAS in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs), firefighting foams used to put out flammable liquid fires such as jet fuel fires, is one of the most notorious sources of PFAS contamination in the world.In 2023, the Department of Defense announced a phaseout of all AFFFs containing PFAS, requiring use of PFAS-free foams as of October 2024. While a relief to those who knew the dangers of PFAS, the regulations underscore a bigger problem.The foams had been used at military installations, airports, and fire departments in every state and city in the country, for more than 60 years in many cases. With every use, be it an actual fire or a training exercise, every spill and every leak resulted in PFAS being absorbed into the pavement and leaching into the ground and into groundwater systems.“There are 2,300 military installations in the United States,” Peaslee said. “Most of them have been using PFAS on their runways for more than 50 years. Only 637 locations have had their groundwater tested for PFAS so far—and those are military installations only. There are more than 100,000 fire stations where this stuff is either still being used, or has been used. And there are buckets of AFFF sitting around because nobody knows what to do with it.”Between industrial facilities, major airports, military sites, and wastewater treatment plants, an estimated 57,000 sites are believed to be a source of environmental PFAS contamination.“It’s the most costly cleanup the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/companies/310">EPA</a> has ever faced,” Peaslee said.Peaslee’s method to detect PFAS in water samples uses activated carbon felt and gravity filtration with PIGE spectroscopy to measure fluorine content in drinking water. He plans to make it mobile.With funding from the Department of Defense, he has developed a portable PIGE unit for on-site PFAS screening at hotspots and other impacted sites. Each PIGE particle accelerator will rest on a motorized cart housed in a small box truck for easy transport and is designed to run more than 100,000 samples per year quickly and cost-effectively.The mobile units won’t be limited to military bases. Peaslee is launching his own company to manufacture and offer portable PIGE devices domestically and internationally.“We don’t know how widespread the contamination is unless we test,” Peaslee said. “Right now, the goal is to manufacture benchtop and mobile units and get them in the hands of companies and local municipalities, and ultimately to see them used to test water supplies everywhere.”Each mobile PIGE unit can run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Peaslee said, “and fast.”But, he added, there’s no easy way to eliminate PFAS from water. Instead, officials must manage concentrations. This involves testing levels on a regular basis and shutting down overly contaminated wells until rainwater has had a chance to dilute concentrations below proposed federal limits.<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/University_of_Notre_Dame_Peter_Ringenberg_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_In_2018_Peaslee_s_lab_detected_PFAS_in_firefighter_turnout_gear_prompting_firefighters_across_the_23f8a4fffd.jpg" alt="University of Notre Dame / Peter Ringenberg: In 2018, Peaslee’s lab detected PFAS in firefighter turnout gear, prompting firefighters across the country and around the world to send in samples for testing." srcset="https://storage.googleapis.com/labrulez-bucket-strapi-h3hsga3/thumbnail_University_of_Notre_Dame_Peter_Ringenberg_The_Forever_Problem_Part_2_How_We_Got_Here_In_2018_Peaslee_s_lab_detected_PFAS_in_firefighter_turnout_gear_prompting_firefighters_across_the_23f8a4fffd.jpg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="800" height="450">Nearly 80 years after PFAS were developed, and more than 60 years after animal studies first revealed the forever chemicals to be toxic, the EPA proposed new standards limiting levels of six different PFAS in drinking water.The new regulatory standards were proposed in March 2023 and were passed into law in April 2024, becoming the EPA’s first-ever national drinking water standard for PFAS.With PIGE in the hands of people who need it, Peaslee said, “I see an opportunity to make real change.”Forever chemicals have saturated pavements at military bases, fire stations, and airports, seeping into the surrounding environment and contaminating rivers, lakes, farmland, and backyard gardens.Change on that kind of scale requires persistence, commitment, creative thinking—and chemistry.Kyle Doudrick, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, knows a little something about that.<nav><blockquote><ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://lcms.labrulez.com/article/4643">Part 1: The Forever Problem</a></li><li>Part 2: How We Got Here</li><li>Part 3: A Real Mess</li><li>Part 4: We Have A Responsibility</li></ul></blockquote></nav><div>Produced by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications<ul><li>Writer: Jessica Sieff</li><li>Photographer: Peter Ringenberg</li><li>Videographer: Josh Long</li></ul></div></div></div></div>

The Forever Problem: Part 2 - How We Got Here

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