The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it will release a draft guidance to help wastewater utilities, landowners and the public reduce risk from PFOA and PFOS in biosolids.
EPA said it is taking a radically transparent approach by ensuring robust input is gathered to inform next steps. The agency will solicit comment on the draft guidance for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. Once the notice is published, comments can be submitted using Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2026-2509.
Once released, the notice will contain additional information on how to submit a comment.
The Trump EPA said it has gathered feedback from a wide range of stakeholders on this topic and recognizes the complexity associated with biosolids contaminated with PFOA and PFOS. The agency said the guidance is part of its comprehensive, lifecycle-based strategy to address PFAS.
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“One of EPA’s top priorities is to Make America Healthy Again, and reducing risk from PFOA and PFOS in biosolids is a critical part of that effort,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Jess Kramer. “This draft guidance will provide Americans with commonsense recommendations that can protect public health, while also supporting wastewater systems and beneficial use of biosolids when appropriate.”
After reviewing extensive public input, EPA said it determined that a Draft Risk Assessment released by the agency under President Joe Biden “relied on assumptions too disconnected from real-world conditions to give Americans clear, actionable information.”
The agency said it received comments that flagged that there are risks at trace concentrations near the limit of detection, levels lower than those already found in everyday soil and household products. They commented that the assessment “relied on a simplified, straight-line risk calculation that independent scientists have questioned.”
According to EPA, commenters noted that the assessment “leaned on data from atypical, industrially contaminated sites while overlooking newer research from communities where ordinary household biosolids have been safely land-applied for decades.”
The Trump EPA will now issue guidance to transparently gather important feedback and chart a path forward that helps protect Americans from exposure to PFOA and PFOS in biosolids. EPA said there is real concern from farmers and ranchers who want to ensure their land is as healthy and productive as possible.
At the same time, EPA said wastewater systems need a path forward for managing sewage sludge and biosolids from the communities they serve. The agency said the draft guidance recognizes the importance of reusing biosolids through land-application. EPA said it also provides common sense recommendations for how to reduce risk by avoiding land application of biosolids near waterways and on lands where children play, and also by avoiding using biosolids as fertilizer of crops that have higher risk of human exposure.
Background
Defining Biosolids and Sewage Sludge
When domestic sewage from households and businesses is sent to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), the liquids are separated from the solids, producing a nutrient-rich product known as “sewage sludge.” In some instances, industrial wastewater is also conveyed to a WWTP and combined with domestic sewage.
The terms “biosolids” and “sewage sludge” are often used interchangeably by the public; however, EPA typically uses the term “biosolids” to mean sewage sludge that is intended to be applied as a soil amendment or fertilizer and that has been treated to meet the requirements in EPA’s Clean Water Act (CWA) regulations.
Under existing federal regulations, biosolids can be applied to agricultural lands, forests, tree farms, golf courses, turf farms, and other types of land. Biosolids can also be bagged and sold at stores to the public, generally to be used on lawns or in home gardens. Biosolids generally are not used on specialty crops, such as fresh produce, and generally are used on crops where edible parts are not in contact with the soil. Some states, Tribes, or counties also have additional rules around the use of sewage sludge and biosolids.
Defining PFOA and PFOS
PFOA and PFOS are two chemicals in the larger class of PFAS. PFOA and PFOS persist in the environment for long periods of time and have been linked to a variety of significant adverse human health effects.
Domestic production and import of PFOA has been phased out in the United States by the companies participating in the 2010/2015 PFOA Stewardship Program. However, quantities of PFOA may be produced, imported, and used by companies not participating in the PFOA Stewardship Program and some uses of PFOS may be ongoing.
While statewide surveys have found that PFOA and PFOS have been detected at varying levels in sewage sludge, it is important to note that not all sewage sludge has been found to have detectable or elevated levels of PFOA or PFOS.
Source/s: U.S. EPA
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