OKLAHOMA CITY—Proponents of using treated sewage sludge, known as biosolids, to fertilize farm fields told the Oklahoma House Committee on Agriculture on Tuesday that the science isn’t clear enough to justify the expense of ending the practice as other states have.
Ranchers, farmers, and other landowners say biosolids are an inexpensive and effective fertilizer that rejuvenates the soil and provides the nutrients their crops need.
Critics complain that biosolids are a health hazard and nuisance that contain a wide variety of harmful substances, including per- and polyfluoroalkyls, broadly known as PFAS.
PFAS, developed in the 1940s, are a family of thousands of chemicals used in stain- and water-repellent fabrics, nonstick cookware, food packaging, cosmetics, and firefighting foams, among other products. They have become ubiquitous due to their resistance to heat, oils, stains, grease, and water. They are often called “forever chemicals” because they don’t readily break down….