3 www.SmallFarmCanada.ca LETTERS TO THE EDITOR BIOSOLIDS CONCERNING Farmland is being contaminated by biosolids use. All biosolids contain municipal sewage. This sewage contains factory, industrial and hospital waste. It contains thousands of chemicals. In Maine and Michigan, where land is being properly tested, farms have been found to be permanently contaminated because of spreading sewage biosolids on the land. Many Canadian jurisdictions are not doing the proper testing to determine the impact of spreading biosolids on our land. Is it SAFE to spread sewage biosolids on our farmland? Remember: “all of the chemistry that society produces, and is exposed to, is in that sewage”. Our goal is to share our accumulated knowledge and research so people can make an informed decision on what is best for their land. • Sewage biosolids are allowed to be spread on our farmland as they contain nitrogen and phosphorus. • What about all the chemicals they are known to contain? • Biosolids by the numbers: • 84,000 chemicals • 4,700 PFAS aka “Forever Chemicals” • 11 heavy metals tested • 3 bacteria tested • 1 type of PFAS tested Starting in October 2024 sewage biosolids, imported or produced in Canada, are to be tested for PFAS – for PFOS only (one type of thousands of PFAS), for a limit of 50 ppb (parts per billion) at a time when the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) risk assessment for PFOS in sewage sludge shows that: • 1 ppb “can present a significant risk to human health”. CFIA [Canadian Food Inspection Agency] (per an article referring to a CFIA draft report on PFAS) • The land application of sewage biosolids “is a key uptake pathway for PFAS into the food chain”. The first step forward – stop spreading sewage biosolids – then the chemicals will stop accumulating. Citizens Concerned About Biosolids ccab.ontario@gmail.com facebook.com/stopspreadingsewage Chemical Key: PFAS: polyfluoroalkyl substances PFOS: perfluorooctane sulfonate, is a synthetic chemical belonging to the larger group of chemicals called polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known for their persistence and potential health and environmental risks. LEFT PAGE: CLOCKWISE: VICTORIA ROBINSON | MAYATNIKSTUDIO - ADOBE STOCK | KEVIN OKE PHOTOGRAPH - ADOBE STOCK | JOANNE DALE - ADOBE STOCK
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