PFAS contamination in rural California is causing concern among residents like Juana Valle, who never imagined that the water from her well could be making her sick. Valle, a 52-year-old farmer in San Juan Bautista, California, purchased her 5-acre farm three years ago as an escape from city life and a way to grow her own food. However, recent tests revealed worrisome levels of PFAS chemicals in her well water, along with arsenic, leading Valle to suspect that her health issues may be linked to consuming food and water from her farm.
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of thousands of compounds that have been associated with health problems such as cancer, decreased response to vaccines, and low birth weight. The chemicals, known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment, have been found in Valle’s well water at concentrations eight times higher than the safety threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency for one specific PFAS chemical.
Researchers suspect that the PFAS contamination in Valle’s water may have originated from nearby agricultural operations, which could have used PFAS-laced fertilizers or pesticides containing the compounds. This unexpected discovery has raised concerns about the potential harm to farmworkers and communities of color, who may be disproportionately affected by PFAS exposure in rural areas.
The issue of PFAS contamination is not limited to California. Nationwide, concerns are growing about the transfer of PFAS through the spreading of solid waste from sewage treatment on farmland. In Maine, officials have banned the practice of spreading “biosolids” on farms due to elevated levels of PFAS in the blood of individuals who drank water from wells near these farms. The presence of PFAS in sewage is attributed to industrial discharges and household products containing the chemicals.
As researchers continue to investigate the sources and impacts of PFAS contamination in rural areas, residents like Juana Valle are left grappling with the uncertainty of their health and the safety of the water and food they rely on. The enforcement of new drinking water standards for PFAS remains uncertain, leaving communities at risk of exposure to these persistent and potentially harmful chemicals.
PFAS Contamination Found in California Farming Communities
Recent testing in California’s San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast regions has revealed concerning levels of PFAS contamination in both private domestic wells and public water systems. One of the sites tested was Valle’s farm, which showed 96 parts per trillion of total PFAS in her water, including 32 ppt of PFOS, both considered potentially hazardous amounts. The proximity of these sites to farmland suggests that agricultural operations could be a contamination source, or that the chemicals have become ubiquitous in the environment.
Private wells are particularly vulnerable to contamination from groundwater, as they tend to be shallower and construction quality varies. While the EPA requires public water systems serving at least 3,300 people to test for 29 types of PFAS, private wells remain unregulated.
California is already facing a drinking water crisis that disproportionately affects farmworkers and communities of color. More than 825,000 people across almost 400 water systems in the state do not have access to clean or reliable drinking water due to contamination from nitrates, heavy metals, and pesticides. The Central Valley, one of the nation’s largest agricultural producers, has seen PFAS contamination above safety thresholds in public drinking water supplies in cities like Fresno, Lathrop, and Manteca.
After moving to the farm, Valle experienced health issues, including high levels of heavy metals in her blood. She stopped consuming anything from the farm, and her symptoms improved. She now drinks bottled water as her house’s water filter does not remove PFAS.
The pesticide industry’s increased use of PFAS for both active and inert ingredients poses further risks to agricultural workers and downstream water sources. Pesticide runoff can contaminate drinking supplies, especially in regions with concentrated pesticide use like California’s Central Coast and Central Valley. Research has shown that possible PFAS contamination from pesticides disproportionately affects communities of color in these areas.
Awareness of PFAS contamination in farming communities is crucial to protect public health and ensure access to clean drinking water. Efforts to regulate and monitor PFAS levels in both private wells and public water systems are essential to address this growing issue. In a recent study published by the American Chemical Society, researchers found significant racial and ethnic disparities in the presence of potentially harmful PFAS chemicals in community water systems. This raises concerns about environmental justice and the impact of these contaminants on marginalized communities.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of man-made chemicals that have been linked to various health risks, including cancer, thyroid disease, and immune system disorders. Some treatment plants and public water systems have installed filtration systems to catch PFAS, but the cost of these systems can be exorbitant, running into the millions or even billions of dollars.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken steps to address the issue by signing laws that restrict the use of PFAS in textiles, food packaging, and cosmetics. The wastewater treatment industry is hopeful that these measures will help tackle the problem at its source. However, both the state and the EPA do not currently regulate PFAS in the solid waste generated by sewage treatment plants, although monitoring is required.
In the past, biosolids, a byproduct of wastewater treatment, were often sent to landfills or spread on land. But in 2016, California lawmakers passed a regulation that aimed to reduce methane emissions by 75 percent by 2025, pushing facilities to repurpose more of their wastewater treatment byproducts as fertilizer, compost, and soil topper on farm fields and other sites.
Greg Kester, director of renewable resource programs at the California Association of Sanitation Agencies, highlighted the benefits of using biosolids as fertilizer, including improved soil health, increased crop yields, reduced irrigation needs, and carbon sequestration. Despite concerns about the potential risks of using biosolids in agriculture, California currently has no plans to ban their use.
Last year, almost two-thirds of the 776,000 dry metric tons of biosolids used or disposed of in California were spread as fertilizer, with most coming from wealthy, populated regions like Los Angeles County and the Bay Area. These biosolids were mainly transported to the Central Valley or out of state for agricultural use.
While there are ongoing concerns about the presence of PFAS in biosolids and their potential impact on farm fields and water sources, California remains committed to using biosolids as fertilizer. Wendy Linck, a senior engineering geologist at California’s State Water Resources Control Board, stated that a ban on biosolids in agriculture is not currently being considered.
As the debate over the use of biosolids and the presence of PFAS in community water systems continues, it is crucial for policymakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders to work together to address these environmental and public health challenges. The disparities in PFAS exposure highlight the need for a more comprehensive and equitable approach to managing these harmful chemicals and protecting vulnerable communities. A recent study conducted on water samples in California revealed concerning levels of PFAS contamination, with 96 parts per trillion of total PFAS detected, including 32 ppt of PFOS. Both of these chemicals are considered potentially hazardous and can have negative health effects on individuals exposed to them.
California’s Central Coast, where the study participant, Valle, resides, and the Central Valley are areas with high pesticide usage, which can contribute to PFAS contamination. Research conducted by Clare Pace found that communities of color are disproportionately affected by possible PFAS contamination from pesticides in these regions.
Compared to more industrialized states like Maine, California’s biosolids samples for PFAS show relatively low average concentrations. However, San Francisco’s wastewater treatment facilities produced biosolid samples with total PFAS levels exceeding 150 parts per billion in monitoring conducted in 2020 and 2022.
In response to the growing concern over PFAS contamination, the California Water Board has been testing wells across the state since 2019, focusing on areas near known sources of contamination such as airports, landfills, and industrial sites. The agency is testing approximately 4,000 wells statewide, including in disadvantaged communities, free of charge. This comprehensive effort is expected to take about two years to complete.
In Solano County, where biosolids from the Bay Area were applied to fields, preliminary results showed the presence of PFAS at every location tested, even in areas where biosolids had not been historically used. Concerns raised by landowners led to a halt in the county’s biosolids program in 2024.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County transports most of its biosolids to Kern County or out of state. Green Acres, a farm near Bakersfield owned by the city of Los Angeles, has been applying significant amounts of biosolids annually for crop fertilization. This practice has faced opposition from Kern County for its potential environmental and health implications, culminating in a legal battle that ended in 2017.
The long-term effects of PFAS contamination from biosolids application are still unknown, but concerns about the health and environmental impact persist. As communities grapple with the challenges posed by PFAS contamination, ongoing monitoring and regulatory measures are essential to safeguard public health and the environment. The benefits of meditation are widely known and have been practiced for centuries by people all around the world. Meditation is a practice that involves focusing one’s mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to achieve a state of mental clarity and emotional calmness. It has been shown to have numerous positive effects on both the mind and body.
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