From the looks of it, "forever chemicals" could also be called "everywhere chemicals." Toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have shown up in everything from drinking water to mothers' milk. And most recently in the fertilizers home gardeners use to grow food. A new report calls for structural changes to keep PFAS out of the environment.
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People could be unknowingly spreading forever chemicals on their lawns and gardens in the form of fertilizers sold across the country, including Milwaukee s famed Milorganite.
A study by the Sierra Club and the Michigan-based Ecology Center found that Milorganite was one of several fertilizers that contain PFAS. All of the fertilizers are made of at least 50% biosolids treated sewage sludge rich in nutrients helpful in growing grass, fruits and vegetables.
MMSD has been selling Milorganite as a commercial fertilizer since 1926 in the United States and Canada, and on its website touts the product as one of the nation s oldest recycling efforts.