Chemicals with toxic bite found in SC crops years after farms used tainted fertilizer

By Sammy Fretwell | The State | June 6, 2026

Read the full article by Sammy Fretwell (The State)

"Chemicals that can cause cancer and other illnesses have been discovered in six different types of crops that people and livestock in South Carolina eat, a rare finding in a state where little research has been done on the dangers of the toxic compounds on farms.

Scientists from Yale University recently documented forever chemicals in collards, okra, corn, squash, butter beans and hay on a Darlington County farm that used contaminated sewer sludge as fertilizer before farmers knew about the hazards."

Topics:

• ChemicalsPFAS
• ImpactAgriculture
• Affected community
• Health
• Measurement Techniques
• Monitoring Data
• PFAS Uses