State study finds PFAS in sewage sludge spread on NC farmland, with no limits in place

By Liz McLaughlin | WRAL News | April 29, 2026

Read the full article by Liz McLaughlin (WRAL News)

"A state study found “forever chemicals” in sewage sludge, soil and wastewater across North Carolina, raising fresh concerns about a widely used farming practice that remains largely unregulated.

Researchers with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality detected PFAS — a class of man-made chemicals linked to cancer and other health risks — at every stage of the wastewater process, including in fields where treated sludge has been applied for years.

“PFAS compounds were found in the influent, effluent, biosolids and soil samples,” Julie Grzyb, deputy director of the Division of Water Resources, told lawmakers Wednesday."