PFAS Management of Municipal Biosolids: A Shifting Regulatory Landscape

Municipal biosolids management in the U.S. sits at an inflection point. In recent decades, utilities have increasingly turned to beneficial reuse through agricultural land application, compost, and other land-based uses. Beyond providing a relatively simple and low-cost management pathway, beneficial reuse supports utility sustainability goals by locally recycling nutrients and organic matter rather than treating biosolids solely as waste.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are challenging this model. Conventional wastewater treatment does not fully remove or destroy these compounds, allowing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances to pass through treatment and, in some cases, concentrate in biosolids that are subsequently applied to land. The scale and long-term effects of these releases on human health, food supplies, and ecosystems remain uncertain. But growing public awareness, restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer products, and stringent drinking water standards are increasing scrutiny of biosolids management.

Without clear federal standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in biosolids, states are moving ahead with their own, varied, regulatory approaches. While these efforts generally follow common themes, differences in testing requirements, concentration thresholds, and land-application restrictions are creating an increasingly complex regulatory patchwork for utilities and biosolids managers to navigate.

This Insight Report examines the structure and market effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances-related regulations and associated trends that are reshaping municipal biosolids management in the U.S.