Ranchers devastated by side effects of commonly used fertilizer: 'It's destroying our lives'

www.thecooldown.com ^ | March 03, 2025 | Zachary Ehrmann

[Red Badger]

"You never know what you're going to get every day when you get down here."

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Texas ranchers are facing devastating losses after fertilizer contaminated with dangerous per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances poisoned their livestock and land. A recent article in The Texas Tribune highlighted growing concerns about these toxic chemicals entering the food supply.

What's happening?

Multiple Texas farming families have discovered that their land and animals were poisoned by fertilizer containing PFAS, human-made chemicals found in everyday products. The fertilizer, made from processed sewage sludge called biosolids, was promoted as an environmentally friendly option for years.

"This is destroying our lives," said Tony Coleman, a rancher in Grandview, referring to his dead livestock in the article. "You never know what you're going to get every day when you get down here."

When heavy rains washed the fertilizer onto neighboring properties in Johnson County, livestock began dying and water sources showed dangerous contamination levels. County testing found 27 types of PFAS chemicals in the fertilizer, leading affected farmers to file lawsuits against the fertilizer companies and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Why is PFAS contamination important?

The contamination creates an impossible situation for farmers and ranchers. They can't ethically sell potentially contaminated meat, but continuing to care for livestock they can't sell threatens financial ruin.

An estimated 5% of all U.S. crop fields — up to 20 million acres — may have used similar fertilizer made from processed sewage sludge containing PFAS. These "forever chemicals" don't break down in the environment and can accumulate in the human body, potentially causing cancer, birth defects, liver damage, and other serious health problems.

What's being done about PFAS contamination?

Several states now regulate PFAS in agricultural fertilizers. Michigan requires testing biosolids for PFAS before application on farmland and prohibits use above certain levels, and Maine and Connecticut have banned biosolids on agricultural fields entirely. While Texas currently has no such regulations, six counties have passed resolutions calling for restrictions and testing.

Ellen Mallory, a professor of agriculture at the University of Maine, noted the importance of state response to PFAS in the article: "The important part here is it's really hard to have any response to PFAS contamination if we don't have any standards. So a state like Texas that has no standards, what do you do? How do you help farmers determine if their food is safe or not?"

While we wait for more states to take action, concerned citizens can make a difference. Write to your state representatives urging them to support PFAS testing and regulations, and consider reducing your use of products containing PFAS, including nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and food packaging, as this helps limit these chemicals entering wastewater systems.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Paging Monsanto, ADM, Bayer.

[Resolute Conservative]

We used rendered chickens and chicken poop from the egg producers around our area. Had the greenest hay fields in the area and got 3 good, sometimes 4 cuts. Stunk after the first rain but no chemicals and not expensive.

[HYPOCRACY]

Bill Gates.

[Zathras]

Plant fertilizer is primary NH3 or NH4-OH if I remember correctly.
NH3 needs to break down to HH4-OH to be taken up by plants.
NH3 doesn’t leach out so its better if soil is fallow for a bit.

Never heard of anyone adding this to fertilizer and since it has no purpose, but a serious addition to the expense.
Sounds more like a herbicide residue.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

#4: "Bill Gates"

That scoundrel should be at the top of the list.

👍

[blackdog]

In the 1970's, the city of Philadelphia contracted with the Gratersford State Prison to spread its sludge trucks on the prison farm fields. Every night from around 10PM until around 2AM, the trucks would spray and knife in the sludge.

Four years later, every well, and body of water for 20 miles was heavily contaminated with e-coli, and a whole laundry list of chemicals. Every community had to change to municipal treated water instead of wells.

About ten years ago they permanently closed the prison and sold off the 3,000 acres of land.

The first hybrid "Beefalow" was bred on that farm. The farm inmates were very interesting. We lived on property next to the prison. Every Christmas and 4th of July, my dad would have an event at our home for the farm working inmates. Certainly an interesting experience.

Point being however, history repeats itself. This event is nothing new. The powers in charge never act in anyone's interest but their own.

[small farm girl]

Been trying to get this banned in our community, they won’t because they are all using it, and get paid to take it.:(

[kaktuskid]

AKA Milorganite

[Red Badger]

Ping!.....................

[Red Badger]

Don’t they realize that the stuff will build up until their land becomes declared a Superfund site?.............

[Faith65]

*

[ConservativeMind]

Crud, this sounds like the fertilizer I used on our grass.

It was made from PortaPotty residue.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Bookmark

[GenXPolymath]

Here is a much better article with all the science behind it. It is annoying that they use part per billion and part per trillion in the same article that confuses the not scientifically qualified person.

Of note these chemicals came from Fort Worth sewage treatment plants as sludge into compost into fertilizer. These chemicals are in everything...your pizza box is coated in them and so is your hot pizza sitting on that box soaking them up, that “wax” paper they were baked on yup, you’re Starbucks coffee cup liner oh yeah man, same for those wrappers from McDonalds and taco bell. Use paper plates? Well the coating that makes them water proof yeah about that....and on and on.

How did they get in the wastewater in the first place...your kidneys pissed them into it that’s how ,millions and millions of people all excreting forever chemicals oh and your fecal material is loaded with them too. We have a crisis level situation that no one wants to deal with because it’s so huge of a issue as these chemicals have no substitutes in industry.

https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/02/texas-farmers-pfas-forever-chemicals-biosolids-fertilizer/

[GenXPolymath]

“Don’t they realize that the stuff will build up until their land becomes declared a Superfund site?.............”

It’s so much bigger than just that. These chemicals are in the water , all water , everywhere. We drink it, we use it to water crops, we bathe in it. Our livestock drinks it, the fish grow in it. 97% of anyone anywhere tested has shown blood serum levels for PFOAs read that again. This is the ticking time bomb of the 21st century that will make DDT look like a speed bump. Every consumer product that is water resistant has these chemicals in it. Cups, wrappers,boxes,clam shell containers literally everything we take and put food in unless it’s glass or aluminum foil and then the nonstick aluminum foils have these coatings too that’s what makes them nonstick. Every nonstick pan, every silicon baking sheet or cupcake cup mold the list is endless. There is no industrial alternative we would have to roll back to pre 1940s tech as in paraffin wax, cardboard that gets soaked through and real time cans that don’t have the PFOA plastic lliners in them so tinned food will.taste like tinned food again. Forget tomatoes or anything acidic without PFOA coatings you cannot can those.

[UnwashedPeasant]

hard lesson: do not use sewage sludge to produce food

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I would assume that any agricultural operation that uses locally available municiple sludge is contaminated, especially farms in Mexico. Automobile shops, plating operations, and other places dump their industrial wastes in the sewer and it ends up in the city sewer system.

One reason never to use Milorganite, even if its only on a golf course.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“The powers in charge never act in anyone’s interest but their own.”

That should be CARVED in STONE at the entrance to EVERY State Capitol Building!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"One reason never to use Milorganite, even if its only on a golf course."

I am so GRATEFUL to live where I do! The Farmer that rents our 112 acres for food crops for his dairy cows is an amazing man!

Yes, when the wind is blowing in the WRONG DIRECTION, it's slightly annoying when the 'Sh#t Wagon' (Manure Spreader) is in operation, but THAT is the smell of Country Living, FREEDOM and SANITY!

As you know, on my OWN garden beds I use my 'patented' 'Ithaca-Grow' which is composted manure and used bedding from my mule and whatever beef steer we're raising that cycle.

You've witnessed my results as far a food production goes. :)

It's a JUNGLE in there, Mid-July!