PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • January 14, 2025
Forever chemicals in sewage-based fertilizer spread on pastures can increase cancer risks for people who consume milk, beef, eggs and other products from those farms, with some risks potentially far exceeding acceptable levels, federal officials said Tuesday. The risks will vary from farm to farm, depending on fertilizer makeup and use, but a draft report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the risk of consuming milk, beef or eggs from cows or hens raised on sludge-fertilized pastures can exceed safe thresholds by “several orders of magnitude.”