Impact of ‘forever chemicals’ is hazy as Cobb designs incinerators – AJC.com

Report on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Sewage Sludge: A Challenge to Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Introduction: The Emergence of “Forever Chemicals” as a Developmental Concern

Recent reports from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have identified a significant environmental and public health threat from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals.” These substances are found in sewage sludge, or biosolids, the solid byproduct of wastewater treatment. The management and disposal of this sludge present a complex challenge that directly intersects with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning health, water quality, and sustainable infrastructure.

2.0 Health and Environmental Impacts: Threats to SDG 3 and SDG 6

The presence of PFAS in the environment poses a direct risk to human and ecological well-being, undermining progress toward key SDGs.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: PFAS are scientifically linked to cancer and other serious diseases. Their release into the environment through various sludge disposal methods creates pathways for human exposure, jeopardizing public health.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: While wastewater treatment is fundamental to SDG 6, the resulting biosolids can become a source of contamination. PFAS can leach from landfills into groundwater or be discharged from incinerator stacks and subsequently contaminate waterways, threatening the safety of water resources.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: Contamination affects the quality of life in urban and suburban areas. In Atlanta, the R.M. Clayton facility incinerates approximately 40% of the city’s sewage sludge, raising air quality concerns for nearby communities.

3.0 Current Biosolid Management Practices and Infrastructure Deficiencies

Current methods for disposing of biosolids are proving inadequate for addressing the PFAS crisis, highlighting a gap in sustainable infrastructure as outlined in SDG 9.

3.1 Common Disposal Methods

After being separated and treated, biosolids are typically managed in one of three ways, each with significant environmental drawbacks related to PFAS:

1. Landfilling: Allows PFAS to leach into soil and groundwater (conflicts with SDG 6).
2. Incineration: Can release PFAS and other toxic byproducts into the atmosphere, impacting air quality (conflicts with SDG 3 and SDG 11).
3. Fertilizer Application: Spreads PFAS directly onto agricultural land, contaminating soil, crops, and water runoff (conflicts with SDG 2, SDG 3, and SDG 6).

3.2 Incineration Ineffectiveness

Incineration is a common practice, with the EPA estimating that 16% of the nation’s sewage sludge was incinerated in 2022. However, this technology is failing to solve the PFAS problem.

• Most of the nearly 200 municipal incinerators in the U.S. were designed to reduce waste volume, not destroy complex chemicals like PFAS.
• Experts estimate that temperatures of at least 1,832°F are required to break down PFAS effectively.
• Current facilities operate at much lower temperatures. For example, Atlanta’s incinerators run at 1,250.6°F, and proposed incinerators in Cobb County would operate at a maximum of 1,459.5°F.
• Increasing incinerator temperatures to destroy PFAS would create a negative trade-off, increasing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, thereby conflicting with SDG 13: Climate Action.

4.0 The Need for Innovation and Research: A Call for SDG 9

The limitations of current technology underscore the urgent need for investment in research and development, a core component of SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

• Knowledge Gaps: The EPA can only detect and quantify about 50 of an estimated 15,000 types of PFAS. The toxicity levels of many identified chemicals remain unknown.
• Emerging Technologies: Researchers are exploring alternative destruction methods that are more effective and energy-efficient.
  • Pyrolysis: A process of heating materials without oxygen has been shown to destroy PFAS at lower temperatures than incineration. However, its adoption is extremely limited.
  • Chemical Augmentation: Research is underway to use additives like calcium during thermal treatment to transform PFAS into harmless inorganic fluorine at lower temperatures.
• Funding Limitations: Progress in these critical research areas is reportedly hampered by limited funding.

5.0 Regulatory Failures and Community Action: The Role of SDG 16 and SDG 11

Effective governance and community engagement are crucial for addressing the PFAS crisis, yet significant gaps remain, challenging the principles of SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

• Lack of Regulation: There are currently no federal regulations under the Clean Air Act that set limits on air emissions of PFAS from sewage sludge incinerators.
• Regulatory Rollbacks: Recent administrative actions have revoked federal regulations for PFAS in drinking water, weakening institutional protections.
• Community Advocacy: In the absence of strong regulatory action, community groups are beginning to mobilize. The Vinings Village Homeowners Association has formally requested that new incinerators meet high standards and has called for a study on the cumulative environmental health impacts in their area, demonstrating a grassroots effort to build a sustainable community as envisioned in SDG 11.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

The article discusses issues related to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily focusing on environmental health, water quality, and urban waste management. The following SDGs are addressed:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The central theme is the health threat posed by “forever chemicals” (PFAS), which are explicitly “linked to cancer and other diseases.” The concern of residents about “air quality” and the “cumulative environmental and health impacts” directly relates to ensuring healthy lives.
• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The article is rooted in the management of “sewage sludge,” a “byproduct of the wastewater treatment process.” It details how PFAS from this sludge can “leach into waterways” or “contaminate rivers,” directly impacting water quality and sanitation systems.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The issues are framed within an urban context, specifically involving the cities of Atlanta and Cobb County. The article focuses on municipal services like “sewage sludge” incineration and its impact on urban residents and air quality, which is a core component of making cities sustainable.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article highlights the limitations of current infrastructure (“Almost all the sewage sludge incinerators operating around the country were designed to reduce biosolid mass, not forever chemicals”). It also points to the need for innovation and research into new technologies like “pyrolysis” and other methods to destroy PFAS, as mentioned by researchers Thomas Borch and Feng Xiao.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: This goal is relevant through its focus on the environmentally sound management of waste. The entire article is a case study on the challenges of managing a specific waste stream (“sewage sludge” or “biosolids”) containing hazardous chemicals, and the environmental consequences of different disposal methods like incineration and landfilling.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: This is mentioned indirectly as a trade-off in waste management solutions. The article notes that running incinerators at the high temperatures needed to destroy PFAS would “increase energy demands and release more hazardous greenhouse gases,” linking waste management decisions to climate impacts.

Specific Targets Identified

Based on the article’s content, the following specific targets can be identified:

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
     
     Explanation: The article’s main focus is on the threat from toxic “forever chemicals” which are “linked to cancer and other diseases.” The discussion about PFAS in “incinerator exhaust,” their ability to “leach into waterways,” and the “concern is the potential for cumulative environmental and health impacts” directly aligns with reducing illness from chemical pollution.

2. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials.
     
     Explanation: The article describes how current sewage sludge management practices lead to the release of hazardous PFAS, which can “contaminate rivers.” The entire problem revolves around preventing the release of these chemicals from wastewater byproducts into the environment.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
     
     Explanation: The issue is centered on “municipal wastewater treatment” in Atlanta and Cobb County. The debate over incinerators, their emissions, and the management of “sewage sludge” is a direct example of a city grappling with its environmental impact through waste management and its effect on air quality for residents.

4. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle…and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.
     
     Explanation: The article is a detailed account of the failure to achieve environmentally sound management of waste (sewage sludge) containing chemicals (PFAS). It discusses how these chemicals are released into the “air,” “waterways,” and can “contaminate…crops from fertilizer,” highlighting the need to minimize adverse impacts.

5. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries…encouraging innovation.
     
     Explanation: The article repeatedly emphasizes that “scientists are still researching ways to destroy forever chemicals” and that current incinerator technology is inadequate. The mention of research into “pyrolysis” and other methods by university professors, who note that “funding is very limited,” points directly to the need for enhanced scientific research and innovation in this sector.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied

The article mentions or implies several indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Concentration of PFAS in air and water: While not giving specific numbers, the article is premised on the fact that PFAS “have been detected in sewage sludge incinerator exhaust” and can “contaminate rivers.” An implied indicator is the measurement of these chemical concentrations in the environment around waste facilities.
• Volume of waste treated by different methods: The article provides concrete data that serves as an indicator of waste management practices. It states the EPA “estimated 16% of the nation’s sewage sludge was incinerated in 2022” and that about “1 million tons of sludge per year” are burned in the U.S. Tracking this volume is a direct indicator for Target 11.6.
• Operating temperature of incinerators: The article specifies the temperatures of incinerators, noting Atlanta’s operate at “1,250.6 F” and Cobb’s proposed ones would operate at “1,459.5 F,” while experts estimate “1,832 degrees Fahrenheit” is needed to destroy PFAS. This temperature is a direct technical indicator of the infrastructure’s capability to manage hazardous chemicals.
• Greenhouse gas emissions from waste management: The article implies this indicator by stating that running hotter incinerators would “release more hazardous greenhouse gases.” This suggests that GHG emissions are a key metric in evaluating the sustainability of waste disposal solutions.
• Investment in research and development: The statement that “funding is very limited” for research into destroying PFAS implies that the level of R&D funding and the number of research projects are key indicators for progress under Target 9.5.
• Number of regulated chemicals: The article notes that while there are “nearly 15,000 kinds of forever chemicals,” the EPA “can detect and quantify only about 50,” and “no regulations exist for air emissions of forever chemicals.” The number of chemicals regulated and monitored is a direct indicator of institutional response to the problem.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: ajc.com