Quebec adopts new code to regulate 'forever chemicals' in biosolids

The presence and concentration of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," in fertilizing residual materials will be monitored under new standards in Quebec through a management code, according to Quebec's Environment Ministry.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a class of thousands of chemicals used in a wide range of products, from food containers to clothing to natural fertilizers. 

Quebec's code on the management of fertilizing residual materials such as sewage sludge, also sometimes known as biosolids — which come from treating municipal or industrial wastewater — will take effect Nov. 1.

Biosolids are sometimes used as natural fertilizers to provide nutrients for farmland. However, their potential to cause a health hazard by contaminating crops has also raised concerns.

The government says residual materials play a key role in fertilizing crops and improving soil health, thanks to its richness in fertilizing elements and organic matter.

The ministry says it wants to guarantee the safe recovery of these materials to reduce environmental and health risks and preventively manage residual fertilizers. Overall, it said the picture in Quebec is "reassuring."

The management code announced this month by Quebec takes into account a total of 13 types of substances and includes monitoring guidelines, according to the ministry.

The government says the 13 substances are monitored and serve as indicators of the chemical's presence in the fertilizing residual materials.

These could be chemicals that are more prevalent in the industry, says Grant Clark, associate professor of bioresource engineering at McGill University. 

While he does not know the exact reasoning behind the formulation of the list, he says the choice may relate to their potential toxicity, health risk or value. 

Use of organic residue goes back centuries, says professor 

Quebec and Canada have legislated the use of biosolids, but Clark says the use of organic residue and materials on agricultural fields in particular goes back centuries.

"This is all part of the idea of the circular economy," said Clark. "We don't want to take those materials and just label them as waste and bury them on a landfill … we want to look at those materials as potential resources."

But he says the controversy surrounding the materials has developed because of the risk of potentially hazardous material. PFAS are a class of chemicals that can be found in fertilizing residual materials like biosolids, he says.

"Consider what goes down the drain at your house … your shower water and the toilet water when you flush it, you may also be using chemicals in your house to clean the drain pipes," said Clark. 

"Of course people are concerned because we're proposing to use and we already do use about half of the biosolids in Canada generally on our agricultural fields."

Depending on the source, he says, there may be more or less contamination.

Federal government to add PFAS to list of toxic substances 

Earlier this month, the federal government announced it is moving to add PFAS to the official list of toxic substances.

PFAS are widely used in many everyday products including packaging, cosmetics, textiles, water-repellent coatings and firefighting foam.

The chemicals have increasingly been linked to human health problems, such as increasing cancer risk and reproductive issues. The same qualities that make them useful also make them very persistent in the environment, accumulating in water sources, animals and eventually, human bodies.

According to the government of Quebec, a few studies suggest that in the long term, some PFAS may affect the liver, the immune system, the kidneys and the thyroid.

In December, some Eastern Townships mayors asked the provincial government to launch public consultations on monitoring the spread of fertilizer made from residue, including treated sewage sludge.

Eighteen municipalities that make up the Val-Saint-François regional county municipality unanimously adopted a resolution on the matter at the mayors' council meeting on Dec. 11.