Happy Eco News: Removing Forever Chemicals from Farmlands Gets Easier with New Eco-Friendly, Affordable Method

Removing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS - aka forever chemicals) from farmlands could soon become far cheaper and far less destructive. PFAs resist breaking down and have built up in soil for decades. Much of that contamination traces back to sewage sludge once used as fertilizer. A new Yale-led study outlines a three-step process using plants, rock dust, and biochar. Researchers say it could work within a single decade. Basalt rock dust spread across farmland actually makes PFAS more available for uptake by nearby plants. Hemp and certain perennial grasses then draw the loosened PFAS out of the soil. Harvested plants next go through a heating process to make biochar. That destroys much of the remaining PFAs. Read ON.