Biosolids Research Support and Impact

BABC Supported Research Projects

PFAS Removal Through Thermal Drying

• Contribution: BABC contributed $50,000.

• Team: Led by Mary Martis, Parsons Corporation and Dr. Linda Lee, Purdue University.

  Goal: Investigate operating conditions that maximize PFAS removal and better understand fate of PFAS in a full-scale thermal dryer.

• Status: Active. To be conducted in 2025 - 2027.

Data-Driven Defense Against Biosolids Land Application Bans

• Contribution: BABC contributed $10,000.

• Team: National collaboration of biosolids agencies including Mid-Atlantic Biosolids Association, Northwest Biosolids, and California Association of Sanitation Agencies.

• Goal: Provide policymakers information on the impacts of landfilling biosolids so they can consider that in their decisions to propose or support policies that ban biosolids land application due to PFAS.

• Status: Active. To be conducted in 2025 - 2026.

National Collaborative PFAS Project Phase 2 - Crop Uptake of PFAS Following Land Application of Biosolids

• Contribution: BABC contributed $50,000 and some members will provide research sites and samples.

• Team: Dr. Ian Pepper and his research team at the University of Arizona Water & Energy Sustainable Technology (WEST) Center.

• Goal: Investigate crop uptake of PFAS in soils with a history of land applied municipal biosolids.

• Status: Active. Phase 2 to be conducted in 2025 - 2026.

Biosolids Emissions Assessment Model (BEAM) Updates

• Contribution: BABC contributed $5,000 towards the effort to update the model in 2022.

• Team: North East Biosolids & Residuals Association and Northwest Biosolids.

• Goal: Update the BEAM model with the latest calculation methods, inputs, and emission factors.

• Status: Complete. Review was conducted in 2021 - 2022.

• Publications:

  • BEAM

  • BABC Website Post

EPA Evaluation of Pollutants in Biosolids

• Contribution: Some BABC members submitted samples.

• Team: Dr. Carsten Prasse and his research team at John Hopkins University.

• Goal: Identify previously unknown contaminants in biosolids that may be regulated in the future. For more information, refer to this link.

• Status: Paused. Project started in 2021 with $1.498 million EPA grant. Project was defunded in 2025 near the project end, with approximately $300k and 1 - 1.5 years of work remaining.

• Key finding: Identified 43 compounds to be evaluated for toxicity potential, soil migration, and plant uptake.

• Publications:

  • Research Paper with Initial Results

National Collaborative PFAS Project Phase I - Incidence and Mobility of PFAS Following Land Application of Biosolids

• Contribution: BABC contributed $25,000, and some BABC members provided research sites and samples.

• Team: Dr. Ian Pepper and his research team at the University of Arizona WEST Center.

• Goal: Investigate the incidence and mobility of PFAS in soils with a history of land applied municipal biosolids.

• Status: Complete. Phase I of project conducted in 2022 - 2024.

• Key finding: PFAS in municipal biosolids unlikely to migrate to groundwater.

• Publications:

  • Research Paper

  • Phase I National PFAS Report

  • BABC Website Post

Virginia Tech Carbon Sequestration Meta-Analysis

• Contribution: BABC members assisted with research paper review.

• Team: Led by Dr. Mike Badzmierousk, Virginia Tech.

• Goal: Conduct a meta-analysis of papers studying carbon sequestration from land application of biosolids.

• Status: In progress. Project started in 2022.

UC Davis Research Evaluating Potential Plant Uptake of PFAS

• Contribution: BABC contributed $64,500 and connected researchers with sampling sites.

• Team: Dr. Thomas young and his research team at UC Davis

• Goal: Evaluate the uptake of PFAS in dry farmed oats following the application of biosolids and compost.

• Status: Complete. Project conducted in 2020 - 2023.

• Key finding: No measurable PFAS uptake in dry farmed oats grown on fields where biosolids were applied.

• Publications:

  • Research Paper

  • BABC Website Post

UC Merced Research of Carbon Sequestration from Biosolids Land Application

• Contribution: BABC contributed $50,000 and connected researchers with sampling sites.

• Team: Dr. Rebecca Ryals and her research team at UC Merced.

• Goal: Evaluate carbon sequestration on ranches in Northern California that land apply biosolids to improve soil fertility.

• Status: Complete. Project conducted in 2017 - 2018.

• Key finding: Biosolids increased soil organic carbon content.

• Publications:

  • Research Paper

  • BABC Website Post