This inconsistent D.C. winter has me itching for spring, which for me means gardening. I’m seeing more than ever the benefits of growing my own food—from looming tariffs to bird influenza.
According to a recent Washington Post article, it seems not even our gardens are safe from PFAS contamination, otherwise known as ‘forever chemicals.’
There’s growing evidence that PFAS may be infiltrating our food supply. While the immediate human health risks of garden fertilizer appear low, there are other threats we must consider.
The first is drinking water. Like the name suggests, PFAS last forever and can take years to infiltrate soil and groundwater—making their full risks not immediately detectable. Some members of the PFAS family are precursors and can be transformed into more harmful chemicals over time.
PFAS can also contaminate our rivers and streams. In the D.C. area, all waterways lead to Chesapeake Bay—one of the country’s most important nurseries for fish and shellfish. If you enjoy eating a Maryland blue crab feast or fresh local rockfish, you’ll want to keep these toxins out of Chesapeake Bay.
The fish we consume can absorb and accumulate high levels of PFAS and other pollutants like mercury. This is especially challenging for people who rely on subsistence fishing around the Bay for protein. At least 20 of Maryland’s waterways have fish consumption advisories for PFAS, with the most stringent recommendation being to avoid fish caught in Piscataway Creek entirely. As of 2022, 78 percent of the Chesapeake Bay’s tidal segments were partially or fully impaired by toxic contaminants.
Pollution doesn’t respect state lines, and toxic contamination from upstream states and cities eventually flows into the Bay. According to a recent CBF poll, 86 percent of residents in the Chesapeake Bay region believe removing toxic contaminants is necessary to clean the Bay.
Working together will be key. This year, scientists and policy leaders from the six states around the Chesapeake Bay watershed are negotiating how we can best unite to clean up the Chesapeake Bay in the coming years.
The 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement includes a goal to free the Bay and its rivers from toxic threats to people and wildlife, among other goals. As states and the federal government work to update the Bay Agreement in 2025, it’s paramount that we emphasize preventing toxic contamination across state lines to protect our environment and prioritize human health.
Gussie Maguire, CBF Maryland Staff Scientist
