Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are not only persistent in the environment, but this group of chemicals also remains persistent in the daily news cycle.  This will likely remain the case for the foreseeable future, especially as new studies and data are released, and new legislation is proposed. Below, we look at a recently published study focused on PFAS from landfill gases as well as legislative and legal developments regarding PFAS and agriculture.

PFAS From Landfill Gases

Data and research have well documented the presence of PFAS in landfill leachate. There is significantly less research regarding the quantity of volatile PFAS emitted from landfill gases.

A recently published paper in Environmental Science and Technology provides some data and insight on the issue of volatile PFAS from uncollected landfill gases in the United States.  The paper was published in November 2025.

The study included 30 landfills in a variety of climatic conditions in 17 US States.

The study sites were primarily Municipal Solid Waste Landfills with “small amounts of construction and demolition (C&D) wastes and biosolids.”  To account for temporal variability, landfills were sampled up to four times.

The study’s data show that PFAS concentrations varied by orders of magnitude, with a median concentration of 19,000 ng/m³ (nanograms/cubic meter). Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOH), 6:2 and 8:2 FTOH, were the dominant PFAS detected.

The results also revealed that PFAS concentrations were the highest in landfills with ages of 30–60 years, compared to PFAS concentrations at landfills less than 30 years old and greater than 60 years old.  This observation is contrary to a recent laboratory-scale study in which PFAS were released early in the decomposition cycle.  According to the authors of the study, “This difference is perhaps due to the timing of waste deposition.  In a lab-scale batch reactor, waste is deposited at a single time point, and waste decomposes at the same time.  In a field-scale landfill, waste is continuously deposited, resulting in waste with varying states of decomposition.”

This study concludes that uncollected landfill gases in the US are estimated to release 836 kg (kilograms) of volatile PFAS.  In comparison, current research estimates that approximately 600 kg of PFAS are released via landfill leachate.

The fate, transport, and toxicity of PFAS from landfill gases were not part of this study.

See the publication for more details:  “Nationwide Estimate of Volatile Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) Emissions from U.S. Landfills via Landfill Gas.”

Legislation to Address Farms Impacted by PFAS

The bicameral, bipartisan reintroduction of the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act was recently announced.  The bills’ sponsors are U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Mike Lawler (R-New York).

The bill was originally introduced on March 9, 2023.

The Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act would provide “significant funding” for state-led PFAS responses and establish a task force at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) charged with identifying existing USDA programs that can support impacted producers.  Specifically, the bill would support:

• Providing financial assistance to affected farmers.
• Building capacity for PFAS testing for soil or water sources.
• Monitoring blood for individuals to make informed decisions about their health.
• Upgrading or purchasing equipment to ensure a farm remains profitable during or after known PFAS contamination.
• Developing alternative production systems or remediation strategies.
• Developing educational programs for farmers experiencing PFAS contamination.
• Researching soil and water remediation systems and the viability of those systems for farms.

See the Press Release from Susan Collins (R), Maine, and the Press Release from Chellie Pingree (D), Maine.

Farmers v. EPA

On September 29, 2025, the US District Court for the District of Columbia dismissed a lawsuit (Farmers v. EPA) brought by Texas farmers and others.  The lawsuit alleged that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) failed to regulate that PFAS in sewage sludge used as fertilizer (biosolids) violates federal law.

The EPA’s biennial reports have listed certain PFAS as being present in biosolids.  The EPA has not promulgated any corresponding regulations.

In a blog by Clark Hill, they state, “The court…held that while the EPA does have a non-discretionary duty to review its regulations on a biennial basis, the EPA is not required to also ‘identify and regulate’ sewage-sludge pollutants within the same time frame.  As a result, because Congress did not set a ‘date-certain deadline’ for regulation itself, the farmers could not utilize the Clean Water Act’s failure-to-perform provisions to compel EPA action to do so.”

While this lawsuit was dismissed, expect continued PFAS litigation in 2026 and beyond.

PFAS and Agriculture Resources

For more information on how PFAS have affected agriculture, see the following Dragun Resources:

• Agricultural Environmental Resources
• PFAS Resources Page
• Nitrate, PFAS, and Agriculture
• PFAS Land Application Banned, NPDES Permits, and Class Action
• Should farmers be concerned about PFAS?
• The Politics of the Environment and PFAS Update

PFAS Technical Expertise

If you have questions or need assistance with a PFAS-related issue, we can help.  We have hands-on experience in the assessment/remediation of PFAS, and we have provided litigation support on several projects involving PFAS.  For more information, contact Jeffrey Bolin, M.S., CHMM, at 248-932-0228, Ext. 125.

Alan Hahn drafted this blog.  Alan has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and completed a graduate program in Environmental Management.  He has worked in environmental management for more than 45 years.  He has written hundreds of blogs and articles.  His published work includes Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Detroiter, Michigan Forward, GreenStone Partners, Manure Manager Magazine, Progressive Dairy, and HazMat Magazine.

Jeffrey Bolin, M.S., reviewed this blog.  Jeff is a partner and senior scientist at Dragun Corporation.  He is a published author, a frequent speaker, and an expert witness.  His expertise in environmental due diligence, PFAS, vapor intrusion, and site assessments has led to projects in the US, Canada, and overseas.  See Jeff’s Bio.  

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