5 ms·

"Industrial waste" can cover a lot of different types of materials - not all of which are worthless. It would be worse if waste products from one industry are s

by speff 1y ago

"Industrial waste" can cover a lot of different types of materials - not all of which are worthless. It would be worse if waste products from one industry are sent to a dump when they can be re-used for other productive purposes.

hammock 1y ago
One might argue it would not be worse for PFAS to remain in a dump rather than spread on fields of food we will eat or water we will drink
- speff 1y ago
  I'm pretty sure everyone would take that position so I'm confused why you're implying I wouldn't. "authorities currently favor one explanation for the pollution" Tells me that they don't have proof this is the source of the PFAS pollution. If they did, they wouldn't "favor" the explanation, they would just say that's the explanation. I don't support making wide changes based on hunches. Sure - replace the fertilizer with something else for a while and see if that changes the PFAS levels. If it does, sure ban the paper products from being used as fertilizer. But there is a cost associated w/ doing that and that cost has higher-order effects.
  - margalabargala 1y ago
    > replace the fertilizer with something else for a while and see if that changes the PFAS levels. If it does, sure ban the paper products from being used as fertilizer. Or, just ban things with high levels of pfas being used as fertilizer, and test the paper slurry?
    - speff 1y ago
      That would be a valid solution, yes. But it sounds a bit too simple? My concern here is - wouldn't someone have already tested the slurry and made the determination that's it's suitable/unsuitable? This article doesn't really go into the details there
      - cluckindan 1y ago
        PFAS testing is still not a common thing, except in areas where it has already caused health issues to people.
      - margalabargala 1y ago
        PFAS contamination wasn't really a thing on anyone's radar until relatively recently. For all we know, the the critera being used for "is this suitable as fertilizer" did not go beyond "has it got what plants crave", and "and also doesn't contain poison" didn't make the list.

by speff 1y ago

hammock 1y ago

One might argue it would not be worse for PFAS to remain in a dump rather than spread on fields of food we will eat or water we will drink

speff 1y ago
I'm pretty sure everyone would take that position so I'm confused why you're implying I wouldn't. "authorities currently favor one explanation for the pollution" Tells me that they don't have proof this is the source of the PFAS pollution. If they did, they wouldn't "favor" the explanation, they would just say that's the explanation. I don't support making wide changes based on hunches. Sure - replace the fertilizer with something else for a while and see if that changes the PFAS levels. If it does, sure ban the paper products from being used as fertilizer. But there is a cost associated w/ doing that and that cost has higher-order effects.
- margalabargala 1y ago
  > replace the fertilizer with something else for a while and see if that changes the PFAS levels. If it does, sure ban the paper products from being used as fertilizer. Or, just ban things with high levels of pfas being used as fertilizer, and test the paper slurry?
  - speff 1y ago
    That would be a valid solution, yes. But it sounds a bit too simple? My concern here is - wouldn't someone have already tested the slurry and made the determination that's it's suitable/unsuitable? This article doesn't really go into the details there
    - cluckindan 1y ago
      PFAS testing is still not a common thing, except in areas where it has already caused health issues to people.
    - margalabargala 1y ago
      PFAS contamination wasn't really a thing on anyone's radar until relatively recently. For all we know, the the critera being used for "is this suitable as fertilizer" did not go beyond "has it got what plants crave", and "and also doesn't contain poison" didn't make the list.