The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on September 4 more than $15 million in research grant funding to 10 institutions for research to reduce per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure from food and protect farmlands and farming communities.
These community-engaged research projects will collect PFAS bioaccumulation data in agricultural plants and livestock and explore strategies for reducing PFAS exposure.
Using the EPA’s funding, research teams will investigate topics including how PFAS accumulates in crops and livestock; the effects of biosolids, compost and irrigation water on PFAS plant uptake and accumulation; and strategies to reduce the risks of PFAS contamination in the food supply.
The following institutions have been selected for awards, which are contingent on completion of all legal and administrative requirements relating to the grant:
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan - Comprehensive Evaluation of Fate, Transport, Bioaccumulation and Management Solution of PFAS on a Crop and Livestock Farm that Received Biosolids.
- Passamaquoddy Tribe, Sipayik Environmental Department, Pleasant Point, Maine - PFAS Accumulation in Finfish and Shellfish Species within the Coastal and Inland Waters of the Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) Homelands.
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Investigating the Effects of Irrigation Water, Compost and Biosolid Qualities on PFAS Uptake by Edible Crops in Urban Gardens and Farms.
- Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas - PFAS-MAPS: PFAS Mitigation and Monitoring in Amended Plant Systems.
- Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas - Evaluating and Mitigating Bioaccumulation of PFAS in Plant, Mammalian and Aquaculture Systems.
- University at Albany, State University of New York Albany, New York - Practical Management of PFAS Contaminated Agricultural Soil Using an Innovative Platform Integrating Experimental Research and Machine Learning Approaches.
- University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois - Plant Uptake and Mitigation of PFAS Associated with Sewage Effluent and Biosolids Application in Tile-Drained Field.
- University of Maine, Orono, Maine - Developing Integrated Mitigation Strategies to Help Farmers Reduce PFAS Risks in Forage and Livestock Systems.
- University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah - PFAS in Land-applied Biosolids in Agricultural Settings: A Mechanistic Understanding on Fate and Mitigation.
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia - Novel, Bio-enabled Strategies to Prevent Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Accumulation in Crops and Food Webs.
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NGWA has long been an industry leader in providing PFAS research, education, and resources to the public and scientific communities. Click here to visit the resource center, which features updated top-10 facts sheet, a position paper, and more.