The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is investing more than $16 million for 10 U.S. institutions to further research PFAS uptake and bioaccumulation in plants, as well as strategies to remediate PFAS in biosolids.
Institutions ranging from Texas A&M University to Michigan State University and the University of Virginia will split the funding aimed at reducing exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from food and safeguarding farmlands and farming communities.
“Farming communities are the backbone of our nation,” said Christopher Frey, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “The research enabled by these grants will expand our understanding of PFAS effects on our farmlands and food supply, helping to ensure the sustainability of our agricultural communities for the future.”
Texas A&M University will use its $1.6 million in funding to investigate PFAS absorption and accumulation in plants, as well as develop remediation strategies for PFAS in biosolids and biosolid-treated soils. The project will focus on creating plant-based biosensors to detect PFAS in biosolids, soils, and water, and testing technologies to remediate PFAS, reducing its availability to plants in treated soils.
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Texas Tech University will also receive $1.6 million to study non-traditional sources of PFAS in farming, including the effects of manure and biosolid treatments. Researchers will analyze PFAS distribution in plants and fish, exploring how factors such as soil type and water sources influence PFAS uptake. The team will use lab-based findings to assess PFAS management strategies, providing critical insights for agricultural settings.
PFAS, often referred to as “forever chemicals,” have been widely used since the 1940s due to their resistance to heat, oil, and water. However, their persistence in the environment and potential to bioaccumulate pose significant health risks. With EPA funding, these research efforts will focus on understanding how PFAS impacts crops, livestock, and the broader food system, while developing strategies to mitigate these risks in farming communities.
In February, a group of Texas farmers launched a lawsuit against a Maryland-based company, which also produces biosolids in Canada, over claims their farms were damaged by a biosolids-based fertilizer contaminated with PFAS.
In June, the same plaintiffs turned their legal focus to the EPA with allegations that the agency has failed to adequately regulate PFAS in fertilizer.
In a September filing for the lawsuit, the EPA pushed to dismiss the case under the defence that the agency is not obligated to regulate PFAS in biosolids.
