PFAS in Agroecosystems Research and Extension Network

Background

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in a wide range of industrial and household products due to their stain resistant and water repelling properties. For example, they are used in non-stick cookware and in water-repellent and stain-resistant coatings for clothing, carpets, and furniture. Unfortunately, the chemical structures of PFAS also make these substances highly resistant to degradation, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals”.

Because of their widespread usage and resistance to degradation, they persist through wastewater treatment plants worldwide and are inadvertently introduced into the natural environment during the beneficial reuse of biosolids and/or treated wastewater. PFAS are also widely used in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), making airports, military training sites, and firefighting training sites sources of these chemicals. Their occurrence in the environment has been a topic of increasing public concern, given that some PFAS chemicals are known carcinogens, with impacts to human and ecosystem health at concentrations below the limit of detection of current analytical methods. However, despite these concerns and restrictions, minimal research is being conducted on PFAS in agroecosystems, leading to an inability to provide the information necessary to assist stakeholders with decision-making or to inform policy development in a timely manner.

PA-Specific Concerns

In Pennsylvania, state-level drinking water quality standards preceded new federal drinking water standards. However, more than 1 million private wells in the Commonwealth, which provide drinking water to more than 3 million residents, and may need assistance in determining if their drinking water contains unsafe levels of PFAS. More than 600 farms across Pennsylvania beneficially reuse domestic wastewater residuals, including land-application of biosolids or wastewater irrigation. This reuse inadvertently introduces PFAS into the agroecosystem, where impacts to soil, water, and crops are still unclear. PSU Extension receives many PFAS-related questions for which no research-based guidance exists. Further, state-level programs and policies (other than for drinking water) do not yet exist. Research addressing stakeholder needs and informing new policies is urgently needed. Such research requires an interdisciplinary team of researchers and extension educators, with expertise in three broad categories: (i) plant and animal science; (ii) natural resources; and (iii) toxicology and ecotoxicology.

To address these research and extension needs, we created the Penn State Research and Extension Network for PFAS in Agroecosystems.

People

Daniela Carrijo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist of Grain Crop Production
Department of Plant Science

Faith Kibuye, Ph.D.
Water Resources Extension Associate
Department of Ecosystem Science and Management

Enrique Gomez, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering
Interim Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion for the College of Engineering

Tyler Groh, Ph.D.
Assistance Research Professor
Watershed Management Extension Specialist

Odette Mina, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Managing Director of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Laboratories

Hlengilizwe Niyoni, Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Environmental Contaminants Analytical Laboratory

Gary Perdew, Ph.D.
Professor and H. Thomas and Dorothy Willits Hallowell Chair in Agricultural Sciences
Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

Heather Preisendanz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Director, Institute for Sustainable Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Science