By Karlee VanAntwerp
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched a new research grant program to combat farmland contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
The program will give up to $400,000 for projects such as research about PFAS sources, soil dynamics and mitigating and remediating contamination.
PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” are widely used, long lasting chemicals that break down slowly. They have been found in human and animal blood, as well as in food products, water, soil and air, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“They are used to make clothes waterproof, firefighting foam and nonstick cookware, making them widespread within the environment and creating multiple exposure pathways for them to get into human bodies,” said Samantha Pickering, the public and environmental health policy manager at the Michigan Environmental Council.
Exposure is associated with health risks, including cancers, liver toxicity, immune system impairment and adverse reproductive effects like low birth-weight, she said.
Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring said his agency is one of the first in the country to start a research grant program “dedicated to understanding how PFAS influences agricultural systems.”
Pickering said, “It’s incredibly necessary to continue to research the nuances of these chemicals. Michigan is an agricultural state, so any additional funding offered here is a good thing.”
“Once soil or water is contaminated with PFAS, they can become widespread. If the contamination is near any farmland, the crops can take the chemicals up through their roots and end up in certain crops that humans and other animals consume,” she said.
“If farm animals consume contaminated food or water, it can bioaccumulate in their bodies. And if humans consume any product from the animal, they can be exposed to the chemicals,” she said.
She said more research into how these chemicals behave is essential in developing solutions to mitigate the dangers, but the best way to alleviate exposure to PFAS is through preventive measures like banning them from being introduced into the environment in the first place.