Maine Awards $3 Million for Research to Support Farmers Impacted by PFAS

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) announced today that the PFAS Fund has awarded $3 million to researchers to conduct studies that will help commercial farmers make informed decisions about utilizing agricultural property impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS chemicals from the application of municipal sludge and other sources have impacted 90 Maine farms to varying degrees. Until the practice was banned in Maine in 2022, sludge, or biosolids from wastewater treatment plants was used as a low-cost, abundant fertilizer on certain farms. Some of these biosolids contained PFAS, a class of widely used synthetic chemicals known for their ability to repel oil, grease, water, and heat. PFAS compounds are highly resistant to breaking down and can cycle through soil, water, plants, animals, and humans once released into the environment. Health effects linked to PFAS exposure include decreased vaccine response, increased cholesterol levels, reduced infant and fetal growth, heightened risk of kidney and testicular cancers, and pregnancy complications such as hypertension and pre-eclampsia.

The PFAS Fund received 22 grant applications requesting over $9 million. The application selection process was highly competitive. Each proposal was evaluated by a team of peer reviewers drawn from academia, State and Federal agencies, and the private sector.

The seven projects supported by the PFAS Fund include research on detection in soil and other media, uptake by animals and plants, and remediation from soil.

Full project descriptions are available at www.maine.gov/dacf/ag/pfas/pfas-fund-research.shtml.

• Caleb Goossen, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association Fractional Loading and Occurrence of Airborne Transfer of PFAS (FLOAT) $213,505
  Researching how PFAS-contaminated soil particles become airborne during tillage, informing strategies to minimize environmental and human exposure.
• Ling Li, University of Maine Effects of Biochar Aging, Application Ratio, and Low-Cost Modification on Reducing PFAS Uptake by Vegetables $467,240
  Exploring the use of biochar to reduce PFAS bioaccumulation in crops, offering practical solutions for farmers managing contaminated soils.
• Ellen Mallory, University of Maine Evaluating Precursor Transformation Contributions to Plant PFOS Uptake and Bioaccumulation $499,995
  Investigating how precursor compounds influence PFOS uptake by forage crops, with implications for food safety and animal health.
• Sharmila M. Mukhopadhyay, University of Maine Rapid Detection and Monitoring of PFAS in Water and Solids $496,432
  Developing portable, farmer-friendly sensors for fast, affordable PFAS testing directly on farms.
• Glenda Pereira Parente, University of Maine Evaluating PFAS Bioaccumulation and Depuration in Dairy Sheep and Lambs $499,989
  Modeling PFAS movement in livestock to guide mitigation strategies and protect the food supply.
• Elsie Sunderland, Harvard University Understanding and Managing the Transfer of Diverse PFAS in Biosolids-Impacted Soils to Poultry and Eggs $500,000
  Studying PFAS transfer pathways to chickens and eggs and testing practical farm interventions to minimize contamination.
• Xiaoxiao Zhao, University of Maine Energy-efficient PFAS Immobilization and Degradation in Soil Using Non-thermal Plasma Electrodes $284,869
  Pioneering a sustainable, low-energy technology for breaking down PFAS in soil without harming soil health.

The $60 million PFAS Fund was established by Governor Mills with bipartisan legislative support to provide impacted farmers with financial assistance, purchase contaminated farmland from willing sellers, accelerate research to help inform on-farm management decisions, and support health-related initiatives.

Further information about DACF's PFAS Fund and PFAS Response Program can be found online at www.maine.gov/dacf/ag/pfas/index.shtml. Because of the technical and financial support provided by DACF, the vast majority of PFAS-impacted farms have been able to adjust their operations and continue to farm safely.