PFAS Testing for Soils and Crop Tissues

By Faith Kibuye and Kelly Kosiarski

How do PFAS get into Farms? 

There are two main ways for soil and planted crops to be exposed to PFAS. The first way is through on-site agricultural practices that may introduce PFAS directly to farms. These management activities can include

1.  irrigation with PFAS-contaminated water like treated wastewater effluent or contaminated groundwater (e.g., wells) and surface water sources (e.g., ponds, streams, and lakes), and 
2. land application of PFAS-contaminated biosolids or wastewater residuals.

PFAS may also be introduced to farm systems through factors that are beyond farm management activities, such as proximity to a potential point source. Potential point sources include industrial discharges from wastewater treatment plants or manufacturing sites, landfills, and areas where aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) was utilized in the past (airports, military training bases, and fire training areas).