“The main outcome of this project will be to empower agricultural communities and wastewater professionals with an increased ability to manage PFAS risk associated with the beneficial uses of biosolids and reclaimed water,” said Chu.
In 2021, the US generated approximately 4.5 million dry metric tons of biosolids, with 25% used for agricultural application. In 2018, approximately 1.5 million acres of agricultural land in the United States were irrigated with recycled or reclaimed water to address the water scarcity concern. Land applications of biosolids and recycling water is economically beneficial; however, the potential for PFAS contamination creates concerns over the safety of these practices. The ability to accurately monitor and mitigate PFAS has the potential to reduce the contamination risk, allowing these beneficial uses to become safer, more common practices.
“Our long-term goal is to comprehensively understand PFAS uptake and bioaccumulation in plants across various nutrient conditions, to advance strategies for PFAS remediation in biosolid/soil, minimize PFAS uptake by plants, and develop real-time monitoring tools for PFAS in biosolids, biosolid-amended soils, and irrigation water,” said Chu.
Source : tamu.edu