This project is part of a $15 million multi-institution effort to research ways to reduce per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure from food and farming communities.

Texas Tech University’s Department of Civil, Environmental, & Construction Engineering has earned a $1.6 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to investigate sources and mitigation of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) sources in farming operations. 

This project is part of over $15 million in total grant funding the EPA hopes will enable 10 institutions to discover methods of reducing PFAS in food, farmland and farming communities. PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals most people in the U.S. have been exposed to through soil, air, water and food. PFAS have been widely used in industry and consumer products (such as food packaging and stain-repellent coatings) since the 1940s and are resistant to environmental and metabolic degradation. This can lead to accumulation in the environment and organisms including humans. 

In the case of humans, some PFAS are associated with health impacts such as increased risks of cancers. These environmental and human health risks are why Jennifer Guelfo, associate professor of environmental engineering in the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, aims to develop strategies that will prevent PFAS impacts from happening at agricultural facilities and mitigate effects that already have occurred. 

“PFAS are a growing challenge for those who own and operate agricultural facilities,” Guelfo explained. “PFAS impacts have caused issues, including sick livestock, PFAS-impacted products (meat, dairy and produce) and loss of property value. Farmers have experienced health impacts, and if impacted products are inadvertently sold to the public, there is also a broader public health risk.”

There are numerous ways PFAS are introduced to agricultural operations, including contaminated fertilizer, groundwater wells used for irrigation and drinking water, and impacted feed. Given the persistence and health hazard of PFAS, it is important to understand how these chemicals accumulate in agricultural plants and animals, potentially contaminating the food supply.

Guelfo is the principal investigator of Texas Tech’s community-engaged project titled “Evaluating and Mitigating Bioaccumulation of PFAS in Plant, Mammalian, and Aquaculture Systems.” She is joined by Todd Anderson, professor of environmental chemistry; Jordan Crago, associate professor of aquatic toxicology; Evan Gray, assistant professor of environmental engineering; W. Andrew Jackson, department chair of environmental engineering; and Shane Walker, director of the Water and the Environment Research (WATER) Center.

During the next four years, these researchers will:

• Conduct a detailed survey and characterization of the impacts of manure and biosolid pre-application treatment or processing through lab and modeling studies
• Use plant cultivation studies to measure PFAS partitioning and bioavailability as a function of soil type and biosolid amendment
• Observe fish cultivation to measure PFAS uptake, partitioning, and elimination due to exposure to water and dietary sources among other potential PFAS sources 
• Analyze data from lab studies to form PFAS management strategies in agricultural settings

“Once a facility is impacted there are few options to help resume normal operation, which has led to extreme scenarios such as euthanizing entire herds of livestock, loss of property, and loss of livelihood,” Guelfo said. “As an urban area in the middle of a very agricultural region, this project is a unique opportunity for Texas Tech to pursue research that will be beneficial at local, national and international levels.

“We are excited to work with local agricultural stakeholders who will review our strategies to help ensure they are realistic for implementation in real-world facilities.”

More details about Texas Tech’s contribution to this EPA initiative can be found here.