Grantee Research Project Results
Developing Integrated Mitigation Strategies to Help Farmers Reduce PFAS Risks in Forage and Livestock Systems
EPA Grant Number: R840949Title: Developing Integrated Mitigation Strategies to Help Farmers Reduce PFAS Risks in Forage and Livestock Systems
Investigators: Mallory, Ellen , Romero, Juan , MacRae, Jean , Pereira, Glenda , Nishimwe, Kizito
Institution: University of Maine
EPA Project Officer: Brooks, Donald
Project Period: September 1, 2024 through May 10, 2025
Project Amount: $1,599,998
RFA: Research for Understanding PFAS Uptake and Bioaccumulation in Plant and Animals in Agricultural, Rural, and Tribal Communities Request for Applications (RFA) (2024) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Justice , Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil/Water , PFAS Detection , PFAS Treatment , Urban Air Toxics , Watersheds
Objective:
The overall goal of this project is to equip farmers with a set of integrated and scalable PFAS mitigation strategies, targeting key points of PFAS transfer, to reduce the risks associated with producing forages, milk, and meat on PFAS contaminated soil. Objectives are:
1. Identify crop management strategies to reduce PFAS uptake by forage crops.
Hypothesis: Crop species, harvested product, and harvest seasonality will lower forage PFAS concentrations the most. Harvesting perennial forages at later maturity stages and lower cutting heights will produce moderate reductions and be associated with lower forage quality.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of a livestock feed binder to reduce PFAS concentrations in milk and meat.
Hypothesis: A previously selected PFAS feed binder, cholestyramine, will prevent the gastrointestinal absorption of dietary PFAS in dairy sheep, resulting in increased PFAS excretion via feces, reduced PFAS plasma levels, and decreased PFOS levels in milk and muscle.
3. Quantify the effects of the feed binder on PFAS partitioning between liquid and solid components of anaerobic digestate to determine if the nutrient-rich liquid is safe to apply to fields without continuing the contamination cycle.
Hypothesis: Use of the feed binder will result in less PFAS partitioning to the liquid phase and reduce the bioavailability of PFAS to the microbial community in the anaerobic digester, improving gas yield.
4. Support the adoption of PFAS mitigation strategies by forage, dairy, and meat producers. Hypothesis: Outreach activities will increase understanding and use of PFAS mitigation strategies, and increase connection, trust, and networking among impacted communities.
Approach:
We will conduct: 1. a replicated field trial and farmer-driven strip trials, 2. a dairy sheep feeding trial, 3. a laboratory study of manure digestion, and 4. a variety of outreach events and products.
Expected Results:
This project will produce actionable information for farmers, farm advisors, and policy-makers to use in short-term responses to PFAS contamination, and contribute critically needed data for longer-term responses to this widespread emerging pollutant.
Supplemental Keywords:
soil, transfer factor, bioaccumulation factorThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.