Uptake of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Mixed Forages on Biosolid-Amended Farm Fields

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 2024-10, Vol.72 (42), p.23108-23117
• Main Authors: Simones, Thomas L., Evans, Chris, Goossen, Caleb P., Kersbergen, Richard, Mallory, Ellen B., Genualdi, Susan, Young, Wendy, Smith, Andrew E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c02078

Models to predict perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) concentrations in livestock based on soil concentrations are essential to guide decisions surrounding food testing and farm management. A key parameter in modeling soil-to-livestock exposure pathways is the plant transfer factor (TF) from soil into forages. Uptake of PFOS and other individual per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were examined in perennial mixed grasses and legumes on PFAS-contaminated farm fields. In a field plot study, PFOS TFs were similar within each plot over three consecutive years but varied 10-fold among the four plots with mean TFs ranging from 0.026 to 0.27. In a multifarm field survey study, mean PFOS TFs ranged from 0.039 to 0.37. Increasing concentrations of two PFOS precursors in soil were significantly associated with increasing PFOS TFs. These data represent a substantial increase in empirical observations of PFAS TFs for grass-based forages for use in modeling soil-to-livestock exposure scenarios.