UVA Engineering professor awarded $1.6M EPA grant to reduce PFAS accumulation in crops

(Press-News.org) Associate professor of chemical engineering Bryan Berger received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, in food and farming communities.

The award is part of the over $15 million the EPA granted to 10 institutions for PFAS reduction research, aimed at improving farm viability and increasing knowledge of PFAS accumulation. 

Water sample collection for testing in Limestone, Maine. (Contributed photo)

Known as forever chemicals, PFAS are man-made substances that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. They often do not easily degrade and can build up in the environment or human body, potentially causing damage. The chemicals can be found in soil, air, water, food and in materials in our homes. 

“PFAS adversely affects the health of farmers, animals and crops, threatens the livelihoods of farmers and ultimately harms the well-being of entire communities,” Berger said. “This collaborative work with growers, tribal communities and researchers will help us understand the full scope of the issue on farms, identify and remove sources of potential contamination and find sustainable ways to mitigate it.” 

To understand how PFAS accumulates and impacts food sources, Berger and a team of researchers will study how the chemicals permeate soil and crops from contaminated irrigation water, evaluate how that uptake is influenced by other chemicals and environmental conditions, and develop tools for farms to identify sources of PFAS. Early work to support key experiments leading to this opportunity was provided by the Jefferson Trust. 

For the study, researchers will collect samples of animal and plant tissue to determine how PFAS accumulates in food webs and how they may spread to native plants of cultural importance to tribal communities. The team hopes to develop recommendations for growers on how to reduce PFAS levels. 

Additionally, the project will provide critical data for understanding how tribal and rural communities who are especially at risk are exposed to PFAS to help protect them. 

The research team also includes Michael P. Timko, the Lewis & Clark Professor of Biology at the University of Virginia, among others.

About UVA Engineering: As part of the top-ranked, comprehensive University of Virginia, UVA Engineering is one of the nation’s oldest and most respected engineering schools. Our mission is to make the world a better place by creating and disseminating knowledge and by preparing future engineering leaders. Outstanding students and faculty from around the world choose UVA Engineering because of our growing and internationally recognized education and research programs. UVA is the No. 1 public engineering school in the country for the percentage of women graduates, among schools with at least 75 degree earners; among the top engineering schools in the United States for the four-year graduation rate of undergraduate students; and among the top-growing public engineering schools in the country for the rate of Ph.D. enrollment growth. Our research program has grown by 95% since 2016. Learn more at engineering.virginia.edu.

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