PFAS Research and Development Grants

PFAS Research and Development Grants is sponsored by Environmental Protection Agency. This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Research Grants for Understanding PFAS Uptake and Bioaccumulation in Plants and Animals in Agricultural, Rural, and Tribal Communities | US EPA Research Grants for Understanding PFAS Uptake and Bioaccumulation in Plants and Animals in Agricultural, Rural, and Tribal Communities EPA awarded over $15 million in grant funding to ten institutions for research to reduce per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure from food and protect our farmland and farming communities.

These community-engaged research projects will collect PFAS bioaccumulation data in agricultural plants and livestock and explore strategies for reducing PFAS exposure, which are important parts of EPA’s commitment to protecting human health and the environment from PFAS. PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been widely used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s.

Some PFAS do not easily degrade and can bioaccumulate – or build up – in the environment and the human body over time resulting in potential adverse health impacts. These substances may be found in soil, air, water, and food, as well as in materials in our homes or workplaces. Due to their widespread use, most people in the United States have been exposed to some level of PFAS.

Given the persistence and health impacts of PFAS, it is important to understand how these chemicals accumulate in agricultural plants and animals, potentially contaminating our food supply. Identifying, characterizing, and understanding PFAS uptake within agricultural environments will provide vital information on how exposure takes place and will help inform the development of solutions to reduce PFAS exposure.

The research from these grants will increase our knowledge of the biological uptake of PFAS in agricultural and rural settings, improve farm viability, and help us explore approaches to understand PFAS accumulation in plants and animals. The following institutions are conducting research under these awards: Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.

Passamaquoddy Tribe, Sipayik Environmental Department, Pleasant Point, Maine Temple University, Philadelphia, Penn. Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois University of Maine, Orono, Maine University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.

Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.

Project Title: Comprehensive Evaluation of Fate, Transport, Bioaccumulation and Management Solution of PFAS on a Crop and Livestock Farm that Received Biosolids Principal Investigator: Hui Li Project Summary: The project team will work with a crop and livestock farm in Michigan that received land application of PFAS-contaminated biosolids to evaluate the fate, transport, plant uptake, bioaccumulation in livestock, and life cycle of PFAS during farming practices.

Research will include a detailed soil survey and measurement of PFAS accumulation in a variety of field crops and livestock forages. Investigators will also measure PFAS bioaccumulation in cattle and evaluate mitigation strategies, as well as develop high-throughput protocols to screen and map the PFAS and precursors accumulated in soil, plants, and animal organs. Results will be shared through educational activities.

Passamaquoddy Tribe, Sipayik Environmental Department, Pleasant Point, Maine Project Title: PFAS Accumulation in Finfish and Shellfish Species within the Coastal and Inland Waters of the Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) Homelands Principal Investigator: Chris Johnson Project Summary: Peskotomuhkati culture, economy, and traditions are tied to river health and core Tribal lifeways practices of fishing and fish consumption.

However, current PFAS measurements are limited and do not reflect the diversity of ecosystems and species that Peskotomuhkati people depend on. In this project, researchers will collect water and fish tissue samples for PFAS, heavy metals, and stable isotope analysis (food web structure) from watersheds in Tribal and disadvantaged regions of Northeastern Maine.

Multiple fish species will be collected along areas of critical fish passage, habitats, and fishing grounds. Results from this research will help inform the health of Tribal members and those in the area who depend on recreational fisheries as critical food sources. Temple University, Philadelphia, Penn.

Project Title: Investigating the Effects of Irrigation Water, Compost and Biosolid Qualities on PFAS Uptake by Edible Crops in Urban Gardens and Farms Principal Investigator: Bojeong Kim Project Summary: The research team will investigate PFAS uptake and bioaccumulation in crops grown in urban gardens. PFAS can be introduced into an urban gardening system from soil, nutrient amendments, or irrigation water.

Researchers will look at the impact of these sources on crop uptake using raised beds with three popular crops for urban farming - lettuce, carrots, and soybean plants - and composts (home-made vs locally available) and biosolids. After plant harvest, edible plant parts and surface soils will be collected and quantitated for PFAS by using a series of analytical techniques for the PFAS quantification.

Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Project Title: PFAS-MAPS: PFAS Mitigation and Monitoring in Amended Plant Systems Principal Investigator: Kung-Hui (Bella) Chu Project Summary: The goal of this project is to comprehensively understand PFAS uptake and bioaccumulation in plants and advance strategies to remediate PFAS in biosolids and biosolid-amended soils.

Researchers will screen, design, and develop plant-based biosensors for PFAS detection in biosolids, soils, and water. They will also demonstrate the effectiveness of technologies in remediating PFAS in biosolids, reducing PFAS bioavailability to plants in biosolid-amended soils, and evaluating the sensitivity of developed biosensors in monitoring PFAS contamination.

If successful, this research could empower agricultural communities, wastewater professionals, and decision makers to increase their ability to manage PFAS risk associated with the beneficial uses of biosolids and reclaimed water.

Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas Project Title: Evaluating and Mitigating Bioaccumulation of PFAS in Plant, Mammalian, and Aquaculture Systems Principal Investigator: Jennifer Guelfo Project Summary: This project will investigate potential non-traditional PFAS sources in farming operations.

Through lab and modeling studies, researchers will conduct a detailed survey and characterization of the impacts of manure and biosolid pre-application treatment or processing.

They will also conduct plant cultivation studies to measure PFAS partitioning and bioavailability as a function of soil type and biosolid amendment and look at fish cultivation to measure PFAS uptake, partitioning, and elimination due to exposure to water and dietary sources, among other potential PFAS sources. The team will use data from lab studies to evaluate PFAS management strategies in agricultural settings.

University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York Project Title: Practical Management of PFAS Contaminated Agricultural Soil Using an Innovative Platform Integrating Experimental Research and Machine Learning Approaches Principal Investigator: Yanna Liang Project Summary: With this project, researchers will investigate how proper engineering control could allow the continued and beneficial use of biosolids on agricultural soil.

To accomplish their goals, the team will develop models to investigate the relationship between PFAS concentrations in soil vs. water compared to soil properties with and without powdered activated carbon. They will also develop models to predict PFAS behavior in different soil types. They will then test the models in field trials to verify their accuracy and readiness for use.

This understanding plus the predictive models will enable the research team to generate engineering control strategies and guidelines to assist PFAS-affected communities in their decision making.

University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois Project Title: Plant Uptake and Mitigation of PFAS Associated with Sewage Effluent and Biosolids Application in Tile-Drained Field Principal Investigator: Wei Zheng Project Summary: The research team will perform a series of laboratory and field experiments to monitor the occurrence and abundance of PFAS in subsurface tile-drained fields irrigated with rural sewage effluent by routinely measuring PFAS in irrigation water, groundwater, drainage water, soils, and crops.

They will also develop innovative mitigation techniques to prevent PFAS plant uptake from sewage effluent irrigation and biosolids soil amendment by using two types of unique biochars. Researchers will also offer innovative, feasible, and cost-effective approaches to mitigate the loading of PFAS into food crops from sewage effluent and biosolids.

If successful, this research will provide information to assess the potential risks of using rural sewage effluent for irrigation of agricultural fields and contribute science-based knowledge on whether biosolids for agricultural use could result in soil contamination and plant uptake.

University of Maine, Orono, Maine Project Title: Developing Integrated Mitigation Strategies to Help Farmers Reduce PFAS Risks in Forage and Livestock Systems Principal Investigator: Ellen Mallory Project Summary: The overall goal of this project is to equip farmers with a set of integrated and scalable PFAS mitigation strategies that target key points of PFAS transfer to reduce the risks associated with producing forages, milk, and meat on PFAS contaminated soil.

The project team will conduct research to identify crop management strategies to reduce PFAS uptake by forage crops. They will also evaluate the effectiveness of a livestock feed binder to reduce PFAS concentrations in milk and meat. The results of the project will include practical information for farmers and other decision makers to use in short-term prevention responses to PFAS contamination in forage crops and livestock.

University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah Project Title: PFAS in Land-applied Biosolids in Agricultural Settings: A Mechanistic Understanding on Fate and Mitigation Principal Investigator: Ramesh Goel Project Summary: This project focuses on research to understand the wastewater treatment processes that may contribute to PFAS remaining in biosolids that are applied to agricultural fields.

Researchers will evaluate the effect of different soil management practices (e.g., cover crops, biochar amendment) on the fate of PFAS in biosolids applied to soil and study the potential of PFAS uptake to plants under plant, compost, and soil types. University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.

Project Title: Novel, Bio-enabled Strategies to Prevent Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Accumulation in Crops and Food Webs Principal Investigator: Bryan Berger Project Summary: The objectives of this study are to quantify PFAS uptake into soil and crops from contaminated irrigation water, evaluate how the uptake is influenced by other chemicals and environmental conditions, and develop on-farm tools to identify unexpected PFAS sources.

Researchers will also conduct field collection of insect, animal and native plant tissue samples in areas adjacent to highly polluted land to understand how PFAS bioaccumulates into food webs and how PFAS may spread to native plants of cultural importance to Tribal communities.

Outcomes of this project will include recommendations for producers to reduce PFAS bioaccumulation in crops and technologies for detecting PFAS on farms in soils and crops. View the full abstracts for the grant recipients . Contact Us About Research Grants to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.

Last updated on August 20, 2025