The PFAS story is complex from occurrence to effects; therefore, transparent and targeted communication tools and educational programs for different and diverse stakeholders are needed to generate widespread awareness and public involvement.
PFAS contamination in agricultural systems is one of the biggest environmental issues of the twenty-frstt century given the growing number of farmland contaminations and background levels in surface soil contamination and on a global scale. Sources of PFAS to the environment are diverse, but the primary sources in agricultural systems are the land application of biosolids and composted material and irrigation water contaminated by PFAS, typically from industrial, military, airport, or landfll sources. The properties of this family of several thousand compounds led to their use in multiple products and processes as well as their environmental presence, persistence, and complex retention and transport mechanisms.
Addressing PFAS contamination in agricultural systems is complex with multiple challenges. First, despite active research and ongoing monitoring efforts that have identifed several contaminated farms, potential occurrence at most has not been assessed, especially in less-developed countries. There is a need for rapid quantitative methods for PFAS that have been validated and standardized and can be done at a lower cost than current analysis. Such methods will expedite needed data collection for farms and communities to minimize risks to the food system and human health.