W4170 Multistate Workgroup – The State of PFAS Science in Relation to Agriculture and Natural Resource Challenges
May 24-25, 2023 Virtual
The USDA Multi-State research group, Beneficial Use of Residuals to Improve Soil Health and Protect Public, and Ecosystem Health (W4170), has a 50-year history of research focused on land application of waste materials, and fate/transport of constituents within those waste materials. A current focus within the W4170 workgroup is the fate/transport of PFASs within the environment. W4170 hosted and conducted a 2-day summit to discuss research, education, and practical applications of PFAS science in relation to agriculture and natural resources challenges. Speakers included a diverse set of individuals across a range of sectors and disciplines who not only target the environmental fate of PFASs, but who are at the pinnacle within their respective fields. We encouraged scientists and policy makers to attend this summit to learn, discuss, and contribute to the future with respect to this topic. This summit was sponsored by the USDA-NRCS.
**The PowerPoint pdf and seminar videos presented below have been approved for release by the presenting authors. For missing information, we encourage you to reach out to the presenting authors directly.
AGENDA
HOST: Dr. Jim Ippolito (Ohio State University)
Science and Technology
-
Testing and monitoring
1. Kang Xia (Virginia Tech) – Testing for PFAS in Virginia rural well waters (11-11:30am)
2. Heather Preisendanz (Penn State) – PFAS testing in private wells across PA (11:30-12pm)
3. Ian Pepper (University of Arizona) – PFAS testing and monitoring in biosolids-amended soils across the US (12-12:30pm)
- FATE, TRANSPORT, AND UPTAKE
4. Heather Preisendanz (Penn State) – PFAS fate, transport, and plant uptake from wastewater reuse (12:30-1pm)
-
Avoidance and mitigation
5. Christopher Bellona (CO School of Mines) – Practical applications of different treatment technologies: focus on adsorbents and membranes to prevent release (1:30-2pm)
6. Jack Huang (University of Georgia) – PFAS treatment technologies for rural areas (2-2:30pm)
-
Disposal and destruction
7. Scott Kranz (GHD) – PFAS disposal and destruction technologies (2:30-3pm)
-
Exposure, modeling and risk assessment
Guy Litt (Battelle) – PFAS modeling and risk assessment (3-3:30pm)
**No permission to post
Policy Considerations
-
Federal agency actions and plans to apply science for the future
8. Dr. Melanie Benesh (Environmental Working Group) – Federal agency actions and plans to apply science for the future (11:30-12pm)
Social and Economic Implications
-
Community-level considerations for underserved populations
9. Kimberly Garrett (Northeastern University) – Environmental Justice and Inequality in PFAS Testing and Exposure (12-12:30pm)
- PFAS CONTAMINATION ECONOMIC AND POLICY QUESTIONS
10. Alissa Cordner (Whitman College) and Grace Poudrier (Northeastern University) – Social Costs of PFAS Contamination (12:30-1pm)
Practical Applications
- BIOSOLIDS MANAGEMENT OPTIONS – BENEFITS vs RISK AT A SOCIETAL LEVEL
Linda Lee (Purdue University) – biosolids management options with respect to PFAS (1:30-2pm)
**No permission to post
- METHODS TO TREAT AND PRACTICES TO MANAGE SOIL PFAS
11. Thomas Borch/Yael Zvulunov (Colorado State University) – biochar and other options to manage PFAS in various matrices (2-2:30pm)
Rick Kersbergen (Univ. Maine Coop. Ext) and Caleb Goossen (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) – Practical applications for handling PFAS on farms: from water to soil to plant to animal/milk (2:30-3pm)
**No permission to post
Andy Ball (School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia); Challenges and current status of the biological treatment of PFAS-Contaminated Soils (3-3:30pm)
**No permission to post
The views, opinions, and validity of information provided in the summit presentations are solely the responsibility of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the summit host and supporting organizations.