EPA Pledges $15M to Study ‘Significant Threat’ to U.S. Food Supply

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded $15 million in research grants to research per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a “significant threat” to the country’s food supply.
PFAS encompass thousands of man-made chemicals found in everyday items such as nonstick cookware, firefighting foams, grease-resistant food wrappers and water-resistant clothing. Because of the long time it takes them to break down, PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” can cause harm in high exposure amounts.
PFAS can seep into the soil and water supply during the breakdown process. Recently, the presence of PFAS in the U.S. water supply has prompted further examination of the chemicals.
In April, the EPA introduced legally enforceable limits for some PFAS compounds, prompting municipalities across the nation to examine their water treatment systems more closely. Some municipalities have proposed higher water bills to help finance improved systems.
The EPA is now funding resources to determine how PFAS exposure relates to food.
“Harmful ‘forever chemicals’ pose a significant threat to our food supply, farming communities, and public health, making it critical that we take bold steps to understand and mitigate their impacts,” U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine, said in an EPA press release published on Wednesday. “While Maine has been leading the nation in combating PFAS contamination, there is much to learn to be able to effectively address the threats created by the presence of these chemicals.”
“As other states begin to navigate PFAS contamination, this research will serve as a valuable resource and model for how we can effectively reduce contamination nationwide,” Pingree added.
Newsweek reached out to the EPA via email for comment.
The research grant recipients are Michigan State University, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Sipayik Environmental Department, Temple University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, University at Albany, University of Illinois, University of Maine, University of Utah and University of Virginia.
The institutions will study topics such as PFAS accumulation in crops and livestock, PFAS accumulation in fish and shellfish, how to manage PFAS-contaminated soil, strategies to reduce PFAS contamination in the food supply and more, the press release said.
High levels of certain PFAS can cause heightened cholesterol, decreased vaccine responses in children, changes in liver enzymes, increased risk of high blood pressure or preeclampsia in pregnant women, decreases in birth weight and an increased risk of kidney or testicular cancer, according to a U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry webpage dedicated to PFAS.
Some parts of the U.S. have a higher risk of PFAS exposure than others, especially when it comes to the water supply. The most widespread PFAS contamination is in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, central Colorado, Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida. However, drinking water with PFAS above the new limit by the EPA is present in nearly every U.S. state, according to a map published in May by the Environmental Working Group