PER- AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN RESIDENTIAL GARDENS: A LOCAL CASE STUDY ON UPTAKE FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of emerging contaminants of concern across New Hampshire and the USA. While the occurrence of PFAS in groundwater, drinking water, soil and other environmental media has received significant research attention, less work has been done to characterize the potential uptake of PFAS into garden produce grown by local growers and home gardeners. In 2022, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services partnered with faculty at NHTI College to investigate how PFAS-containing irrigation water, different soils and amendment with commercial biosolids contribute to PFAS uptake into common garden produce. This present will provide a summary of the key findings from this study, evaluation of risk to consumers, and identify future needs for research to reduce exposure to PFAS from dietary sources.