Farmers in Connecticut can now find out if their farm is contaminated with PFAS, nicknamed ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not break down naturally.
The state’s Agricultural Experiment Station, led by Dr. Sara Nason, has launched a new, free PFAS soil analysis program.
“So, you would send us an email to schedule a time to pick up a kit,” Nason said. “And then you could collect your own soil samples and bring them back to the lab. Then we have a 30-day turnaround time. We will provide data directly to the farmer, but we don’t immediately share it with anybody else. We provide the data directly to you.”
The test will look for 14 of the most common PFAS toxins, using certified EPA methods for soil analysis.
PFAS exposure has been linked to cancers, reproductive issues, and more.
Nason said it gives farmers peace of mind for their health and safety and for anything they grow.
“On the flip side, if we find only low background levels of PFAS, this can be a real positive for farms,” Nason said. “If they can say we’ve done PFAS testing and we found they were clean, it could really benefit farmers to know that they don’t have a problem as well.”
More information about the program is available here.
