Oral Presentation Society for Freshwater Science 2026 Annual Meeting

Temporal dynamics of biosolids-derived PFAS across the terrestrial-aquatic continuum of agroecosystems (135990)

Diana Oviedo Vargas 1 , Melinda Daniels 1 , Jimmy Murillo Gelvez 2 , Jessica Anton 2
  1. Stroud Water Research Center, Avondale, PA, United States
  2. Center for PFAS Solutions, New Castle, DE, United States

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a highly diverse class of contaminants of emerging concern produced intentionally and unintentionally over the past 80 years, with an ever-expanding inventory of thousands of unique structures. Some PFAS have been linked to adverse human health effects, and many are known to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in terrestrial and aquatic species. The application of biosolids (sludge from wastewater treatment facilities) as soil amendments on farmland is a common practice worldwide. While beneficial for soil health and sustainable waste management, this practice represents an understudied pathway for PFAS contamination of soil and water. Here we investigate PFAS fate and transport in a working farm in the northeastern US with 24 years of biosolids use (ceased permanently in 2023). Since 2023, we have monitored PFAS concentrations in surface soils (0-15 cm), stream benthic compartments, and stream water using USEPA Method 1633. In soils, long-chain (>7 carbons) compounds PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFDA, PFDS, PFUnA, and PFDoA have been consistently above the limit of quantification (>LOQ) in monthly samples over the last 20 months, with no evidence of significant temporal change (total PFAS mean±sd = 126±25 ng g-1). Compounds consistently >LOQ in the stream water at baseflow conditions were mostly short-chain and included PFBA, PFBS, PFPeA, PFHxA, PFHxS, PFHpA, PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA (total PFAS mean±sd = 124±69 ng L-1). Water samples collected at high temporal resolution during two storm events showed a dilution behavior for most compounds (stormflow<baseflow), except for PFNA and PFOS, whose concentrations increased during stormflow. In addition, precursor compounds NEtFOSAA and NMeFOSAA were only >LOQ in storm samples. Our results suggest that long-chain PFAS are persistent in the soil over months/years, and that short-chain PFAS are more readily mobilized from the surface soil to the stream water. Furthermore, storm events can be hot moments for the downstream transport of certain PFAS compounds. Results from this work improve our understanding of biosolids-derived PFAS dynamics in agroecosystems and the potential implications for human and environmental health.