PFAS in Agricultural Systems: Guidance for Conservation Programs at USDA

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, are widespread, persistent chemicals that can move through soils, water, crops, livestock, and food systems. Agricultural lands may receive PFAS through pathways such as organic soil amendments, irrigation water, atmospheric deposition, or off-site industrial sources.

At the request of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened an expert committee to provide an initial framework to guide USDA programs that deal directly with conservation on the land. The committee examined how PFAS move through agricultural landscapes, the scientific uncertainties involved, and the specific opportunities and constraints facing USDA's voluntary, nonregulatory conservation programs. Rather than offering prescriptive rules, the report is intentionally focused and practical, aimed at informing conservation planning and practice implementation.

PFAS in Agricultural Systems: Guidance for Conservation Programs at USDA highlights the challenge NRCS faces to deliver conservation solutions to producers and help them avoid or mitigate PFAS impacts despite limited data, incomplete toxicological understanding, and a lack of cost-effective mitigation or remediation technologies. The report suggests a framework built on the three phases of NRCS's conservation planning process and provides conclusions on opportunities regarding research, available data, and conservation practices and programs to address the impacts of PFAS on contaminated agricultural land.