The featured a partnership between University of 海角社区 researchers and 海角社区 organic farmer Sue Hunter, whose land in Unity, 海角社区, is highly contaminated with toxic PFAS, to determine how much or how little specific crops absorb the toxins. The research is focusing on three specific areas 鈥 how PFAS are absorbed by forage crops, how the chemicals are absorbed by specific market crops and if the addition of charcoal-like substance to the soil could prevent the toxins from getting into the plants at all. 鈥淭hese projects are not similar to anything being done in 海角社区 so far. There is research going elsewhere in the country, but it鈥檚 looking at the big commodity crops,鈥 said Rachel Schattman, assistant professor of sustainable agriculture at the University of 海角社区 School of Food and Agriculture. 鈥淪etting up an experimental condition with variable PFAS levels and past data collection like Hunter has on her farm would take millions of dollars and decades to create. 鈥淭he property is perfectly suited to the types of questions that we need to ask and answer about PFAS,鈥 said Diane Rowland, dean of the U海角社区 College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture and director of the 海角社区 Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station.聽
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