Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID PA_2025_Preisendanz

Monitoring PFAS in Small Agricultural Watersheds to Assess Transport, Exposure Pathways, and Mitigation Strategies

Institute: Pennsylvania
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-08-01 End Date: 2029-07-31
Total Federal Funds: $308,965 Total Non-Federal Funds: $308,965

Principal Investigators: Heather Preisendanz

Project Summary: Agricultural communities across the country are facing challenges due to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which can accumulate in our water and soil, and enter the food chain. Farms with a history of biosolids application and/or some pesticides may have a higher risk of exposure, but few options exist for reducing the contamination. Because PFAS can contaminate groundwater and surface water, there are concerns for both human and ecological health. This project will collect PFAS data from surface water, streambed sediment, and aquatic insects to understand how PFAS move through small agricultural watersheds in the larger Chesapeake Bay Watershed. We will compare PFAS transport to other indicators of water quality and stream health, as well as examine whether fluorinated pesticides increase PFAS levels in streams. The results will be used to develop strategies for reducing PFAS risks, as well as provide actionable information to farmers, agricultural communities, and watershed managers.