SA farmers are urged to jump on board with a new national study to understand if a potential link between biosolids and PFAS in Australian livestock, could impact human health.
University of Adelaide researcher Shervin Kabiri will lead the study with a team of researchers who are recruiting farmers from SA, NSW, Vic and Qld.
Biosolids are rich in nutrients and cost-effective, so many farmers are using it on farms for crops and pastures and the purpose of this research, is to determine how PFAS can enter the human food chain because of its application.
Farmers will need to have used sewage biosolids or effluent as fertiliser in the past 10 years on pastures which are used to graze livestock, and provide access to their properties so researchers can collect 30 millilitre blood samples from 20 sheep or cattle, as well as collect water and soil samples.
PFAS is a material which repels water and oil, and is used in many industries, including in firefighting foam, household items, coffee cups, non-stick cookware and pizza boxes.
"The biggest issue with this chemical, is it does not degrade. It can accumulate in the environment and in the human body, it can stay in our body forever," Dr Kabiri said.
"The problem with this chemical, it has been used widely in military and defence bases for training since the 1950s and it caused contamination to soil and water."
PFAS is a forever chemical, according to Dr Kabiri, and with 700 sites across Australia contaminated with it, soil, groundwater and surface water could be impacted.
"When these things are contaminated with a high concentration, there are lots of health consequences, such as birth defects, cancer, heart and liver disease," she said.
Initial PFAS projects which have been worked on to date were as a result of researchers being contacted by the Department of Defence because of high use on miliary bases.
But, researchers have uncovered PFAS is pretty much everywhere, with 1200 known types being used and it is present in human biosolids, the byproduct of wastewater.
"We know it is in biosolids and we have been approached by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries to conduct this research," Dr Kabiri said.
The research will go until the end of the year and researchers need about 40 farms across Australia, with each state contributing 10 sheep and cattle farms.
Farmers are urged to do their part and participate to help uphold the National Environmental Management Plan for PFAS.
"The government has recognised biosolids is one of the pathways it can enter the human food chain," Dr Kabiri said.
"But, we do not know how much PFAS exists in biosolids or if it can go into the bloodstream of the livestock, so we want to find if the concentration is high or low in livestock."
Dr Kabiri said if results from the research showed concentration was high, the government would look to take action, not for the specific farmers but as a solution to solve the problem.
Farmers interested in participating in the PFAS in livestock study can register their interest by contacting Dr Salomon via matthias.salomon@adelaide.edu.au.
The expression of interest period closes at the end of May 2024.
Vanessa Binks
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
I am the Markets Editor and journalist at the Stock Journal. I am based at Nuriootpa in SA's lower north.
