Scientists seek your soil for century-chemical study
University of Adelaide researchers from the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine are calling on South Australian citizen scientists to donate soil samples from their backyard gardens for a study examining how widely spread per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are in our home gardens.
Sometimes described as century chemicals or forever chemicals due to their high resistance to degradation, PFAS are harmful to human health and the environment.
“There are various health risks associated with PFAS, due to their persistence in the environment and ability to accumulate in the human body after exposure.”Dr Matthias Salomon of the University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
“In the environment, PFAS can contaminate soil, water and wildlife. It can also accumulate in food chains and affect ecological systems, such as soil micro-organisms, which are important for soil function and health.”