Uptake of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by soybean across two generations

By Weilan Zhang, Nina Tran, and Yanna Liang
J. Hazard. Mater. Adv.
October 3, 2022
DOI: 10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100170

The uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by agricultural plants from contaminated soil poses a threat to human health and the ecosystem. The presence of PFAS in plant seeds could also affect their response to PFAS in the environment. In this study, the impact of PFAS exposure on soybean uptake of these compounds across generations was investigated. The results showed that the exposure of the first-generation soybean to a PFAS mixture led to accumulation of perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA, 12.20 ± 11.44 µg/kg), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA, 55.66 ± 42.06 µg/kg), and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS, 3.24 ± 2.06 µg/kg) in the seeds. The progeny soybean plants grown from the first-generation seeds had a higher capability of taking up and accumulating perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), including PFBA, PFHxA, perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), when exposed to the same PFAS again. In contrast, the accumulation of perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs), including PFBS, perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), in the second-generation soybean decreased compared to that in the first-generation. As an alternative to PFOA, GenX had a higher plant uptake compared to PFOA in the first-generation soybean, but its uptake by the second generation decreased significantly. Based on findings from this study and considering the widespread nature of PFAS, soybean seeds may need to be quantified regarding PFAS concentrations before their use in agricultural fields. The different uptake of different PFAS, especially increased accumulation of PFCAs by soybean derived from PFAS contaminated seeds, could be further explored for the benefit of phytoremediation.

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