Response to Nuclear Emergencies Affecting Agriculture Under a Changing Climate

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent synthetic chemicals increasingly recognized as emerging contaminants of global concern. They are widely used in industrial products, firefighting foams, biosolids, and pesticides, resulting in diffuse contamination of agricultural soils through multiple routes, including wastewater, contaminated irrigation water, industrial emissions, and certain pesticides. PFAS are highly mobile and resistant to degradation, posing risks to soil health, crop productivity, food safety, and, ultimately, human and ecosystem health. However, the occurrence, behavior, and bioavailability of PFAS in agricultural environments remain poorly understood, particularly regarding their transfer to crops and entry into the food chain. Conventional monitoring methods often fall short in tracing PFAS sources, transformation pathways, and environmental fate. To address this challenge, isotopic techniques offer a powerful and innovative approach to better understand PFAS behaviour in agroecosystems. 
This project aims to apply advanced isotopic and nuclear-based techniques to assess PFAS contamination in agricultural soils and develop science-based management strategies for sustainable agriculture. The main objectives are: (1) to develop harmonized isotope-based and advanced chemical and microbiological techniques for the identification and quantification of PFAS in soils and crops; (2) to use isotopic and advanced analytical techniques to investigate the behaviour and dynamics of PFAS in agricultural soils, including their persistence, bioavailability, and degradation pathways; (3) to assess the transfer of PFAS from soil to plants, including their translocation, distribution, and metabolism in representative food crops; and (4) to develop guidance to support risk-based management of PFAS in soils for sustainable agriculture. The project will strengthen national and regional capacities in isotope-based environmental monitoring and support informed policy actions to protect soil health under the “Atoms for Food” and “One Health” frameworks.