Michigan State University to host PFAS symposium: Educating farmers on forever chemicals

EAST LANSING, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) — They’re known as forever chemicals.

By now most of us are familiar with PFAS.

It’s been found in northern Michigan and other sites across the country.

Michigan State University is hosting an upcoming symposium to educate farmers on the impact of PFAS.

Scientists and health professionals are concerned about PFAS because the chemicals are widespread in the environment, persist for long periods, and have been linked with human and natural resource health problems.

“They cause long-term chronic effects. They have an impact on our immune systems. So basically, means is where we’re more susceptible because our immune system isn’t as functioning as it should we don’t respond well to vaccines,” Center for PFAS Research Director Cheryl Murphy

There are already some cases of contaminated water in northern Michigan, so how is it impacting farms?

“It’s in our water and a lot of places and oftentimes people will apply that water to their crops and so it’ll get into the soils and then it’ll get into the plants and then get up into the into the animals that eat the plants,” Murphy said.

So who can farmers turn to if they think they have a PFAS problem?

“It’s hard to get it out of soil. With water, we’re a little easier. We’ve figured out some ways to do it, but from soil, it’s a little harder,” Murphy said. “So there’s just some a lot of ideas that are floating around about how to do it. And so we’re hoping to come up with some directions after this conference.”

The PFAS symposium starts this Sunday and runs through Tuesday at Michigan State University.