Read the full article by Sanket Jain (The Scientist)
“Ashok Udgave uses twice as much fertilizer as he once did, yet his fields produce only half as much as they used to, and sometimes even less.
Udgave farms less than two acres in Yadrav village in India’s Maharashtra state, growing sugarcane, peanuts, soybean, coriander, and spinach. In the past six years, his sugarcane harvest has fallen from about 80 tons an acre to 40 tons.
He blames the decline on polluted river water, saying textile and other industries discharge harmful chemicals into it. One group of these chemicals has become a particular concern for scientists: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. These are a large family of thousands of synthetic chemicals used in products ranging from nonstick cookware to waterproof clothing. They are known as ‘forever chemicals’ as they are extremely resistant to degradation.
PFAS can persist in soil. Studies show they can alter microbial communities and interfere with enzymes that break down organic matter and cycle nutrients.1 Effects can vary by PFAS, soil, and conditions such as how much oxygen and organic matter the soil contains. For farmers, those changes could mean a soil that is less able to supply nutrients and support crops, even as they use more fertilizers.”…