The turning of the New Year inspires me to take stock of what I’m grateful for. Giving thanks for what’s working and what inspires me often lends some guidance for the year ahead.

I’ll take this opportunity to sing praises of the beloved plants at the heart of A Nourishing Harvest. Specifically, I’ll explore the workings of a rather heroic plant part when it comes to dealing with environmental contamination: the Casparian strip.

Uptake of PFAS can also vary by plant species, and depending on which plant part we’re looking at. Do PFAS tend to accumulate in some parts more than others?

In general, fruits and seeds tend to have lower concentrations of PFAS than leaves and stems (University of Maine).

Before we look at PFAS contamination in WNY, let’s back up and explore whether PFAS contamination in our water and soil is a concern for gardeners.

As discussed in PFAS article 1, PFAS are widespread in the environment and found in virtually all American bodies. In their 2020 PFAS plant uptake review, Costello and Lee note that PFAS are so ubiquitous that “finding pristine soils is rare.”

In this article and the next, I explore these questions:

How do PFAS interact with soil?

To what extent are PFAS taken up by plants?

Cross country practice often took me past the fire training tower, a structure several stories high along one of the main park roads. As I’ve learned more about PFAS chemicals, I’ve become aware of the toxic legacy left behind by PFAS-containing fire suppression foams. I wondered if these products had ever been used at Chestnut Ridge.

The October 3, 2021 episode of Last Week Tonight put local PFAS contamination on my radar. These substances are used to make products that resist grease, stains, heat, and water, and many of these products are found in American households.

Oliver puts it this way: “A CDC study has found that C8 [PFAS] is now in the blood of 99.7% of Americans. Meaning, at the very least, Vin Diesel and I finally have something in common.”