The DOI matches its Crossref record; 32 of the 32 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Incidence of Pfas in soil following long-term application of class B biosolids
Abstract
This field study investigated the impact of long-term land application of biosolids on PFAS presence in soils that received annual repetitive land application of Class B biosolids from 1984 to 2019. Soil samples were collected from three depths of 30.5, 91 and 183 cm below land surface. Biosolid and groundwater samples used for irrigation were also collected. Concentrations measured for 18 PFAS compounds were evaluated to assess incidence rates and potential impact on groundwater. No PFAS analytes were detected at the three sampling depths for soil samples collected from undisturbed sites with no history of agriculture, irrigation, or biosolids application (background control sites). Relatively low mean concentrations of PFAS ranging from non-detect to 1.9 μg/kg were measured in soil samples collected from sites that were used for agriculture and that received irrigation with groundwater, but never received biosolids. PFAS concentrations in soils amended with biosolids were similarly low, ranging from non-detect to a mean concentration of 4.1 μg/kg. PFOS was observed at the highest concentrations, followed by PFOA for all locations. PFAS detected in the irrigation water were also present in the soil. These results indicate that biosolids and irrigation water are both important sources of PFAS present in the soils for all of the study sites. Not all PFAS detected in the biosolids were detected in the soil. Very long chain PFAS present in the biosolids were not detected or were detected at very low levels for soil, suggesting potential preferential retention within the biosolids. The precursor NMeFOSAA was present at the second highest concentrations in the biosolids but not detected in soil, indicating possible occurrence of transformation reactions. The total PFAS soil concentrations exhibited significant attenuation with depth, with a mean attenuation of 73% at the 183 cm depth. Monotonically decreasing concentrations with depth were observed for the longer-chain PFAS.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Soils near primary sources, such as fluorochemical manufacturing facilities, are at higher risk of PFAS contamination, leading to indirect exposure through secondary pathways [157,158].”
From Industrial Applications, Environmental Fate, Human Exposure, and Health Effects of PFAS (2025) · cites this paper as [157]
In the citing paper
“Secondary point sources are more widespread and include practices like applying fertilizers (e.g., wastewater sludge or compost) and irrigating agricultural areas with recycled wastewater [157].”
From Industrial Applications, Environmental Fate, Human Exposure, and Health Effects of PFAS (2025) · cites this paper as [157]
Citations
Cites
Buck, R. C., Franklin, J., Berger, U., Conder, J. M., Cousins, I. T., de Voogt, P., Jensen, A. A., Kannan, K., Mabury, S. A., & van Leeuwen, S. P. (2011) · Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management · doi:10.1002/ieam.258 · Cited by 4,641
Sunderland, E. M., Hu, X. C., Dassuncao, C., Tokranov, A. K., Wagner, C. C., & Allen, J. G. (2019) · Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology · doi:10.1038/s41370-018-0094-1 · Cited by 2,786
Clarke, B. O., & Smith, S. R. (2010) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2010.06.004 · Cited by 854
PFAS concentrations in soils: Background levels versus contaminated sites
Brusseau, M. L., Anderson, R. H., & Guo, B. (2020) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140017 · Cited by 817 · cited 7×
“In most instances, industrial sites and military bases are where the highest levels of contamination have beenreported, but evenremote areaswith no obvious source of PFAS have been documented as having low levels of PFAS (Rankin et al., 2016; Brusseau et al., 2020).”
InfluentialPolyfluoroalkyl compounds in the aquatic environment: a review of their occurrence and fate
Ahrens, L. (2011) · J. Environ. Monit. · doi:10.1039/c0em00373e · Cited by 759
Fluorinated Compounds in U.S. Fast Food Packaging
Schaider, L. A., Balan, S. A., Blum, A., Andrews, D. Q., Strynar, M. J., Dickinson, M. E., Lunderberg, D. M., Lang, J. R., & Peaslee, G. F. (2017) · Environmental Science & Technology Letters · doi:10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00435 · Cited by 620
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in consumer products
Kotthoff, M., Müller, J., Jürling, H., Schlummer, M., & Fiedler, D. (2015) · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4202-7 · Cited by 613
Jian, J.-M., Chen, D., Han, F.-J., Guo, Y., Zeng, L., Lu, X., & Wang, F. (2018) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.380 · Cited by 429
Sepulvado, J. G., Blaine, A. C., Hundal, L. S., & Higgins, C. P. (2011) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es103903d · Cited by 399
Loganathan, B. G., Sajwan, K. S., Sinclair, E., Senthil Kumar, K., & Kannan, K. (2007) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/j.watres.2007.06.045 · Cited by 365
Poothong, S., Papadopoulou, E., Padilla-Sánchez, J. A., Thomsen, C., & Haug, L. S. (2020) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2019.105244 · Cited by 357
Rankin, K., Mabury, S. A., Jenkins, T. M., & Washington, J. W. (2016) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.06.109 · Cited by 344 · cited 3×
“Thisis incontrast toprior studieswhereinPFAShavebeendetectedinsoilsatthegreatmajorityof locations tested, including agricultural fi elds (Brusseau et al., 2020; Rankin et al., 2016).”
Blaine, A. C., Rich, C. D., Hundal, L. S., Lau, C., Mills, M. A., Harris, K. M., & Higgins, C. P. (2013) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es403094q · Cited by 325
Brusseau, M. L. (2018) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.065 · Cited by 306
Self-citationPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in source and treated drinking waters of the United States
Boone, J. S., Vigo, C., Boone, T., Byrne, C., Ferrario, J., Benson, R., Donohue, J., Simmons, J. E., Kolpin, D. W., Furlong, E. T., et al. (2019) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.245 · Cited by 301
Per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFASs): Environmental challenges
Krafft, M. P., & Riess, J. G. (2015) · Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science · doi:10.1016/j.cocis.2015.07.004 · Cited by 294
Munoz, G., Liu, J., Duy, S. V., & Sauvé, S. (2019) · Trends in Environmental Analytical Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.teac.2019.e00066 · Cited by 277
Gallen, C., Eaglesham, G., Drage, D., Nguyen, T. H., & Mueller, J. F. (2018) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.06.024 · Cited by 273
Washington, J. W., Yoo, H., Ellington, J. J., Jenkins, T. M., & Libelo, E. L. (2010) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es1003846 · Cited by 252
Venkatesan, A. K., & Halden, R. U. (2013) · Journal of Hazardous Materials · doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.03.016 · Cited by 232
Lindstrom, A. B., Strynar, M. J., Delinsky, A. D., Nakayama, S. F., McMillan, L., Libelo, E. L., Neill, M., & Thomas, L. (2011) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/es1039425 · Cited by 227
Guo, B., Zeng, J., & Brusseau, M. L. (2020) · Water Resources Research · doi:10.1029/2019wr026667 · Cited by 224
Brandsma, S. H., Koekkoek, J. C., van Velzen, M. J. M., & de Boer, J. (2018) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.135 · Cited by 217
Fraser, A. J., Webster, T. F., Watkins, D. J., Strynar, M. J., Kato, K., Calafat, A. M., Vieira, V. M., & McClean, M. D. (2013) · Environment International · doi:10.1016/j.envint.2013.08.012 · Cited by 172
Screening for perfluoroalkyl acids in consumer products, building materials and wastes
Bečanová, J., Melymuk, L. E., Vojta, Š., Komprdová, K., & Klánová, J. (2016) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.08.112 · Cited by 150
Pilot scale application of a method for the analysis of perfluorinated compounds in surface soils
Strynar, M. J., Lindstrom, A. B., Nakayama, S. F., Egeghy, P. P., & Helfant, L. J. (2012) · Chemosphere · doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.09.036 · Cited by 142
Simulating PFAS transport influenced by rate-limited multi-process retention
Brusseau, M. L. (2020) · Water Research · doi:10.1016/j.watres.2019.115179 · Cited by 127
Nonideal Transport and Extended Elution Tailing of PFOS in Soil
Brusseau, M. L., Khan, N., Wang, Y., Yan, N., Van Glubt, S., & Carroll, K. C. (2019) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.9b02343 · Cited by 125
Washington, J. W., Rankin, K., Libelo, E. L., Lynch, D. G., & Cyterski, M. (2019) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.071 · Cited by 114
Chen, H., Zhang, C., Han, J., Yu, Y., & Zhang, P. (2012) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2012.06.016 · Cited by 107
Brusseau, M. L. (2019) · Environmental Pollution · doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113102 · Cited by 93
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Espartero, L. J. L., Yamada, M., Ford, J., Owens, G., Prow, T. W., & Juhasz, A. L. (2022) · Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113431 · Cited by 292
Johnson, G. R., Brusseau, M. L., Carroll, K. C., Tick, G. R., & Duncan, C. M. (2022) · Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156602 · Cited by 173
Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil: sources, fate, and remediation
Wang, Y., Munir, U., & Huang, Q. (2023) · Soil & Environmental Health · doi:10.1016/j.seh.2023.100004 · Cited by 171
Thompson, K. A., Mortazavian, S., Gonzalez, D. J., Bott, C., Hooper, J., Schaefer, C. E., & Dickenson, E. R. V. (2022) · ACS ES&T Water · doi:10.1021/acsestwater.1c00377 · Cited by 163
Evaluating land application of pulp and paper mill sludge: A review
Turner, T., Wheeler, R., & Oliver, I. W. (2022) · Journal of Environmental Management · doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115439 · Cited by 122
Metadata
- Authors
- Pepper, I. L., Brusseau, M. L., Prevatt, F. J., & Escobar, B. A.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- Corresponding author
- Pepper, Ian L.
- Venue
- Science of The Total Environment
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-11
- Volume
- 793
- Pages
- 148449
- ISSN
- 0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3174334026
- Cited by
- 125
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 26 · 2025: 35 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 20
- FWCI
- 6.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Keywords
- PFAS, biosolids, Class B biosolids, land application, soil contamination, groundwater irrigation, PFOS, perfluorooctanoic acid, long-chain PFAS, groundwater contamination
- MeSH terms
- Biosolids, Fluorocarbons, Soil, Soil Pollutants, Incidence, Groundwater
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
