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Author response for "Assessing microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and other contaminants of global concern in wadable agricultural streams in Iowa"

2025

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Assessing microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and other contaminants of global concern in wadable agricultural streams in Iowa

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Researchers surveyed small agricultural streams across Iowa for multiple contaminants and found microplastics in water, sediment, and fish at every site tested. PFAS (forever chemicals), antibiotic resistance genes, and pharmaceuticals were also widely detected across the same streams. This study shows that even small rural waterways in agricultural regions carry a cocktail of emerging pollutants that could affect both ecosystems and the communities that rely on them.

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This review identifies critical knowledge gaps in understanding how microplastics and PFAS (forever chemicals) interact and cause harm in aquatic environments after more than seven decades of production. Addressing these gaps is urgent because both contaminants persist indefinitely, accumulate in living organisms, and are now detectable in virtually every aquatic environment on Earth.

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