Environmental and analytical chemist, Olamide Ogundele, has said organic pollutants like PFOS(Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) if not checked in water and soil systems in Africa and the world at large,would worsen food crisis and endanger human health.
In an interview with The Nation, Ogundele shared insights into her pioneering research on PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) and its alarming generational impact on food crops.
Her recent publication, “Physiological and Metabolic Responses of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) after One-Generation Exposure to Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS),” underscored the silent threat this contaminant poses to food safety and human health.
She noted that with the increasing reports of persistent organic pollutants like PFOS in water and soil systems in Africa and the world at large, very few studies have focused on their effect on crops over generations.
“Given the centrality of agriculture in Nigeria’s economy and nutrition, I wanted to explore how contaminants that we often overlook could silently affect food security and human health—starting from the very crops we depend on,” she said.
Ogundele described PFOS as a synthetic chemical widely used in industrial applications for its water- and stain-resistant properties, adding.that it belongs to the PFAS family—sometimes called “forever chemicals”— because they do not break down easily in the environment.
She explained that what makes PFOS especially concerning is its ability to bioaccumulate in living organisms and persist across generations, posing long-term risks to ecosystems and potentially human health.
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On her findings in a research on wheat, she said: “It’s highly significant. The fact that PFOS was detected in the third generation of wheat—despite only the first generation being exposed—shows that the compound can be transferred biologically through seeds. This challenges our traditional understanding of chemical persistence and calls for urgent attention to the way we manage agricultural contamination. It also raises questions about how much of these chemicals are making their way into our food systems undetected.”
She observed alterations in critical metabolites such as sugars, amino acids, and lipids. She notes the shifts suggest that PFOS exposure disrupts the plant’s normal metabolic processes, potentially affecting growth, nutrient content, and stress responses.
“In simpler terms, the nutritional profile and dresilience of the wheat were compromised—effects that could translate into diminished food quality and productivity over time,” she added.
Ogundele said in countries like Nigeria, where a large portion of the population depends on subsistence farming, the implications are profound. She noted that PFOS contamination could jeopardize food safety, crop yields, and even intergenerational health.
“There’s an urgent need for environmental education, stronger chemical regulation, and investment in research and technology to prevent and mitigate this kind of contamination,” she said.