Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi does not confer tolerance of pasture legumes to per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substance-contaminated soil.

Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi does not improve pasture legume tolerance to PFAS-contaminated soil, despite increasing plant biomass.

• Why it matters: PFAS contamination persists in water and soil, bioaccumulates in crops and livestock, and poses chronic health risks, highlighting the need to understand mitigation strategies for affected crops.
• What they did: Researchers used sterilized and contaminated soils, inoculated with Rhizophagus irregularis, to grow three pasture legume species, assessing plant growth, PFAS effects, and fungal colonization.
• The result: While AM fungi increased biomass, they did not confer PFAS tolerance, and contamination did not inhibit fungal colonization, implying AM fungi cannot buffer PFAS's negative impact on crop growth.