Tools for PFAS Site Characterization: Session II - PFAS Sources and Mapping
Sponsored by: The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP)
The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is sponsoring a Risk e-Learning webinar series, hosted by CLU-IN, focused on research efforts to develop tools for sampling, monitoring, detecting, and characterizing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination.
The three-part series will feature SRP-funded researchers and collaborators whose research focuses, in part, on understanding the distribution and fate of PFAS in the environment.
The second session will highlight case studies featuring SRP research to understand PFAS sources and to predict fate and transport.
To learn about and register for the other sessions in this webinar series, please see the SRP website.
Matthew Farrell is a Ph.D. candidate working in the Planchart Lab at North Carolina State University (NC State) working under Antonio Planchart, Ph.D. Matthew will present on the bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of several PFAS through aquatic food chains. He will expand on how this research was modeled through a system beginning with contaminated water and continuing with periphyton, larval mayflies, and zebrafish — tracking PFAS burdens through each step in the food chain.
Mark Brusseau, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona will discuss the conceptual and mathematical models for PFAS retention being explored in his lab. He will also describe the chemometric tools used to develop the first quantitative structure-property relationship model for predicting interfacial adsorption coefficients for PFAS. This QSPR model can be combined with our comprehensive retention model to predict the retention and migration potential of PFAS in soil and groundwater systems.
Carla Ng, PhD., of the University of Pittsburgh will provide an update on activities to reveal PFAS contamination in Southwestern Pennsylvania, an area that has received relatively little focus compared to other parts of the state. The talk will specifically address a case of accidental release in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, and efforts to understand the life cycle and contribution of legacy and ongoing industrial activity on PFAS profiles in the region.
Matthew Farrell, North Carolina State University (mrfarrel@ncsu.edu)
Matthew Farrel is a PhD candidate working in the Planchart Lab at NC State. Matthew’s research involved utillizing a zebrafish model to characterize the toxic effects of a wide range of individual PFAS and mixtures. He is also collaborating with David Buchwalter, Ph.D., and his lab to study the trophic transfer and accumulation of various PFAS chemicals. When not working in the lab he can usually be found on the couch with his fiancée and two cats.
Mark Brusseau, Ph.D., University of Arizona (brusseau@arizona.edu)
Mark Brusseau, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona, with joint appointments in the Soil, Water and Environmental Science Department and the Hydrology and Water Resources Department. His research specializes in the transport, characterization, and remediation of contaminants in the subsurface. He is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America. research is focused on developing a fundamental understanding of the factors and processes influencing the transport and fate of contaminants in the subsurface. His research integrates mechanistic, laboratory-based experimentation, site-specific field-based investigation, and the development and application of mathematical modeling.
Carla Ng, Ph.D.,, University of Pittsburgh (carla.ng@pitt.edu)
Carla A. Ng, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh with secondary appointments in Environmental and Occupational Health and Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Northwestern University. Her research interests include toxicokinetic modeling to predict bioaccumulation and tissue distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS); linking chemical accumulation in agricultural and aquatic ecosystems to human exposure to flame retardants, PFAS, and pesticides; and understanding and modeling the implications of chemical persistence on hazard and risk assessment, including of chemical transformation products.
Moderators:
Mohamed Ibrahim, Ph.D., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ibrahim.mohamed@epa.gov)
Mohamed (Moha) Ateia Ibrahim, Ph.D., is Group Leader with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response (CESER). Moha combines his expertise in environmental chemistry and materials chemistry to develop and evaluate innovative water treatment technologies to remove and/or degrade emerging contaminants, such as PFAS and microplastics. In parallel, Moha has initiated and is currently leading a multi-agencies project to evaluate the environmental impacts of PFAS-replacement chemicals and formulations in firefighting foams and consumer products. He is a member of the Weapons Systems and Platforms Technical Committee of fluorine-free foams (F3) for the U.S. Department of Defense’s SERDP-ESTCP Program. Moha is also an Adj. Assistant Professor at Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Department, Rice University. Prior to joining the US EPA, he was a Research Associate in the Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Postdoc at Clemson University, and Visiting Researcher at the University of Copenhagen. Moha received his B.S. degree from Alexandria University, Egypt, and his M.S. degree and Ph.D. degree from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan.
Jean Balent, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (balent.jean@epa.gov or 202-566-0832)
Ms Balent is on the staff of the EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division where she has worked to collect and disseminate hazardous waste remediation and characterization information since 2003. Ms Balent manages the Clean Up Information Network website and actively supports online communication and collaboration resources available to EPA. She formerly worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Engineering Division in the Buffalo District. Ms Balent was also a member of the SUNY-Buffalo Groundwater Research Group where she constructed and tested large scale models of groundwater flow. Ms Balent has also conducted research relating to the Great Lakes, environmental remediation, and brownfields re-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from SUNY-Buffalo and a Master's degree in Information Technology from AIU.
Webinar Slides and References:
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Slide Presentation for Mark Brusseau, University of Arizona (1.44MB/PDF)
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Slide Presentation for Matthew Farrell, North Carolina State University (886KB/PDF)
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Slide Presentation for Carla Ng, University of Pittsburgh (10.5MB/PDF)
Additional Resources:
- Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council PFAS Reference Documents
- NIEHS PFAS Overview webpage
- SRP Public Health Impact Story: SRP Researchers Inform Health-Related Decision Making on PFAS
- SRP Science Digest: Tackling PFAS from Many Angles
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