Samuel Wilson
Biotransformation and Breakdown of Forever Chemicals
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as “forever chemicals,” are a class of highly fluorinated synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial products such as Teflon, and in firefighting foams because of their heat and chemical resistance. However, these properties also make them environmentally harmful because they persist for decades, accumulating in natural systems such as water supplies, living organisms, and soil. This research investigates how geochemical conditions such as nitrate, sulfate, and iron rich anaerobic environments can cause certain PFAS chemicals, such as AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) derived compounds, to undergo biotransformation. To do this, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is used to identify and quantify PFAS compounds and their transformation products, and ion chromatography (IC) is used to measure nitrate and sulfate concentrations over time as an indicator of microbial activity in the system. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to better understand the environmental fate of PFAS chemicals and precursors in these environments.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for funding this opportunity. It was a huge moment for me to learn and grow and to get to work on expanding my understanding and my work in this field. I hope my work not only benefits myself through what I learned from it but also expanded the depth of research on this understudied area of PFAS and forever chemicals and their breakdown and transformation pathways.