Workshop Explores Ways SBU’s Research Tackles PFAS, Other Emerging Contaminants

Nothing lasts forever - except perhaps "forever chemicals." PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, microplastics and other chemicals are increasingly detected in Long Island's environment.

That's why dozens of faculty, researchers and graduate students from various academic departments and disciplines at The State University of New York at Stony Brook gathered to share knowledge and strategize on emerging contaminants at a workshop on October 31.

"The objective of the workshop was to connect people here at Stony Brook. We have resources here, but sometimes making a connection is more than that," said Luis Medina Faull, an assistant professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and organizer of the event. "The idea of this was to be there, connect with people, hear about what other people are doing and potentially, from those connections, we write some proposals and have some projects and do some research."

The event was organized with the support of Stony Brook's Collaborative for the Earth (C4E), and funded by the Office of Research and Innovation.

During the day-long workshop, 13 presenters, including keynote speakers Ching-Hua Huang from Georgia Institute of Technology and Mohamed Ateia from Rice University, facilitated discussion on their ongoing research related to these emerging contaminants.

The term "emerging contaminants" refers to chemicals and substances that can get into local waterways and human bodies. Research is ongoing to understand the effects they have on organisms and the environment, and how they can be addressed. These emerging contaminants include pharmaceuticals, substances applied to crops, microplastic pollution and more.

PFAS chemicals are a major group of emerging contaminants, consisting of more than 14,000 different substances that are used in many applications, including fire fighting foam, non-stick coating on pans and paint. These products break down and pollute water, dust and air. However, more research is needed to better understand how PFAS is dispersed, captured (and possibly remediated through wastewater treatment plants) and treated in healthcare settings.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has methods for testing 40 particular types of PFAS, which are tested for in federal drinking water standards. This policy sets limits for some of the most common PFAS chemicals, although the EPA has signaled that some of the regulations may change in the near future.

Huang, a professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech, studies the chemistry of wastewater treatment plants and how PFAS are exacerbated by certain treatments they utilize. Research shows reused water that was previously treated could contain PFAS chemicals.

"This is not great news because we want to encourage wastewater reuse because that is necessary for the future," Huang said. "We need to come up with strategies in terms of how we can operate this treatment better in a way to minimize this reaction from happening, or we have to have a way to remediate PFAS afterwards."

To give more local context, State Assembly members Tommy John Schiavoni from Southampton and Rebecca Kassay, who represents Stony Brook, shared remarks. They emphasized the importance of Stony Brook's research, especially for Long Island, which relies on a sole-source aquifer for its drinking water.

"Our regional environment is defined by water," Schiavoni said, noting PFAS and microplastics "threaten the health of our communities and ecosystem."

"Especially here on Long Island, we get it," echoed Kassay. "We get the importance of clean water because we know it is a finite source."

Kassay added that progress is being made in both research and legislation, pointing to several laws related to PFAS that have been either proposed or enacted by New York State in the last few years. "We are, by all means, at the forefront of PFAS-related legislation," she said.

Schiavoni is also a sponsor of Assembly Bill A6095, which is being discussed in committee to give tax credits to New York State residents for testing of water in their wells and wastewater, including septic systems which are a major source of pollution.

Across Stony Brook University, researchers are investigating emerging contaminants with the goal of ensuring clean, healthy water for residents of Long Island:

• Lokesh Padhye, associate director for emerging contaminants research at the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, located at Stony Book, said an estimated 400,000 septic tanks and cesspools in Suffolk and Nassau counties leach PFAS and and other contaminants into the ground, which spreads to private wells. He is studying how PFAS build up in organisms over the course of their lives through a process known as bioaccumulation. By studying fish scales from the last 50 years, he is hoping to better understand PFAS trends in the environment over time.
• Ben Hsiao, distinguished professor in the Department of Chemistry, developed a new zero-waste method of water purification that also produces a fertilizer as a byproduct. Since then, he has worked on adapting this research to create a low-cost way to remove PFAS from water, as well.
• Medina Faull presented his research on microplastics - small particles of plastic - where he is investigating ways to filter them out of water more effectively. Microplastics can shed PFAS and other chemicals into water over time.

"What we know is big pieces of plastic make small pieces of plastic," Medina Faull said. "So I think if you can take part in a clean beach effort, then you're taking big pieces from the ocean, from the environment and that's going to prevent all these millions of microplastics from going to the ocean."

- Hadar Pepperstone