"Fluorinated Feedback Loop: PFAS End Up In The Ocean But Never Truly Leave Us"
Matthew Dunn
University of Rhode Island
October 20, 2023, 11:30 AM
IN-PERSON in Robinson 206 AND in Cannon 202
Hosted by Joanna York
Abstract: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS or “forever chemicals”, are an emergent class of contaminants of great concern. Due to their ubiquity in the environment, negative human health impacts, and their long-term persistence, PFAS fate and transport has become a topic of great interest in the oceanographic community. Two different studies use year-long data sets to highlight how PFAS reach the Atlantic Ocean, are transported North, and then are re-exported back to the Atlantic Ocean. These studies describe the mass flows of PFAS from a small representative coastal river in Southern Rhode Island, and mass flows through the Fram Strait in the North Atlantic/Arctic region. Thus, the potential for a fluorinated feedback loop exists, where these forever chemicals may recirculate and remain an exposure threat to coastal communities for years after they reach their long-term sink in the ocean.
Zoom Recording ID: 94428117948
UUID: qxIMwGn3TWW3RhfaNr5hmg==
Meeting Time: 2023-10-20 03:10:12pmGMT