This $129,788 National Science Foundation project grant supports research on predicting current-use pesticides and emerging flame retardants in the changing Arctic environment. Funded under the NSF Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), the award is made to Utah State University from October 2021 through March 2022. The project will assess the abundance of synthetic organic chemicals like pesticides and brominated flame retardants in Arctic waters and their susceptibility to photodegradation....
This National Science Foundation (NSF) Project Grant award, under the NSF Directorate for Engineering (CFDA 47.041), will provide $212,973 to the University of Utah from July 2023 to June 2026 to conduct collaborative research on the molecular and nanoscale structure and interactions of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals." The research will investigate PFAS surfactants in aqueous solutions and at water-air, water-oil, and water-solid...
This $199,999 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) will fund research to elucidate the performance and mechanisms of nanofiltration (NF) for removing short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from contaminated water. The research aims to evaluate NF removal of diverse (ultra)short-chain PFAS, establish structure-property-performance relationships using machine learning, and investigate PFAS interactions with NF...
This three-year project grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) provides $254,618 to the Colorado School of Mines to conduct research towards understanding the atmospheric fate of per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). The research team will quantify thermodynamic properties influencing PFAS phase partitioning, estimate atmospheric lifetimes against hydroxyl radical chemistry through multiple oxidation flow reactor experiments, and develop...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems awarded a $301,130 project grant to The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY) to study the molecular and nanoscale structure and interactions of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in aqueous solutions, at interfaces, and with other surfactants. The research aims to develop fundamental knowledge that supports improved water quality and the design of...
This $298,143 National Science Foundation project grant will support the development of a portable instrument for measuring poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by the University of Texas at Arlington from September 2022 through August 2025. PFAS are man-made chemicals used in firefighting foams and cleaning products that accumulate in the environment and pose health risks. Typically analyzed using expensive laboratory equipment, this new portable instrument aims to reliably measure...
The University of Arizona was awarded a $155,247 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems under the Geosciences federal grant program (CFDA 47.050). The grant will support collaborative research to conduct in situ laboratory imaging and modeling of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) transport and fate in variably saturated heterogeneous porous media from July 15, 2021 to June 30, 2024. The research aims...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $227,460 Project Grant under its Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) to Arizona State University (ASU) to conduct collaborative research on elucidating nanofiltration removal performance and mechanisms for short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This 3-year project, which commenced on September 1, 2024, aims to address critical knowledge gaps in the effectiveness of nanofiltration for removing diverse PFAS types, especially...
This $500,000 project grant from the US Geological Survey under the Assistance to State Water Resources Research Institutes federal grant program (CFDA 15.805) will fund a multi-year study at the University of New Hampshire investigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in New Hampshire lake ecosystems. The study aims to determine concentrations and profiles of 40 PFAS compounds, including precursors and terminal compounds, in sediments, water, and benthic and pelagic organisms in...
This $200,000 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) aims to develop a portable, low-cost sensor system that can detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called "forever chemicals," in water in real-time. The key objectives of this 2-year project are to: 1) create a selective sensing material by modifying polyaniline with fluorous surfactants to improve PFAS detection sensitivity; 2) design a dual-modal...
This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Polar Programs (CFDA 47.078) supports research to investigate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination and distribution across the Arctic system. The $273,225 grant, awarded on January 1, 2025, will fund a team led by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to collect water samples from the Arctic Ocean during a research cruise, analyze PFAS levels, and develop predictive models to understand PFAS spread and accumulation in the region. The project includes a sub-award to the University of Rhode Island to assist with contamination-free sampling, analysis, and interpretation of the PFAS data. This research aims to inform conservation efforts, policy decisions, and risk assessments related to PFAS exposure in the Arctic, while also training numerous early career researchers.