This Project Grant award from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) under the Assistance to State Water Resources Research Institutes program (CFDA 15.805) provides $558,345.00 to Purdue University to investigate the distribution, fate, and impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Lake Michigan ecosystem. The project will assess PFAS accumulation in tissues of various fish species through lab experiments and field sampling, as well as measure biochemical and transcriptomic biomarkers of PFAS exposure in these organisms. The research aims to produce at least three peer-reviewed publications on PFAS uptake in Great Lakes fish, potential health impacts, and the broader implications for environmental contamination. Purdue will also use the project to engage undergraduate and graduate students in this interdisciplinary environmental research. As a sub-recipient, Carleton University's Dr. Amy Rand will support the biochemical analysis of PFAS-related oxidative stress in fish tissues.