Project Grant R16ES039203

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences awarded New Mexico State University $177,460 on August 17, 2026, under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113) to investigate the prevalence and health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in New Mexico de facto water reuse systems.

The project addresses PFAS contamination in drinking water sources resulting from de facto reuse of treated wastewater—the unintentional introduction of treated wastewater into downstream freshwater sources. PFAS are persistent anthropogenic chemicals linked to liver damage, endocrine disruption, and immunotoxicity. The research aims to develop a risk assessment framework that combines occurrence prediction using machine learning models (Bayesian networks), health risk estimation through Monte Carlo simulations, and in vitro verification to test whether higher de facto reuse mixing rates correlate with increased PFAS levels and associated health risks influenced by PFAS occurrence profiles and water treatment technologies employed.

The award runs through July 31, 2029, with place of performance in Las Cruces, New Mexico. New Mexico State University's Research Administration Services division, based in Las Cruces, receives the award. The Environmental Health program supports research on how environmental exposures affect biological systems across the lifespan, encompassing assessment of human environmental exposures, mechanistic understanding of exposures on biological systems, epidemiological studies, and strategies to reduce exposure burden and improve health at individual and population levels.