IACS Endowed Chair in Ecology and Evolution Heather Lynch and IACS Affiliate Mary Collins organize workshop to outline goals in addressing PFAS contamination

Stony Brook University faculty, staff and students examined different approaches to address the problems of and potential solutions related to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes known as “forever chemicals,” at a recent workshop. 

The chemicals have been used in products like cookware and firefighting foam, as well as lubricants for industrial manufacturing, and are now being found in the environment in many forms, including in drinking water, soil and crops.

To address the ongoing environmental and health problems caused by PFAS pollution, the Collaborative for the Earth (C4E) held a workshop on March 28 to connect experts across campus to share the most recent scientific results, discuss current and potential regulatory frameworks, and encourage teamwork to work on environmental health risks and effects on wildlife. The four-hour workshop included interactive sessions and presentations, all of which addressed distinct aspects of the PFAS problem.

Heather Lynch, C4E director and the endowed chair for ecology and evolution in the Institute for Advanced Computation Science (IACS), emphasized the importance of this event. “Our goal for this workshop was really to bring together all of the people working on these emerging contaminants across campus,” Lynch said. “That includes people in chemistry and marine sciences, but also people in public health, medicine, and even the humanities. So it’s a real opportunity to put all the threads together for our PFAS and emerging contaminant research here at Stony Brook University.”

The workshop was part of an IACS seed award-funded project led by Lynch and Mary Collins, associate professor in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS). A few highlights of the day include:

• Andrew Wright, a chemistry PhD student working with Distinguished Professor Ben Hsiao with expertise in environmental chemistry, delivered a presentation that dug deep into the behavior of PFAS molecules at the nanoscale air-water borders — a critical area where these substances start to interact with natural systems. Wright demonstrated how the molecular orientation and structure of PFAS chemicals at the interface may affect their environmental transport and persistence using sophisticated synchrotron X-ray techniques. 
• Roy Price, assistant professor in SoMAS, approached the problem of PFAS and other emerging contaminants from a more comprehensive ecological perspective. Price concentrates on the path of pollutants once substances enter marine and coastal systems, which are frequently the final resting places for a lot of pollutants. He discussed the alarming evidence of PFAS buildup in marine creatures, including fish and plankton. 
• Dylan Gunner Jones, a history PhD student, enthralled with his presentation, “Typhoid & the Fall of Long Island’s Oyster Industry,” which brought a historical and human health perspective to the discussion. Jones’ research revealed an intriguing resemblance between historical and contemporary aquatic hazards, despite their apparent lack of connection. He documented how typhoid outbreaks connected to polluted waterways contributed to the collapse of Long Island’s once-thriving oyster industry in the early 20th century. He emphasized how contamination can have long-term effects on local economies, public health and community trust in water systems. 

Lynch said faculty participation in workshops that address environmental issues, such as PFAS, can be essential for future research. They offer a forum for information sharing, enabling researchers to exchange results and gain insight from other experiences and disciplines. By uniting scientists and policymakers, these gatherings also can make it easier to translate findings into regulations. Additionally, they promote community involvement and increase public awareness, as well as building institutional knowledge and capacity.

“As academics, we tend to go to conferences far and wide, but we rarely have an internal conference like this where we get to meet people that we wouldn’t ordinarily work with,” she noted. “These PFAS and emerging contaminants are an emerging research area, and I think Stony Brook is well positioned to become a leader — not only on Long Island but throughout New York State.” 

This kind of internal convening helps create a more unified research front, allowing various disciplines to align and share resources, data, and strategies.

“As a scientist, you can go and try to learn about a topic on your own, but it’s just so much faster to have an expert give you a quick overview of what they do. It helps you know where to dig deeper for your research,” said Sarah Valencia, a postdoctoral researcher in SoMAS whose work on PFAS is funded by the IACS Seed Award.
- Stony Brook University News