Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2022_OH_May

Field observations and numerical simulations to enhance the understanding of

Institute: Ohio
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2022 Start Date: 2023-01-01 End Date: 2025-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $234,649 Total Non-Federal Funds: $234,712

Principal Investigators: Andrew May

Project Summary: Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) represent a public health risk when they enter water bodies. Our project seeks to investigate the role that air emissions of PFAS, and their subsequent deposition back to the surface, have on the environment near these sources within the state of Ohio. We will collect samples in air, pine needles, and soils to determine which, and how much, PFAS are present in the environment near these sources. We will use a computer model to predict the atmospheric transport and surface deposition of PFAS. We will use our environmental samples to evaluate the accuracy of the model predictions, and we will update the model’s chemistry, as needed. Ultimately, this model can be used to predict PFAS deposition across the US, providing a better understanding of the role that air emissions of PFAS have on drinking water contamination on a national scale.