Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID RI_2024_1

Assessing the risk of PFAS-contaminated sediments in textile mill waste lagoons along the Pawcatuck River in Westerly, RI

Institute: Rhode Island
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $19,303 Total Non-Federal Funds: $19,301

Principal Investigators: Rainer Lohmann

Project Summary: The Pawcatuck River in southwestern Rhode Island has been contaminated by chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for a long time. This is dangerous for humans because people fish in the river, and the river is close to where many people live. Close to the river are two waste lagoons, where PFAS pollution is high. So far, only samples from the surface of the river have been done. To learn more about how PFAS gets into the river and how it moves, we will use passive samplers to collect chemicals from the water and sediment over a longer period. By doing this, we will be able to better understand how PFAS are entering the river from these waste lagoons. This information will help to protect the river and the people who use it.