Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID IN_2025_Miranda

Discovering PFAS Dynamics in Flowing Water Ecosystems

Institute: Indiana
USGS Grant Number:
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-08-01 End Date: 2028-07-31
Total Federal Funds: $309,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $396,024

Principal Investigators: Daniele de Almeida Miranda

Project Summary: PFAS are long-lasting chemicals used in many commercial products that end up in aquatic systems and have been shown to harm people and wildlife. We focus on stream biofilms - layers of algae and microbes on rocks that power food webs - because they can trap, transform, and move PFAS to other organisms. These biofilms are the portal to PFAS transmission to fish and ultimately human consumers. We will combine laboratory mesocosm experiments and field validation to: identify biotic and abiotic drivers of PFAS fate and transport in flowing water systems, quantify the extent that biologically inactive ("dead") biofilms still bind PFAS through surface interactions, and determine whether PFAS induces changes to biofilm that enhance sorption and or accumulation. Outcomes will clarify when biofilms act as PFAS sinks or sources, refine predictions of PFAS transport and entry into aquatic food webs, and provide information for monitoring strategies focused on these foundational energy resources.