What’s in the Foam? PFAS Takes a More Visual Form

Time and Tide

A preliminary study by Dr. Paula Mouser and her team of researchers and citizen scientists in New Hampshire has found that foam on the surface of water can contain elevated levels of PFAS contamination, compared to the surface water below.

Show notes:

PFAS are contaminants of emerging concern and have rapidly become a focal point for everyone working in the field of clean water. These ‘forever chemicals’ are impactful in very small amounts (parts per trillion), have negative impacts on humans, and are present within a wide variety of consumer products.

Because PFAS are odorless, tasteless, and microscopic, it is difficult for people to visualize this threat to human health. However, residents in New Hampshire have recently expressed concern that surface foams forming in known PFAS-contaminated water bodies may contain elevated levels of these ‘forever chemicals’. This prompted a team from University of New Hampshire, Temple University, and local citizens to join together in testing foam from these locations. Here, we discuss their preliminary findings, and what will come next.

Act 1: Dr. Paula Mouser describes the story behind exploring PFAS concentrations in surface foam at sites known for their PFAS exposure.

Act 2: Gabby Deangelis, a Master’s student at UNH, shares her personal experience being affected by PFAS, and her creativity in developing methods to sample surface foams. Gabby also shares her experiences as a graduate student working in the field of environmental science.

Act 3: Andrea Amico discusses her family’s exposure to PFAS, and how this sparked her journey to raise awareness and take action to address this contaminant in our waters. Andrea describes her work as a citizen scientist with Paula’s team while explaining the impact of including community members in research.

Guest Speakers:

Paula Mouser, Ph.D. Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New Hampshire

Gabby Deangelis, Graduate Student in Environmental Engineering, University of New Hampshire

Andrea Amico, Clean Water Activist, Citizen Scientist, Founder of Testing for Pease, and Portsmouth, NH Resident

Hosted by: Brian Yurasits, Science Communication Specialist, New Hampshire Sea Grant.

Co-Hosted by: Lauren George, Graduate Student, University of New Hampshire

Produced by: Brian Yurasits

Further reading:

UNH Research Team Finds Concentrated PFAS in Watershed Foams

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