Topic: Emerging Contaminants in Long Island groundwater: challenges in detection and treatment
Speaker: Cheng-Shiuan Lee (Assistant Research Fellow of Research Center for Environmental Changes, ACADEMIA SINICA)
Time: March 28, 2024 1:30-3:00 pm
Venue：Lecture Room 602 at College of Medicine
Abstract：
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), aka the forever chemicals, have been among the most concerning emerging contaminants in the past decade. Due to their unique physicochemical properties, PFAS are extensively utilized in various industrial and commercial products. PFAS then spread into the environment through pathways such as air and water, exposing wildlife and humans to PFAS via diet. In this presentation, I will introduce my research findings in the past few years in the Long Island region of New York, USA, as an example to illustrate the distribution and sources of PFAS in drinking water, as well as the challenges in the analysis and water treatment of PFAS. Finally, I will briefly introduce my ongoing research, particularly focusing on the biogeochemical cycling of PFAS in marine environments and investigating the interaction between PFAS and microalgae to understand which environmental and biological factors can regulate the entry of PFAS into the marine food web.