At the 2024 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Meeting (December 9-13, 2024), Ying ‘Cheryl’ Yao, Chief Chemist and Laboratory Supervisor at the Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute (MRRI), presented the institute’s research titled “Distributions and Partitioning of Airborne Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Urban Atmosphere of Northern New Jersey.”
The research highlights the significant role of airborne PFAS in urban areas, emphasizing their contribution to redistribution processes and human exposure, with potential implications for public health. Understanding the atmospheric characteristics of airborne PFAS, such as their concentrations, distributions, and partitioning behaviors, is critical for developing effective mitigation strategies.
This study collected gas-phase and particulate samples, as well as wet and total deposition from ambient air. The findings reveal that airborne PFAS in urban environments may have substantial impacts on both human health and the natural environment, underscoring the need for further research and policy intervention.
