Skip to Main Content

Ensuring a World where the Water Flows

One concern that’s made headlines in recent years is the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — so-called “forever chemicals” — in the water supply. These chemicals, which are widely used in everything from manufacturing to firefighting to cosmetics, don’t break down in the environment and tend to accumulate in the human body. They’re potentially connected to a range of health effects, including altered metabolism, reduced fertility, diminished immune system and an increase in certain cancers.

Linda Lee, distinguished professor of agronomy and environmental and ecological engineering, head of the Ecological Sciences and Engineering interdisciplinary graduate program, and assistant dean in the Office of Agricultural Research and Graduate Education, had PFAS on her mind long before the headlines. She noticed the presence of PFAS in seafood in native Alaskan villages over two decades ago, and has been studying them in earnest since 2005. She’s developed methods for measuring and remediating PFAS and has studied the chemicals effects on amphibians and other animals as part of a team led by Professors Maria Sepúlveda and Jason Hoverman in Forestry and Natural Resources.

Read more about everyone else contributing to the research of water in the full article from the latest issue of Envision.

Full Story

Featured Stories

 Aerial view of a combine actively harvesting corn in a large field during harvest season.
Climate change, Purdue DIAL Ventures issues report on climate-smart agriculture opportunities and challenges

A new report issued by the Purdue Applied Research Institute’s Digital Innovation in...

Read More
Charles Hinkles Portrait
Seeing the Century: A Life in Agricultural Engineering

Framed illustrations of barns in Charles (Chuck) Hinkle’s tidy apartment in a West...

Read More
a girl smiling
Undergraduate Student Spotlight: Sophia Bollenbacher

Sophia Bollenbacher, a junior studying animal sciences, grew up on Bolle-Acres Jersey Farm in...

Read More
A resilient agricultural systems infographic depicting limited disturbance of soils, inclusion of cover crops and preservation of biodiversity.
Purdue University to host inaugural Resilient Agriculture Summit

Whether it’s called sustainable, regenerative or resilient agriculture, farmers across...

Read More
Purdue Digital Forestry Students
Purdue digital forestry students win first prize in 2024 Annual GeoChallenge

A team of digital forestry graduate students from Purdue University won first prize in the...

Read More
Woman shopping at grocery store
Consumer stress over grocery prices stands at midpoint

Stress levels due to grocery prices are mixed, and most consumers are at least somewhat familiar...

Read More
To Top