What you need to know about PFAS

Natalia Soares Quinete leads efforts to monitor the presence of PFAS across South Florida and pinpoint potential sources of pollution. 

In this Q&A, Quinete — principal investigator of the Emerging Contaminants of Concern Lab — breaks down how her research is providing critical information policymakers need to safeguard public health and protect ecosystems that contribute billions to the state’s economy through tourism, recreation and real estate. 

What are PFAS?

A group of about 15,000 synthetic chemicals used for decades in many consumer and industry products — cosmetics, detergent, food packaging, nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothes and firefighting foams, to name a few. They were created to be virtually indestructible and tend to bioaccumulate in the environment and stick around for a long time, possibly centuries. That’s how they got the name “forever chemicals.”

Why is the persistence of these pollutants so problematic?

Pollution never remains confined to one place in the environment. It spreads to living things. People and wildlife can ingest or inhale PFAS. Exposure has been linked to human health effects such as increased risk of some cancers, as well as developmental, reproductive and neurological disruption. That’s why strict near-zero limits are in place for some PFAS in U.S. drinking water.

Where does this leave us?

There’s a lot of hype and worry around PFAS. But the reality is that to completely get rid of them, we’d need to go back in time. We need to remember knowledge is the first step to tackling big problems. Right now, there’s still a lack of information about the occurrence, sources, fate, distribution and transport of PFAS. My lab is piecing together this larger picture, little by little, conducting science that can hopefully help inform real-world change.

What has your research shown so far?

With advanced analytical tools like high-resolution mass spectrometry, my research group detects PFAS at very low parts per trillion, including unregulated ones with unknown toxicity. We’ve found them in water — groundwater, drinking water, Miami’s canal system and Biscayne Bay — as well as marine life, including dolphins, oysters, black fin tuna and lobsters. PFAS have also shown up in our surveys of rain, air, e-waste and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants, suggesting widespread atmospheric and environmental distribution.

You’ve also found PFAS in more “pristine” environments?

Yes, I’ve collaborated with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida who live in Everglades National Park. They were concerned about PFAS but lacked data. Our analysis showed PFAS in canals and marshlands throughout the reservation, which wasn’t surprising, but an important finding considering the Everglades is one of the major sources of Florida aquifers, supplying drinking water for eight million people.

What’s next?

I’m collaborating with Miami-Dade’s Environmental Resources Management on integrated watershed, monitoring and predictive modeling for PFAS transport in Biscayne Bay. This data can inform new guidelines or regulations for PFAS in surface water. I’m also working with researchers from FIU as well as national labs on PFAS remediation, including destruction techniques and novel materials like metal-organic frameworks for effective absorption and removal.