Freshwater Colloquium: Occurrence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Surface Waters of the Chicago Area Waterway System

Gordon Getzinger will present “Occurrence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Surface Waters of the Chicago Area Waterway System” as part of the School of Freshwater Sciences Spring Colloquium

Dr. Getzinger is an Assistant Professor at Loyola University Chicago in the School of Environmental Sustainability (SES). As an environmental chemist he studies the occurrence and fate of anthropogenic chemicals in natural and engineered systems. Before joining the SES faculty in 2023, he was a research scientist at Biobot Analytics, a consultant at Exponent, and a research scientist with the North Carolina PFAS Testing Network. Additionally, he has held adjunct/lecturer appointments in the Chemistry Department at Tufts University and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT. He completed his post-doctoral training with the Environmental Chemistry Group at ETH Zurich and his PhD with Professor Lee Ferguson at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of organic contaminants occurring ubiquitously in aquatic environments owing to their wide-spread consumer and industrial use and the recalcitrance of carbon-fluorine bonds toward environmental transformations. PFAS accumulate in sediments and biota and are known to cause ecological and human health effects. PFAS use in industry and consumer goods leads to their occurrence in treated wastewater and residual biosolids. Furthermore, recent research indicates that stormwater may transport PFAS from urban landscapes into aquatic ecosystems. Considering potential future regulations on levels of PFAS in wastewater discharges, knowledge of PFAS sources in urban aquatic environments is essential for determining efficacy of any proposed discharge limits or ambient water quality standards. The Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) presents a unique opportunity for studying the sources and fate of PFAS in urban aquatic systems because the CAWS surface waters are highly impacted by treated wastewater effluent, combined sewer overflows, and stormwater runoff. However, there are currently few data available on levels of PFAS in CAWS surface waters. To better understand current levels of PFAS in the CAWS, we conducted a monitoring campaign in major CAWS waterways with varying degrees of stormwater runoff and wastewater influence. Samples were analyzed using solid phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for >30 PFAS of regulatory concern. This presentation will explore relationships between PFAS occurrence and probable PFAS sources and evaluate PFAS concentrations considering current ecological health guidelines.

This final seminar of the Spring 2025 Freshwater Colloquium series will be held in the GLRF Ballroom. Another fascinating talk around this semester’s overarching theme of Emerging Contaminants in Aquatic Environments. Please join us!

This presentation is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public.