Freshwater Colloquium – Sources, Fate, and Effects of PFAS Mixtures in Great Lakes Ecosystems and Native Fishes

Environmental contamination of PFAS is one of the greatest challenges facing freshwater ecosystems today due to widespread accumulation and a high degree of uncertainty regarding ecological risk and health hazards. PFAS are a large class of man-made chemicals used in a wide range of applications such as metal plating, food packaging, non-stick coating, waterproof and stain-resistant fabrics, and firefighting foams. Because of their numerous sources and applications, these chemicals are present in the environment as complex mixtures of many different types of PFAS compounds. Once in the environment, PFAS do not break down completely due to their highly stable fluorinated carbon bonds, allowing them to persist and accumulate in water supplies, biota, and humans. Our laboratory in the Center for PFAS Research and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University investigates the accumulation of PFAS mixtures in the Great Lakes region and the impacts of PFAS exposure on native freshwater fishes. This presentation will discuss our field and laboratory research characterizing the distribution of PFAS in environmental matrices, the bioaccumulation of PFAS in biota, and the effects of PFAS on the growth, reproduction, and physiological condition of native fishes. Together, this research can inform evidence-based decision-making surrounding ecosystem health, remediation, fish consumption advisories, and water quality standards in the Great Lakes region.

Dr. Rachel Leads is an Aquatic Ecotoxicologist and Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Center for PFAS Research at Michigan State University. She received her M.S. in Marine Biology from the College of Charleston and her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of North Texas. Her research characterizes the physiological mechanisms and ecological effects of contaminants and environmental stressors in marine and freshwater organisms. Currently, Dr. Leads studies the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on native fish in the Great Lakes region. Overall, her work uses both field and laboratory assessments to understand the mechanisms and impacts of contaminant exposure on aquatic organisms across multiple levels of biological organization, from molecular to whole-organism responses.

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