With funding from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, faculty from UW-Stevens Point and UW-Milwaukee have created a collaborative undergraduate experience that involves students in research efforts to reduce harmful PFAS contamination in water.
The instruction builds on PFAS adsorption chemistry developed at UW-Stevens Point and leverages PFAS analysis expertise and equipment at UW-Milwaukee.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of nearly 15,000 human-made chemicals used in a wide variety of products, from nonstick cookware to stain-resistant carpets to firefighting foam. Called “forever chemicals” because of their persistence in the environment, PFAS have been linked to cancer, liver damage and thyroid disease.
Removing PFAS a challenge
As more communities face PFAS contamination in their water, the need for more remediation research has increased. Training students who can make significant contributions to PFAS research is critical for addressing this ongoing challenge.
“Our big picture was to train students to be ready to go into PFAS research,” said Joseph Mondloch, an associate professor who recently received UW-Stevens Point’s 2024 University Scholar Award. “The goal of our research is to develop materials that can remove PFAS from water.”
Yin Wang, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UW-Milwaukee, is a partner on the grant. An expert on methods of analyzing and detecting PFAS chemicals at very low concentrations, Wang also has developed several new adsorbent materials for PFAS removal.
The grant builds upon research on the occurrence and fate of PFAS in groundwater, previously funded by the Freshwater Collaborative, a statewide initiative backed by the Wisconsin Legislature that invests in hands-on courses, field and lab experiences, research opportunities and internships that prepare students to work in water-related fields.
Mondloch’s lab developed sponges that absorb six of the PFAS on the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of chemicals of special concern. Known as metal-organic frameworks (MOF), this technology has been shown to remove PFAS from water samples in the laboratory and from contaminated water at fire training sites and U.S. Air Force installations.
The next step is to test which sponges are best at removing PFAS from water. Mondloch hired undergraduate students who have learned how to make and characterize MOFs. The sponges are then tested in Wang’s lab at UW-Milwaukee.
Hands-on learning with state-of-the-art equipment
In July 2024, three UW-Stevens Point undergraduates — Brody Berens, Jackson Mikel and Grace Versnik — spent a week on the UW-Milwaukee campus. Wenxin Zhang, a PhD student in Wang’s lab, trained them to use state-of-the art PFAS detection equipment. She says mentoring the students has been deeply rewarding.
“I was drawn to this area of study due to the significant environmental and health implications of PFAS contamination,” she said. “Being a mentor has allowed me to develop leadership skills and gain new perspectives through the fresh ideas and enthusiasm that the undergraduates bring to the table.”
She adds that working with Mondloch and his students “enhanced her understanding of teamwork in a scientific setting.”
The research is also personal for Versnik, a biochemistry major going into her sophomore year at UW-Stevens Point.
“PFAS research interests me because I have family in an area that had been previously affected by the high levels of PFAS,” she says. “Being able to work with and learn about PFAS has allowed me to learn how these chemicals work.”
The next generation of scientists
By involving students in research early on, the next generation of scientists and engineers will be ready to find solutions to PFAS contamination and other emerging environmental challenges.
Mondloch believes that involving students in research early in their college careers is essential for their success.
“Often students aren’t involved in research until the last year of college,” Mondloch says. “The earlier they start, the more they can contribute and learn.”
Versnik is a sophomore and Jackson is a junior, which means they can choose to work on the project for multiple years.
In year three of the grant, the researchers and students will take the most effective MOFs out of the lab and into the real world. They will test them on PFAS taken from contaminated well water.
