Which consumer products contain PFAS – contaminants of emerging concern?

Environmental Engineering, PFAS, Instrumentation, Analytical Chemistry

Research Mentor: Dr. Youneng Tang, He/him/his
Department, College, Affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Contact Email: ytang@eng.famu.fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Mr. Mojtaba Nouri Goukeh He/him/his
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: mn20f@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: 1) Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2) Chemistry, 3) Chemical Engineering
Project Location: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 7 hours/week, Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Not participating in the Roundtable

Project Description

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of approximately 5,000 human-derived chemicals that have attracted significant public attention due to their toxicity at even very low concentrations, widespread use in many commercial and consumer products, and recalcitrance to degradation in the environment. While there is a wealth of knowledge in the literature regarding which consumer products containing which water-soluble PFAS, it is understudied regarding which consumer products containing which volatile PFAS. The objective of this project is to fill in the knowledge gap in this understudied area. We welcome one UROP scholar to participate in this research project. Professor Tang and his graduate student will supervise the UROP scholar. The graduate student will provide most of the direct supervision. After the UROP project is completed, there may be an opportunity for the UROP scholar to further develop and optimize the method for measuring more types of PFAS through undergraduate or graduate research assistantship.




Research Tasks: The UROP scholar is expected to:
1) Complete a few lab safety training sessions.
2) Shadow the graduate student.
3) Review the literature to understand PFAS and their contamination.
4) Learn the method based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for measuring one type of PFAS.
5) Use the measurement method to determine which consumer products contain this type of PFAS.
6) Summarize and discuss the research results in a poster and a white paper.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: None.