(402l) The Benefits of Research Translation to Environmental Research: A Case Study Featuring Fate and Transport of per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in New England

Adoption by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of drinking water advisories of 0.07μg/L for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) highlights growing concern about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAAs) in the environment. PFASs have been used in industrial and consumer products and processes including fire fighting foams and fluoropolymer manufacturing, leading to environmental releases through use and disposal. Numerous communities in the New England region have recently identified PFASs in regional water resources including groundwater and surface water used as drinking water supplies. In response, the Brown University Superfund Research Program (SRP) Research Translation Core has worked in conjunction with SRP stakeholders to provide PFAS workshops, webinars, and analytical assistance to regulators and practitioners in the region. Through these events a series of knowledge gaps were outlined that represent priority challenges for management of PFASs in the environment. These knowledge gaps include tools for targeted assessment of potential regional sources of PFASs, improved understanding of PFAS physicochemical properties (e.g. vapor pressure) and implications for fate and transport, occurrence of PFASs in coastal ecosystems, and improved approaches for PFAS remediation. In response, the Brown SRP has developed a series of research objectives to address gaps in these key areas, and results from a subset of these efforts will be presented. Overall, research results have an immediate benefit to stakeholders actively managing environmental releases of PFASs and illustrate how environmental research can benefit from the bilateral communication between regulators/practitioners and scientific experts that is established during research translation efforts.