Philly Emerging Contaminants Initiative

We are very excited to announce the launch of the Philly Emerging Water Contaminants Initiative, thanks to a research community grant from the University of Pennsylvania Environmental Innovations Initiative!

Microplastics identified in Cobbs Creek in western Philadelphia. Photo by Derek Ho.

The focus of our initiative will be to test water samples from various locations in Philadelphia for important emerging contaminants: PFAS, microplastics, and heavy metals. These substances have significant harmful effects on both the environment and public health, making it crucial to monitor and understand their presence in water sources. However, monitoring efforts are not widespread. For PFAS, this is because the equipment required (usually liquid chromatography tandem mass spectroscopy) is expensive, plus the methods require skilled labor to perform. Industrial rates for PFAS analysis cost anywhere from $300-$600 per sample, making routine analysis impractical. For microplastics, sampling is less expensive; however, the sampling techniques are far from standardized. Depending on how the sampling is conducted, it is possible to get very different results. The sampling procedures also have to be performed very carefully to avoid cross-contamination with plastics that are omnipresent in daily life. Thus, it is very difficult to correctly identify the amount of PFAS and microplastics in our water!

For our research community, we plan to select student community members who will be trained in environmental sampling and analysis techniques who will then design their own research projects around the Philadelphia urban environment. Some potential projects might include:

• Longitudinal sampling along the Delaware or Schuylkill Rivers to assess spatial distribution

• Comparing tap water quality across different Philadelphia neighborhoods

• Sediments/soils in public areas such as parks or streets

• Effects of meteorological events, such as heavy storms, on water quality

• Assessing recreational waters used by Philadelphia residents

• Examining known hotspots such as the environment near the Philadelphia airport (e.g., water quality at John Heinz Wildlife Refuge)

Samples collected by students will be measured for concentrations of PFAS, microplastics, heavy metals, and other water quality metrics. We will observe how different pollutants co-occur with one another, and regularly update our website with updated metrics on where sampling took place along with the water quality metrics at that location. Stay tuned for updates from these projects as we explore ways to monitor and mitigate water contaminants and promote environmental sustainability!