New Webinar Series on PFAS & Community Solutions - This webinar series will provide community members, health professionals, and policymakers with up-to-date research, practical solutions, and an opportunity to engage directly with experts. Each one-hour webinar will include presentations and a live Q&A, with recordings available on the STEEP website for those unable to attend. ...Read more
Field and Stream: Confronting PFAS in New England’s Wild and Aquatic Foods workshop - This workshop brought together experts to address the challenges of PFAS contamination in seafood, shellfish, and wild game. Discussions highlighted gaps in research, regulatory hurdles, and the complexities of risk communication, particularly the challenge of providing clear, actionable guidance amid scientific uncertainty. The workshop concluded with a plan to develop a white paper outlining key… ...Read more
POSTPONED: Advancing Cosmetics Safety Assessment with Dr. Luísa Camacho - Join Dr. Luísa Camacho, Deputy Director of FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research, as she explores innovative alternative skin models for in vitro permeation testing. Learn about the biology of skin, experimental methodologies, and how this research supports the FDA’s regulatory mission. ...Read more
STEEP SRP Seminar with Dr. Alicia Timme-Laragy: Exploring the Toxicology of PFAS - Join us on Monday, January 8, 2024, at 11:00 AM ET for a STEEP SRP seminar with Dr. Alicia Timme-Laragy as she explores the developmental toxicity of PFAS using zebrafish as a model. Learn how PFAS disrupt critical developmental processes and contribute to toxicological effects, with insights into human health risks. ...Read more
STEEP SRP Seminar with Dr. Philippe Grandjean: PFAS Research: Facts, Fiction, and Fraud - Join us on December 11th at noon or an eye-opening webinar featuring Philippe Grandjean, founding editor of the journal Environmental Health, as he delves into the complex world of PFAS research: Facts, Fiction, and Fraud ...Read more
STEEP SRP Seminar with Dr. Joseph Braun: PFAS Exposure and Health Risks - The STEEP 2024-2025 Seminar Series kicks off with Dr. Joseph Braun, Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University, presenting on the health impacts of PFAS exposure, its sources, and strategies for mitigation. Join us on November 20, 2024, to learn about the link between PFAS and long-term metabolic diseases. ...Read more
May 19: STEEP and Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Film Screening and Panel Event - This community event is an opportunity for the Tribal community to meet members of the STEEP team and learn about results of PFAS testing of locally-caught fish and shellfish. A 50-minute documentary film about PFAS will be shown followed by a panel discussion. ...Read more
April 26: Mixtures Biology & Modeling with Applications to PFAS - Talk by Dr. Webster (Boston University) will examine the difficult problem of the biological effects of chemical mixtures using a pharmacodynamic approach. I will discuss the effect of mixtures on receptor activation and the implications for downstream responses. PFAS will provide one example. ...Read more
March 28: Communicating Science in a Crisis - Thursday, March 28th, 3:30PM-4:30PM. GSO, Coastal Institute Auditorium and via livestream. Speaker: Chris Reddy, Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). One of the world's foremost oil spill scientists, GSO alum Chris Reddy, Ph.D. ‘98, is coming to the URI Bay Campus to discuss communicating science in a crisis. His recent book, Science Communication in… ...Read more
March 13: Canaries of the sea? Baleen whales as sentinels of marine pollution - Presentation by Matthew Savoca, PhD, Research Associate, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University. Lecture Details: Sentinel species can provide insight into ecosystem function, act as leading indicators of risk to human health, and serve as harbingers of future environmental change. Baleen whales have been well studied as climate and ecosystem sentinels... ...Read more
March 8: Exploring early origins of cognitive decline: the St. Louis Baby Tooth Study - Date: Friday, March 8th, 2024. Time: Noon -1:00 PM. Location: URI College of Pharmacy, Avedisian Room #130. Host: University of Rhode Island STEEP Superfund Research Program. Lecture Details: We are building on a landmark study in the 1950’s and 1960’s that collected over 300,000 baby teeth to assess exposure to radiation from nuclear weapons testing.… ...Read more
February 28: Careers in Scientific Review and Management - Wednesday, February 28th @ 11am via Zoom. Panelists: Anika Dzierlenga is a scientific program director in the NIEHS Genes, Environment, and Health Branch. Esra Mutlu is a chemist and board-certified toxicologist. ...Read more
November 8th Seminar PFAS and Diabetes: Links via the Human Metabolome - Dr. Dania Valvi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health and the Co-director of the MS in Epidemiology program at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her research is focused on the impacts of the exposome on the initiation and progression of metabolic diseases in childhood and adulthood. ...Read more
Sept 8: Emergence of PFAS as an Environmental Toxicant - Friday, September 8, 11am to Noon: This lecture will address the delay of crucial information about perfluorinated alkylate substances (PFAS) toxicity and the implications for human health. Recent research has identified adverse effects at lower and lower exposures. While most companies have stopped producing two forms of PFASs— perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid… ...Read more
May 4: “BURNED: Protecting the Protectors” short film screening & panel discussion - BURNED Protecting the Protectors, from Ethereal Films and produced by Mark Ruffalo, documents the true story of how the spouse of a firefighter revealed significant exposure to PFAS affecting the fire community. Please join us for this short film, followed by a panel discussion featuring Professor Rainer Lohmann (URI Graduate School of Oceanography), Professor Angela… ...Read more
Passive Sampling: A Simple Solution to A Complex Problem - The world of PFAS is not an easy one to traverse, even for those of us who are so-called experts. PFAS is an abbreviation for a family of thousands of compounds called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These compounds share common features including a carbon backbone with many fluorine atoms attached. The litany of abbreviations that… ...Read more
STEEP Steps on National Stage: Informs House Subcommittees on needed PFAS research and findings - STEEP researcher Elsie Sunderland was among four expert witnesses to testify before a House subcommittee hearing on PFAS. The testimonies highlighted knowledge gaps and technological needs in PFAS research and mitigation, and subcommittee members asked the experts many questions to learn what the federal government can do to address the issue. ...Read more
Former STEEP trainee Cindy Hu awarded “Women in Science Incentive Prize” to continue work focused on climate change and the water crisis - Cindy Hu is one of five winners of the first annual Women In Science Incentive Prize. Created in celebration of its 10th anniversary, The Story Exchange announced the winners of this new grant program that recognizes innovative female scientists working in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation ...Read more
PFAS advisory: State asks people to limit or not eat fish caught at 5 Cape Cod ponds - After finding fish containing PFAS, Massachusetts public health officials are recommending that people limit or avoid consumption of fish from five ponds near Joint Base Cape Cod, a known source of PFAS from firefighting foams. STEEP researcher Laurel Schaider weighed in on the advisory, commenting on how it relates to drinking water PFAS detections ...Read more
Does PFAS exposure affect COVID-19 illness and vaccine effectiveness? Researchers want to know - STEEP researchers and scientists across the country are working to find out whether PFAS exposure reduces vaccine effectiveness and affects severity of illness. While STEEP researchers have long been studying effects of PFAS on other vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccine is so new that little is known about how PFAS could affect it ...Read more- Nov. 17th Seminar on the Impact of imprecision of exposure assessment in PFAS toxicity evidence by Dr. Philippe Grandjean - Epidemiology studies are generally observational and rely on post hoc exposure assessment, e.g., by measuring PFAS concentrations in serum samples. The advantage in regard to several common PFAS is that they have long elimination half-lives in serum. ...Read more
State expert recommends blood testing for PFAS contaminant - At a Massachusetts state taskforce meeting last month, experts met to investigate the health effects of PFAS and provide their recommendations to prevent and manage exposure to the chemicals, with a particular emphasis on blood testing for communities with known PFAS exposure. ...Read more
More communities are finding toxic chemicals in their drinking water - Since Massachusetts enacted a new drinking water standard last fall, many communities have found elevated PFAS levels in their drinking water which is raising concerns among municipal water suppliers regarding the cost for resolution. ...Read more
June 23: Let’s Talk About PFAS: The Case of the Missing Contaminants - In this installment of the “Let’s Talk About PFAS” webinar series, STEEP scientists will discuss efforts to track down PFAS chemicals in the environment, including previously undetected PFAS on Cape Cod. Their findings raise concerns about the potential impact on drinking water quality and human health. All are welcome, but registration is required. ...Read more
April 14: Let’s Talk About PFAS: Don’t Need It, Don’t Use It - webinar on the essential and non-essential uses of PFAS chemicals in consumer products. Organized by the STEEP Superfund Research Program Center and hosted by the Town of Barnstable. Speaker presentations followed by Q&A with the public. The virtual event is free and open to the public. All are welcome, but registration is required. ...Read more
RI legislative action urged on ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging - Rhode Island regulators have renewed efforts to pass legislation to ban PFAS in food packaging and set a state drinking water standard. STEEP scientists Dr. Laurel Schaider and Dr. Angela Slitt speak out in favor of the proposed bills. ...Read more
March 11th: Let’s Talk About PFAS: Taking Action to Protect Your Health - webinar on the health of effects of PFAS in drinking water. Organized by the STEEP Superfund Research Program Center and hosted by the Town of Barnstable. Speaker presentations followed by Q&A with the public. The virtual event is free and open to the public. All are welcome, but registration is required. ...Read more
All Nonessential PFAS Should Be Phased Out, Scientists Advise - A team of scientists, including STEEP director Dr. Rainer Lohmann, published another article discussing the high persistence of PFAS and further urge all nonessential use to be phased out. They state that the continual release of PFAS will result in greater probability of unknown adverse effects, which are likely to be irreversible ...Read more
PFAS Chemical Associated With Severe Covid-19 - STEEP co-lead Dr. Philippe Grandjean conducted a recent study analyzing the association between PFAS exposure and Covid-19, finding that people with elevated levels of the PFAS compound PFBA were more than twice as likely to have a severe form of Covid-19. ...Read more
February 3rd: Let’s Talk About PFAS: How Can I Tell if PFAS Are in My Drinking Water? - webinar on PFAS contaminants in drinking water, organized by the STEEP Superfund Research Program Center and hosted by the Town of Barnstable. Speaker presentations followed by Q&A with the public. The virtual event is free and open to the public. ...Read more
URI student finds PFAS in seabirds from Narragansett Bay, Mass Bay, Cape Fear - A recent study by STEEP’s Anna Robuck finds PFAS in seabirds from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and North Carolina. These important findings mark the first time novel PFAS compounds have been discovered in liver tissue and urge the need for further study of the relationship between PFAS, wildlife and the environment. Read more. ...Read more
Newer PFAS compound detected for first time in Arctic seawater - As concerns rise about pervasiveness of PFAS in the environment, scientists examine the most remote regions on Earth. A new research study investigating 29 PFAS compounds in the Arctic Ocean finds HFPO-DA for the first time in Arctic seawater and provides evidence for the increasing importance of atmospheric deposition to long-range transport of PFAS. Read… ...Read more
Pressure builds to study PFAS, COVID-19 link - Public health experts, including STEEP co-lead and Harvard Professor Dr. Philippe Grandjean, begin research on the relationship between PFAS exposure and COVID-19. ...Read more
Catch the Highlights: Learn how Policy, health, and justice took center stage at “PFAS In Our World: What We Know and What We Can Do” conference - Policy, health, and justice served as lenses through which PFAS contaminants in drinking water were examined via the recent virtual conference, “PFAS In Our World: What We Know and What We Can Do.” The event, sponsored on October 13 and 14 by the University of Rhode Island (URI) STEEP Superfund Research Center, brought leading and… ...Read more
Postponed: “FLUOROS 2021 – An International Symposium on Fluorinated Compounds and Their Impacts on Human and Environmental Health” - Opportunity for unbiased, multidisciplinary exchange on PFAS. The FLUOROS symposium dedicated to sharing the latest science on PFAS, “silent” and harmful chemicals often present in common household and business settings, is postponed from October of 2020 to September of 2021. ...Read more
Engaging communities in learning about exposures to PFAS in drinking water - As states across the country move to regulate PFAS contaminants in public water supplies, Laurel Schaider worries about another source of drinking water that is often overlooked: private wells. Approximately 44 million people in the United States rely on them for their drinking water. However, unlike public wells, private wells are not regulated under the… ...Read more
State Regulations for Harmful PFAS Expected in May - Efforts are underway in Rhode Island to regulate PFAS in drinking water and food packaging. At a recent Statehouse hearing, the RI Department of Health indicated that preliminary regulations will be released by May. ...Read more
STEEP Shares Key Finding of Private Well Study at Science Day - STEEP’s Science Day 2019 featured presentations and Q&A with researchers and trainees, the Superintendent of the Hyannis Water System, and staff from Joint Base Cape Cod. View material from the event including a summary of findings, presentations, and video recordings. Read ...Read more
Activists including Actor Mark Ruffalo help launch awareness campaign on PFAS chemicals - Health advocates concerned about the health effects of PFAS organized the Fight Forever Chemicals campaign to spread awareness about the widespread public health issue. The campaign was launched to coincide with the release of a new film titled ‘Dark Waters,’ which highlights the health risks of PFAS. Mark Ruffalo plays the role of a corporate… ...Read more
What Are PFAS Chemicals, and Should I Be Freaking Out About Them? - Knowledge of PFAS chemicals continues to expand as researchers investigate ways to deal with the contaminants. This family of chemicals consists entirely of manmade compounds, each held together by one of the strongest bonds found in nature. While characterized by desirable properties like grease and stain resistance, these contaminants also pose large threats to human… ...Read more
STEEP researcher Dr. Pál Weihe recipient of prestigious 2019 Ramazzini Special Award - The Collegium Ramazzini and the Town of Carpi, Italy proudly recognized Dr. Pál Weihe as the Ramazzini Special Award recipient for 2019. Dr. Pál Weihe is Chair and Chief Physician of the Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health at the Faroese Central Hospital in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, and Adjunct Professor at the University of… ...Read more
Fast food increases exposure to a ‘forever chemical’ called PFAS - PFAS are a class of chemicals used in many household items and have desirable chemical properties that can make objects water, fire, or stain resistant. They are also used in food packaging materials, but often leach into the foods they hold and consequently result in accumulation in the human body. This was demonstrated in a… ...Read more
Nearly half of private wells sampled on Cape have PFAS - This study was done by the STEEP Superfund Research Program at the University of Rhode Island and was a collaborative effort with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the state Department of Environmental Health, and the Silent Spring Institute. Results showed that 46% of the 101 private wells tested had at least one… ...Read more
STEEP Science Day October 2, 2019 - The Cape Cod community is invited to connect with STEEP Center scientists, learn about research on PFAS, ask questions, and voice their concerns. STEEP researchers will discuss the science of hazardous chemicals called PFAS and their occurrence in U.S. drinking water supplies, including on Cape Cod. Scientists will also share what they are learning about… ...Read more
N.H. Approves Unprecedented Limits For PFAS Chemicals In Drinking Water - New Hampshire has adopted stringent maximum contaminant levels and ambient groundwater quality standards for 4 PFAS compounds. Environmental groups are lauding the standards while many in the industry feel that they are moving too quickly without regard for cost or feasibility. ...Read more
STEEP Trainee Anna Robuck Named 2019 Switzer Fellow - The University of Rhode Island Superfund Research Program is pleased to announce that Trainee Anna Ruth Robuck, a URI doctoral candidate, has been selected as one of the 2019 Switzer Fellows. STEEP Trainee Robuck expressed her excitement regarding this opportunity to engage with other impassioned environmental leaders via the Switzer Network. “The Network offers an… ...Read more
R.I. Balks at Call for Stricter Drinking-Water Standards - Rhode Island environmentalists, scientists, and health advocates say the EPA’s current 70 parts-per-trillion threshold for PFAS is too high. In an R.I. House bill (H6064) they are asking for an interim state standard of 20 parts per trillion. In March, New Jersey set interim thresholds of 13 parts per trillion. Rainer Lohmann, associate professor at… ...Read more
A Lurking Danger for R.I.’s Drinking Water - In September 2017, the Rhode Island Department of Health discovered that 35 wells in Oakland village were contaminated with a class of widely used chemicals that many experts believe is contributing to a global public-health crisis. Follow-up tests in the neighborhood a few weeks later found the same substances in six private wells. The human-made… ...Read more
Public health experts aim to stop spreading of sludge - Dairy farmer Fred Stone said he never knew the sludge from sewage treatment plants that he applied to his hayfields for decades could be contaminated by PFAS - chemicals increasingly linked to cancer, liver damage, low birth weight and other health concerns. More than two years after learning of the contamination, Stone estimates he is… ...Read more
Arlene Blum — biophysical chemist, author, and mountaineer — to speak on how to reduce exposure to PFAS on April 17th - Dr. Blum’s science and policy work has drawn attention to the use of and ways to reduce exposure to harmful chemicals, including PFAS. In recognition of her contributions, she was recently inducted to the California Hall of Fame. Blum is also an avid mountaineer and led the first American — and all-woman — ascent of… ...Read more
Past STEEP News and Events
