Lab Seminar: Predicting PFAS in Drinking Water
Laura Quinones presented ongoing research on PFAS, also known as “Forever Chemicals," that have become prevalent in domestic water supplies. The long lasting nature of these pollutants is worrisome and highlights the need for policy intervention. The discrepancy between state and federal regulation has led to unequal testing across the US. Data availability is sparse across states and limits our ability to perform policy evaluation surrounding these chemicals. To overcome this issue, Laura proposes to use machine learning models to predict PFAS concentration in sources that do not test for it. She will then use this data to evaluate the impact of policies that ban firefighting foam containing PFAS in testing and training sites.