UA SRC Trainee Studies “Forever Chemicals”
May 5, 2022
University of Arizona Superfund Research Center (UA SRC) trainee Asma El Ouni, a Research Scientist and a PhD student in the Environmental Science Department mentored by Dr. Mark Brusseau, specializes in the study of the fate and transport of contaminants in water and soil.
El Ouni is studying the properties and behavior of soap-like substances called PFAS, Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. PFAS are man-made chemicals that are widely used every day in cleaning products, oil repellent cookware, food packaging, and firefighting foam.
These substances are commonly known as “Forever Chemicals” because they don’t break down easily in the environment and can linger and build up in our bodies.
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 79% of Americans have PFAS in their blood, which can cause adverse health effects. El Ouni’s research focuses on PFAS’s distribution behavior in water and soil to better assess the contamination risks.