Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of man-made, bioaccumulative chemicals that have been released to the environment over the past 70 years. Crest Hill, Illinois, has a legacy of PFAS contamination in its groundwater wells from manufacturing and disposal of firefighting foams. PFAS concentrations in the community’s drinking water wells exceed Illinois state remedial action levels. This PFAS contamination is migrating into protected wetland areas around the Des Plaines River. This project will study the PFAS movement from contaminated areas in Crest Hill by using field data, computer simulations, and a laboratory-scale model of the site. The results are expected to help develop strategies to contain the PFAS at the site and other places where PFAS moves into surface water bodies.
- PI: David Lampert
- PI Institution: Illinois Institute of Technology
- December 19, 2022 – December 18, 2025