Students Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of ‘PFAS’ Stories You May Like Trailblazing Architect Kimberly Dowdell ’06 Aims to Inspire Others Fashion Forward: Dazzling Designs Delight in Barton Hall The Mall That Has It All: Our 2025 Big Red Holiday Marketplace The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles Editor’s note: This story was adapted from a feature in the Cornell Chronicle. By Caitlin Hayes Photography by Sreang Hok In 2023, Prof. Damian Helbling was getting a lot of calls and emails from local residents. The Environmental Protection Agency had just announced regulations to limit per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—some of which have been linked to cancers and other negative health effects—in drinking water. Ithacans and others in the region wanted to know about levels in the ponds, lakes, streams, and creeks in their proverbial backyards. “Anybody in the public could just search online for ‘PFAS’ and ‘Cornell,’ and they would find me,” says Helbling, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in the Duffield College. “But I had no idea how to answer their questions. There were no data locally.” Anybody in the public could just search online for ‘PFAS’ and ‘Cornell,’ and they would find me. But I had no idea how to answer their questions. There were no data locally. Prof. Damian Helbling A group of undergrads in Helbling’s research group has since filled the gap, taking more than 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles that persistently pool after rain. They’ve screened the samples for 24 common PFAS and added the data to an interactive map. It shows PFAS hot spots but also relieves some fears: overall, the concentrations in the Finger Lakes are relatively low. Madeline Adams ’27 takes a water sample. “There was definitely relief knowing that generally we’re not seeing elevated levels across the region,” says Alex Van Den Hende ’26, BS ’25, MEng ’25, who created the map’s infrastructure with Helbling’s mentorship and is now an environmental engineer with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, DC. “We saw that relief in the public’s response but also concern that there is in fact contamination—that maybe you’re not immediately affected, but there’s potential for more significant impacts in the future.” There was definitely relief knowing that generally we’re not seeing elevated levels across the region. Alex Van Den Hende ’26, BS ’25, MEng ’25 Stories You May Like Trailblazing Architect Kimberly Dowdell ’06 Aims to Inspire Others Fashion Forward: Dazzling Designs Delight in Barton Hall PFAS don’t break down easily, accumulate in the environment and the body, and have been linked with lower fertility, hormone disruption, and certain cancers; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans surveyed. But regional data on PFAS contamination in water often consists of a small number of samples taken at long intervals. Helbling says the students’ Finger Lakes dataset is unique in its breadth of sites and samples taken over time. In addition to Adams (far right), current team members include (from left) Clare Shay ’28, Abby Childs ’29, and Fiona Chen ’28. The students found that the amount of surface water in the Finger Lakes region seems to effectively dilute PFAS, so overall levels remain low. The hot spots—where levels did exceed guidance values for safety set by New York State—are largely in places the group expected: in standing bodies of water near airports and fire training stations. The hot spots—where levels did exceed guidance values for safety set by New York State—are largely in places the group expected: in standing bodies of water near airports and fire training stations. At these sites, de-icing fluids for planes and fire-extinguishing foams, known sources of PFAS, appear to spike the levels, which then decline over time. Those hot spots are not sources of drinking water and are often isolated from other waterways, limiting their impact. “But these elevated sites might tell us how we can better monitor and do source control,” says civil engineering major Gregory Pepin ’27. “It might also help educate people and make people think about new infrastructure projects that reduce the risk of PFAS exposure.” Students have presented the results of their work at conferences and meetings. Helbling says the data provide a baseline to track changes, especially as new industries establish themselves in the region. “We’re getting a snapshot of water quality today that will be useful to compare with data from water samples collected after certain industries arrive,” he says. The student team—now in its second generation after the project’s initial members graduated—also hope to influence the state’s monitoring of PFAS and plan to use the accumulated data to identify high-priority areas in other regions of New York. “When we started sampling over time, the motivation was to have all of this spatial data,” says current team member Madeline Adams ’27, a chemical engineering major. “But now we’re asking what more we can say and figure out.” Published October 15, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Cornelliana Dragon! Dragon! Dragon! Joyful Jamboree Is a Big Red Rite of Spring Quizzes & Puzzles Cornellian Crossword: ‘Back Home on the Hill’ Alumni In NYC’s Central Park, AAP Alum Leads a Stunning Transformation