{"id":77425,"date":"2026-10-15T16:55:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T20:55:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425"},"modified":"2026-10-18T20:23:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T00:23:45","slug":"undergrad-research-pfas__trashed","status":"trash","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425","title":{"rendered":"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Editor\u2019s note: This story was adapted from<\/em> <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/news.cornell.edu\/stories\/2026\/10\/students-create-first-depth-map-forever-chemicals-finger-lakes\"><em>a feature<\/em><\/a> <em>in the<\/em> Cornell Chronicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"rkv-gutter-bottom-quarter wp-block-paragraph\">By <strong>Caitlin Hayes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Photography by <strong>Sreang Hok<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\">In 2023, <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.duffield.cornell.edu\/people\/damian-e-helbling\/\">Prof. Damian Helbling<\/a> 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)\u2014some of which have been linked to cancers and other negative health effects\u2014in drinking water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ithacans and others in the region wanted to know about levels in the ponds, lakes, streams, and creeks in their proverbial backyards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnybody in the public could just search online for \u2018PFAS\u2019 and \u2018Cornell,\u2019 and they would find me,\u201d says Helbling, a professor of civil and environmental engineering in the Duffield College. \u201cBut I had no idea how to answer their questions. There were no data locally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anybody in the public could just search online for \u2018PFAS\u2019 and \u2018Cornell,\u2019 and they would find me. But I had no idea how to answer their questions. There were no data locally.<\/p>\n<cite><strong>Prof. Damian Helbling <\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A group of undergrads in Helbling\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019ve screened the samples for 24 common PFAS and <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/helbling.research.engineering.cornell.edu\/flx-pfas-project\/\">added the data<\/a> to an interactive map. It shows PFAS hot spots but also relieves some fears: overall, the concentrations in the Finger Lakes are relatively low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"Madeline Adams \u201927 takes a water sample\" class=\"wp-image-77421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-1264x843.jpeg 1264w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-632x421.jpeg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-316x211.jpeg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-400x267.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-200x133.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009-100x67.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_009.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Madeline Adams \u201927 takes a water sample.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere was definitely relief knowing that generally we\u2019re not seeing elevated levels across the region,\u201d says Alex Van Den Hende \u201926, BS \u201925, MEng \u201925, who created the map\u2019s infrastructure with Helbling\u2019s mentorship and is now an environmental engineer with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe saw that relief in the public\u2019s response but also concern that there is in fact contamination\u2014that maybe you\u2019re not immediately affected, but there\u2019s potential for more significant impacts in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was definitely relief knowing that generally we\u2019re not seeing elevated levels across the region.<\/p>\n<cite><strong>Alex Van Den Hende \u201926, BS \u201925, MEng \u201925<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PFAS don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But regional data on PFAS contamination in water often consists of a small number of samples taken at long intervals. Helbling says the students\u2019 Finger Lakes dataset is unique in its breadth of sites and samples taken over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"Students in the research group of Damian Helbling, professor in the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Cascadilla Gorge on Oct. 6.\" class=\"wp-image-77424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-800x450.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-608x342.jpeg 608w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-304x171.jpeg 304w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-152x85.jpeg 152w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-1184x666.jpeg 1184w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-592x333.jpeg 592w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-296x166.jpeg 296w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-1264x711.jpeg 1264w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-632x356.jpeg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-316x178.jpeg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-400x225.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-200x113.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N-100x56.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_005-N.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In addition to Adams (far right), current team members include (from left) Clare Shay \u201928, Abby Childs \u201929, and Fiona Chen \u201928.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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\u2014where levels did exceed guidance values for safety set by New York State\u2014are largely in places the group expected: in standing bodies of water near airports and fire training stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignwide is-style-solid-color\"><blockquote><p>The hot spots\u2014where levels did exceed guidance values for safety set by New York State\u2014are largely in places the group expected: in standing bodies of water near airports and fire training stations.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut these elevated sites might tell us how we can better monitor and do source control,\u201d says civil engineering major Gregory Pepin \u201927. \u201cIt might also help educate people and make people think about new infrastructure projects that reduce the risk of PFAS exposure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"A student wearing a pair of blue latex gloves takes a water sample\" class=\"wp-image-77423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-1264x843.jpeg 1264w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-632x421.jpeg 632w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-316x211.jpeg 316w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-400x267.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-200x133.jpeg 200w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023-100x67.jpeg 100w, https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_023.jpeg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students have presented the results of their work at conferences and meetings.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Helbling says the data provide a baseline to track changes, especially as new industries establish themselves in the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re getting a snapshot of water quality today that will be useful to compare with data from water samples collected after certain industries arrive,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The student team\u2014now in its second generation after the project\u2019s initial members graduated\u2014also hope to influence the state\u2019s monitoring of PFAS and plan to use the accumulated data to identify high-priority areas in other regions of New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen we started sampling over time, the motivation was to have all of this spatial data,\u201d says current team member Madeline Adams \u201927, a chemical engineering major. \u201cBut now we\u2019re asking what more we can say and figure out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Published October 15, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":77427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles","alumni_hub_syml_posts":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[223],"tags":[],"cornell_year_post":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-77425","post","type-post","status-trash","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-students"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019 - Cornellians | Cornell University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019 - Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cornellians | Cornell University\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Cornellians\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-15T20:55:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-19T00:23:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2368\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1331\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@WeCornellians\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beth Saulnier\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beth Saulnier\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\"},\"headline\":\"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-15T20:55:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-19T00:23:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425\"},\"wordCount\":805,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425\",\"name\":\"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019 - Cornellians | Cornell University\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-15T20:55:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-10-19T00:23:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\"},\"description\":\"The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg\",\"width\":2368,\"height\":1331,\"caption\":\"Students in the research group of Damian Helbling, professor in the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Cascadilla Gorge on Oct. 6.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?p=77425#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/\",\"name\":\"Cornellians | Cornell University\",\"description\":\"Cornell&#039;s alumni publication\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100\",\"name\":\"Beth Saulnier\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Beth Saulnier\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alumni.cornell.edu\\\/cornellians\\\/author\\\/ess8\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019 - Cornellians | Cornell University","description":"The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019 - Cornellians | Cornell University","og_description":"The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles","og_url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425","og_site_name":"Cornellians | Cornell University","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Cornellians","article_published_time":"2026-10-15T20:55:43+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-19T00:23:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2368,"height":1331,"url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Beth Saulnier","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@WeCornellians","twitter_site":"@WeCornellians","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Beth Saulnier","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425"},"author":{"name":"Beth Saulnier","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100"},"headline":"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019","datePublished":"2026-10-15T20:55:43+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-19T00:23:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425"},"wordCount":805,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg","articleSection":["Students"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425","name":"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019 - Cornellians | Cornell University","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-10-15T20:55:43+00:00","dateModified":"2026-10-19T00:23:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100"},"description":"The team took 500 samples across 300 bodies of water, including all 11 Finger Lakes and many tributaries, ponds, and even puddles","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/10\/2026_1435_SH_021_crop.jpeg","width":2368,"height":1331,"caption":"Students in the research group of Damian Helbling, professor in the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering, test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Cascadilla Gorge on Oct. 6."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?p=77425#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Undergrad Researchers Fill a Data Gap on Local Prevalence of \u2018PFAS\u2019"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#website","url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/","name":"Cornellians | Cornell University","description":"Cornell&#039;s alumni publication","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/#\/schema\/person\/32fea64e8c64bb984ed5809675634100","name":"Beth Saulnier","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/321760a8edb5153d2c562bbadd61cc5ebb987bda75fb59074266c35cc35beae1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Beth Saulnier"},"url":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/author\/ess8\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET","POST","PUT","PATCH","DELETE"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77425"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77443,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77425\/revisions\/77443"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77425"},{"taxonomy":"cornell_year_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cornell_year_post?post=77425"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.cornell.edu\/cornellians\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=77425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}