Jarod Snook collects samples of water in the Pawcatuck River looking for forever chemicals. (URI)
A study led by University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography alumnus Jarod Snook has identified long-term sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances entering the Pawcatuck River from two historically contaminated textile mill waste retention ponds.
Better known as PFAS or forever chemicals, this largely toxic group of manufactured compounds has been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. They don’t readily break down and can build up in people, animals, and the environment over time. They can persist for decades and travel long distances, moving from inland rivers like the Pawcatuck River to coastal waters and the Atlantic Ocean…