# Assessing the Contribution of Polyfluoroalkyl Precursors to Diverse PFAS Exposures near Contaminated Sites

> **NIH NIH P42** · UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND · 2022 · $275,551

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – PROJECT 1 EXPOSURE
Hundreds of U.S. sites are contaminated by poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have been
associated with deleterious impacts on immune function, metabolism, and endocrine health. Project 1 of the
Sources, Transport, Exposure, and Effects of PFAS (STEEP) Center (P1–Exposure) provides a critical link
between the biomedical and engineering projects by focusing of PFAS exposure sources of concern near
contaminated Superfund sites (air, water, and fish). P1–Exposure directly addresses the SRP mandate to
“...develop methods and resources to detect hazardous substances and assess the risks they pose to human
health” through the development of novel mechanistic and statistical tools to support PFAS exposure
assessment and innovative environmental measurements in collaboration with P4–Detection using a suite of
analytical techniques to close the PFAS mass budget. P1–Exposure research is essential to the overall STEEP
II goals to “Assess the distribution, transformation and bioaccumulation of PFAS and “Engage new and
established stakeholders across multiple sites.” Most prior work has focused on a limited suite of PFAS analytes,
transport through aqueous media, and drinking water as the main vector of exposure. However, abundant
polyfluoroalkyl precursors that degrade into terminal PFAS have been detected in environmental samples,
atmospheric deposition is increasingly recognized as a major PFAS transport pathway, and contaminated
seafood is another important vector for human exposure. The central hypothesis of P1–Exposure is that
environmental PFAS exposures have been substantially underestimated due to large quantities of undetected
polyfluoroalkyl precursors present in air, water, and biota. Aims 1 and 2 will investigate the propensity of PFAS
precursors for bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs using field research in Cape Cod, MA, downstream of AFFF-
contaminated sites. New knowledge of PFAS bioaccumulation mechanisms from field research and collaboration
with P3–Mechanisms will be formalized in a mechanistic food web model, compared to traditional SRP
contaminants of concern (polychlorinated biphenyls and methylmercury), and applied to understand time trends
in seafood exposures for Faroese children in P2–Critical Effects. Aim 3 will develop modeling tools for
characterizing atmospheric source-receptor relationships for PFAS across the contiguous U.S. Aim 4 will
enhance a statistical approach for predicting private wells likely to have PFAS contamination in the states of MA,
MI, and NJ. P1–Exposure research will be conducted in partnership with many stakeholders including the
Mashpee-Wampanoag Tribe on Cape Cod, MA in partnership with CEC and state program managers and
scientists in MA, MI, and NJ. All modeling and data management practices for new measurements and model
output will be supported by STEEP’s DMAC. P1–Exposure research and engagement with multiple states will
provide ample train...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10352510
- **Project number:** 2P42ES027706-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND
- **Principal Investigator:** Elsie Mareca Sunderland
- **Activity code:** P42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $275,551
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10352510

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10352510, Assessing the Contribution of Polyfluoroalkyl Precursors to Diverse PFAS Exposures near Contaminated Sites (2P42ES027706-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10352510. Licensed CC0.

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