Rebecca Klaper – University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (Keynote)
Biography: Rebecca D. Klaper is the Dean and a Professor at the School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Professor Klaper studies the potential impact of emerging contaminants, such as nanoparticles and pharmaceuticals on aquatic life and how we may design these chemicals to have the least environmental impact. She uses cell phenotypic profiling as well as genomic technologies to determine how these chemical stressors may impact organisms and how the biochemical response may dictate sensitivity or resistance to stressors. Prof. Klaper is a member of the Wisconsin Academy of Science, Arts and Letters, a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and has received a Fulbright Scholarship (U.K., 2017-2018) and a AAAS-Science and Technology Policy Fellowship. She has served as an invited scientific expert to the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative, the international Organization for Economic and Cooperative Development, and the International Joint Commission regarding the potential impacts of nanomaterials, pharmaceuticals and personal care products and other emerging contaminants and served on the U.S. EPA Board of Scientific Counselors committee on Chemical Safety and Sustainability. She has also served on several National Academies Panels on and Panel on the Environmental Impact of Currently Marketed Sunscreens and Impacts of Sunscreen on the environment and national strategies for nanomaterial research. Prof. Klaper received her Ph.D. in Ecology from the Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia.
New emerging contaminants, new methods for determining exposure and impact
Many emerging contaminants are not lethal but impact organisms cellular function and metabolism over a chronic exposure. Measuring these impacts can mean extensive long-term testing. In our lab we have adapted high-throughput phenotypic profiling assays techniques, currently used in pharmaceutical development, to determine impacts on cellular function, to predict cellular targets and mechanisms of action (MoAs) for emerging contaminants in environmentally relevant species. Using our novel multiplexed algal cytological imaging (MACI) assay and machine learning we have been able to separate signatures of exposures to different herbicides and antibiotics with unique MoAs. In addition we have used phenotypic profiling to further characterize cellular impacts to identify perturbed functions in chemicals with unknown MOAs such as nanoplastics and plasticizers. Our work has demonstrated rapid assays that can identify sublethal impacts such as mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruption of photosynthesis. This talk will discuss the implications of these technologies and the mechanisms they have revealed in our studies.
John Scott – University of Illinois (Keynote)
Biography: John Scott is Associate Director of the Emerging Contaminant Center at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) at the University of Illinois. His work focuses on the occurrence, fate, and impact of contaminants in environmental systems, with particular interest in emerging contaminants such as PFAS and microplastics. At ISTC, he supports interdisciplinary research efforts aimed at understanding contaminant behavior in the environment and developing strategies for pollution prevention and sustainable solutions. Scott has contributed to numerous collaborative research projects and publications addressing environmental contamination and emerging environmental challenges.
Emerging Contaminants: What Have We Learned, Where Are We Now, and What Are We Missing?
Emerging contaminants continue to challenge environmental scientists, regulators, and communities as new chemicals are introduced into commerce and ultimately detected in environmental systems. Analytical chemistry plays a central role in identifying and characterizing these contaminants, often providing the first indication that compounds of concern are present in our air, water, and soil.
This talk will explore emerging contaminants through three guiding questions: What have we learned? Where are we now? And what are we missing? Historical examples such as DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) illustrate how advances in analytical chemistry helped reveal widespread environmental contamination and ultimately informed regulatory action. These cases provide important lessons about how contaminants are discovered, how scientific understanding evolves, and how society responds.
Today, much of the conversation around emerging contaminants is focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Improvements in analytical instrumentation, particularly high resolution mass spectrometry and non-targeted analysis, have dramatically expanded our ability to detect PFAS and related compounds across environmental matrices. However, this intense focus also raises an important question: what other contaminants may be present but remain largely unrecognized?
Looking forward, it is important to remain vigilant for the next generation of emerging contaminants while continuing to advance analytical capabilities that allow scientists to detect previously unknown compounds. At the same time, long-term solutions will require greater emphasis on pollution prevention, interdisciplinary collaboration, and education to reduce the introduction of persistent and problematic chemicals into the environment. By reflecting on lessons from past contaminants, examining the current PFAS challenge, and considering what may lie ahead, this talk will highlight the critical role of analytical chemistry in understanding emerging contaminants and informing more proactive approaches to environmental protection.
Catherine Janasie – National Sea Grant Law Center (Invited speaker)
Biography: Catherine M. Janasie is Research Counsel II (Sr.) with the National Sea Grant Law Center (NSGLC) at The University of Mississippi School of Law, where she provides legal and policy analyses to organizations and government entities on ocean, coastal, and natural resources issues and is a member of the law school faculty. Cathy received her LL.M. in Environmental & Natural Resources Law from Lewis & Clark Law School and her J.D. and B.A. from Rutgers University.
Comparative Analysis of State Regulation of PFAS in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Regions
Recent research shows that per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are pervasive in the environment. In response, federal and state governments have begun to develop and enact laws and regulations to address PFAS contamination. In particular, states in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain regions have taken a variety of regulatory steps concerning PFAS. In response, the National Sea Grant Law Center (NSGLC) has conducted legal research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the state of PFAS regulation in these regions. The NSGLC’s legal scan has identified and compiled relevant provisions related to PFAS contamination for each state. The NSGLC’s comparative analysis for the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain regions provides an overview of the regulatory steps each state has taken with regard to different PFAS pathways, such as firefighting foam, drinking water, groundwater, and consumer products. The comparative analysis also identifies similarities and differences between the states, as well as the status of federal PFAS regulation. Finally, the NSGLC completed two case studies: one on Minnesota’s consumer protection law, known as Amara’s Law, and one on biosolids regulation. This talk will discuss the results of the NSGLC’s research project and the available resources created as part of the project.
Stuart Carlton – Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (Welcome and Closing Remarks)
Biography: Stuart Carlton is the director of the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant College Program. He is also a research assistant professor and head of the Coastal and Great Lakes Social Science Lab in the Department of Forestry & Natural Resources at Purdue, where he and his students research the relationship between knowledge, values, trust, and behavior in complex or controversial environmental systems. Stuart is also the host and executive producer of two podcasts: Teach Me About the Great Lakes, a twice-monthly podcast in which he asks smart people to teach him and his co-hosts about the Great Lakes, and Ask Dr. Fish, a bi-monthly live stream and podcast where IISG’s Katie O’Reilly and Wisconsin’s Titus Seilheimer answer listeners’ fish questions, science questions, and life questions. Stuart holds a PhD in interdisciplinary ecology from the University of Florida, a master’s in fisheries biology from the University of Georgia, and a bachelor’s in english from Tulane University. Prior to joining IISG, he held positions at Texas Sea Grant, Florida Sea Grant, and the Natural Resources Social Science Lab in Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources.