2025 Internship Project Overview

Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals with a unique structure that allows them to resist water, oil and heat. These properties prompted their use in many consumer products but also make these compounds difficult to break down, causing them to accumulate in ecosystems and in the human body with a myriad of effects. Our research focused on understanding the behavior of short-chain PFAS in water. In laboratory experiments, we worked to determine the efficacy of zeolite as a remediation strategy, completing a batch experiment to gain insight into the partition coefficient of PFBS on zeolite. We also used molecular dynamics simulations to explore the concentration at which PFAS begin to aggregate—their critical micelle concentration—in a variety of scenarios. We considered carbon chain length, head group identity and the impact of mixtures of PFAS with synthetic surfactants and their impacts on micelle formation, providing possible insight into improved remediation techniques as well as the behavior of PFAS in the body.

 

ORGANIZATION/RESEARCH GROUP

Integrated GroundWater Modeling Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University

LOCATION

Princeton, New Jersey

 

Interns

Aylin Idrovo ’28
Major: Chemical and Biological Engineering
"I developed skills in setting up simulations by defining initial structures, force field parameters, and running nanosecond-scale dynamics. Beyond technical skills, I gained the ability to exercise scientific judgment and saw how research requires both creativity and rigor. Seeing the molecules we created behave in a simulated environment made the work feel real and validated our efforts."
Fionnuala Moore ’27
Major: Chemistry
Minor(s): Environmental Studies
"I discovered my passion for toxicology and bioremediation. Everything about PFAS – their unique and frightening chemical properties, impacts on human health, and insufficient regulation – convinced me that a career using science to protect people from this risk will be incredibly meaningful and critically important. I now plan to pursue work in my senior thesis and beyond to be actively involved in mitigating the threat that toxic chemicals pose to all of us. It was eye-opening and life-changing to begin this kind of research. I hope to one day apply this knowledge to a novel remediation technique or treatment for PFAS in the body."

Click to view the end-of-project presentation

 

Ian Bourg
Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the High Meadows Environmental Institute

Mentors

  • Caridad Estrada Cardona, Ph.D. Candidate, Civil and Environmental Engineering