CARLA A. NG
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Secondary Appointment, Environmental and Occupational Health
Secondary Appointment, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
University of Pittsburgh

Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have become some of the most widely discussed classes of environmental contaminants. Given their ubiquity and public attention, they can hardly be considered emerging chemicals any longer. They underlie nearly three quarters of a century of “better living through chemistry”—they made our frying pans non-stick, our upholstery and carpets stain-resistant, and our outdoor gear breathable, yet waterproof. But now these same substances are dubbed “forever chemicals,” because those properties that made them so durable and useful in everyday products have made them extremely durable in the environment and surprisingly bioavailable and bioactive. PFAS have been linked to multiple toxic effects, including cancer and reproductive impairment, and can be found in the blood of >99% of Americans and populations around the globe. Despite this long history of use and more recent notoriety, a number of key questions remain around how we deal with the PFAS problem. Can we treat PFAS as a class, and in what respects? What is it about the structures of specific PFAS that drive their biological activity? And, most importantly, can we identify ways to get biology to work for us to help tackle widespread PFAS contamination in water, soil, and organisms?
 

Bio
Dr. Carla Ng is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, with secondary appointments in Environmental and Occupational Health and in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.  She received her PhD in Chemical & Biological Engineering from Northwestern University in 2008. Her research focuses on the development of models and tools to evaluate the fate and effects of legacy and emerging chemicals in organisms and ecosystems, with a particular focus on PFAS.