SDSU To Begin Testing For 'Forever Chemicals' In Surface Water

Researchers in South Dakota State University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics will soon begin testing surface water samples for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known as "forever chemicals" because they do not break down easily, whether in the environment or the human body. PFAS are widely used in certain types of fabrics, nonstick cookware, food packaging and some personal care products and have the ability keep eggs from sticking to pans and rain from soaking through coats. Developed in the 1940s, these powerful chemical compounds can resist heat and repel oil and water.

In South Dakota, PFAS have been detected in the Big Sioux River.

"PFAS are everywhere," said professor Christopher Schmit, director of the Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering's Water and Environmental Engineering Research Center.

According to a study from the U.S. Geological Survey, at least 45% of the nation's tap water has one or more types of PFAS present. According to Schmit, there are thousands of different known types of PFAS compounds. Research has found that PFAS are linked to negative development effects and an increased risk of some cancers.

The state of South Dakota does not currently have a lab certified to test for PFAS. That means that samples have to be shipped to out-of-state labs. Schmit, in collaboration with Brian Logue, head of SDSU's Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics, has begun the process to get SDSU's lab Environmental Protection Agency-certified for testing.

"This collaboration between our department and the Lohr College of Engineering's Water and Environmental Engineering Research Center allows us to leverage our existing analytical expertise to serve the people of South Dakota," Logue said. "Having an in-state, EPA-certified lab for PFAS testing will be a significant asset for communities, researchers and water districts across the state."

One of the biggest challenges in testing for PFAS in water samples is the extremely expensive equipment required. SDSU's Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics had a liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, which is required for PFAS testing.

The East Dakota Water Development District, based in Brookings, has provided approximately $50,000 to help move the SDSU lab to certification. Schmit expects the lab to officially become certified in early 2026. As he notes, not only will the lab help with testing for PFAS in South Dakota water samples, it will also provide the university with a source of revenue, as researchers, agencies and water districts will look to send their samples to an in-state — rather than out-of-state — lab.

"We want to provide an option for people in the state," Schmit said.
Eventually, Schmit expects SDSU to resume conducting research on PFAS once it receives full certification. SDSU's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has a long history of impactful water research and since PFAS are an emerging topic in the field, this is the next logical step for his department.

While water is the current primary concern for PFAS, there are a number of avenues where the research can go. Schmit notes that PFAS found in biosolids is another emerging concern. Biosolids are generated and collected at wastewater treatment plants and spread onto to the land to return nutrients to the soil. The process of spreading biosolids is called "land application of biosolids" and is practiced by most communities in South Dakota, Schmit said.

M. Nurul Islam, assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics and coordinator of the Campus Core Mass Spectrometry Facility (which houses the needed equipment for PFAS testing), believes that PFAS testing and research could expand to human tissue for connections to different types of disease.

"Due to PFAS widespread production and usage and their ability to persist in the environment, (Centers for Disease Control) survey indicates that most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS through occupational activities such as firefighting, chemical manufacturing and processing, as well as contaminated drinking water and food, and food packaging materials," Islam explained. "PFAS contamination has been observed across multiple tissues, including blood, liver, kidneys, heart, muscle and brain. Experimental and epidemiological studies suggest that PFAS enrich in brain regions critical for learning and memory. PFAS accumulation modulates calcium homeostasis, alter neurotransmitters (like dopamine and glutamate), and are linked with behavioral and cognitive problems."

Islam noted they are in the planning phase of a community-based PFAS exposure study to investigate the role of PFAS in the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

It should be noted that SDSU's lab will focus on testing PFAS in surface water samples. The state of South Dakota is planning to certify its lab for drinking water samples.