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USAFA iGEM 2021- Integrated Human Practices

Values of our Project Design: When designing our project, we focused on the goal of decreasing environmental contamination of PFAS/PFOA. These compounds accumulate in the environment and lead to extensive environmental and human health effects. This project provides the possibility of a viable method to remove these compounds from drinking water and other everyday exposure sites.

How human practices shaped our project:How human practices shaped our project: The 2021 USAFA iGEM team has sought to integrate human practices into every aspect of our project. The team collaborated with Peterson Air Force Base and Colorado Springs Utilities to understand the problem and current limitations and frustrations with the detection and degradation of PFAS. The team also reached out to experts in PFAS bioremediation and were able to have meetings with Dr. Peter Jaffe and scientists at the Air Force Research Labs to discuss current biological methods to degrade PFAS. These collaborations resulted in monthly meetings where experts help our iGEM team with experimental design, protocol development, data analysis, and even sharing resources and access to high tech equipment. From talking to individuals struggling with PFAS health concerns, lawyers fighting against DuPont, water treatment professionals, and expert scientists leading the fight against PFAS, the USAFA iGEM team has been well integrated into human practices that have directed our work for 2021.

Integrated Human Practices We have met with local, regional, and national leaders to better understand and shape our PFAS project. We have visited 6 different PFAS sites, met with 13 officials, toured 3 different PFAS labs, invited guest speakers to our iGEM lab meetings, and held recuring monthly meetings with PFAS experts since early 2021 to ensure human practices is integrated into our project.

Colorado Springs Waste Water

(Current PFAS treatment)

We spoke with Mark Shea and his team at Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU). Mr. Shea is the watershed planning supervisor at CSU in their water resources management department. We also spoke with Tara Kelly and Shaun Thompson, both environmental specialists, and Michelynn Hollister, an environmental permitting and compliance specialist at CSU. Ms. Hollister explained that if PFAS contamination is found on a construction site, the project must be put on hold until the area has been remediated. Ms. Kelley and Mr. Thompson explained how the current treatment for getting rid of the PFAS contamination in water is costly and time consuming. This can cause delays in getting water out for public use. They think that using biological agents would provide a much easier method for treating PFAS contaminated water. We traveled to the Water Treatment Plant and heard from engineers who work on the plant how they have combatted PFAS, and other contaminants found in water. They also gave insight into how the lack of EPA restrictions have led to what they imagine will be an accumulation of PFAS. This meeting gave us insight into how our solution could potentially be incorporated into wastewater treatment plants.

Peterson Air Force Base

(PFAS Contamination Site)

We traveled to Peterson AFB to collect PFAS samples from contaminated soil and water. We teamed up with Civil Engineering Department from USAFA to talk with the Civil Engineers at Peterson to see how they are dealing with their PFAS problem. Additionally, we teamed up with a mechanical engineering and geospatial sciences capstone group and a biology research student studying PFAS and PFAS remediation efforts. These samples allowed us to gain more information about the realities of PFAS contaminated water and soil.

Air Force Research Labs and Princeton University

(Experts in PFAS Research)

In early 2021, we set up recurring monthly meetings with scientists at the Air Force Research Labs and Dr. Peter Jaffe from Princeton University to collaborate on our efforts to find mechanisms to remediate PFAS pollution. AFRL has helped direct our research by providing protocols, advising on data analysis, helping with method development, and guiding our research project. In addition, they have helped provide data from instruments that we do not have access to at the USAFA iGEM lab. Their ongoing collaboration has provided critical advantages to our work.

Individuals affected by PFAS

Over the summer, a few of our iGEM team members had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Robert Bilott. Mr. Bilott works for Taft Law based in Cincinnati, Ohio. As an internationally recognized advocate, he primarily works in class action, derivative, multi-party litigation, and environmental litigation. Due to this work in environmental advocacy, Mr. Bilott has been fighting for those affected by PFAS pollution for the past 30 years. Naturally, the USAFA iGEM team took an interest. During the meeting, the team was able to share the progress made in PFAS bioremediation. Mr. Bilott provided insight into the current international state of chemical usage, production, and regulation, as well as some of his successes in advocacy and regulation. The meeting allowed for the PFAS litigation world to blend with the PFAS research realm, where both parties could gain great insight and encouragement from the other. We on the USAFA iGEM team were very grateful for Mr. Bilott’s time and knowledge. The USAFA iGEM team has spoken with Mr. Mark Favors, an individual who has personally suffered from PFAS poisoning. This helped the iGEM team understand how PFAS is affecting individual lives and represents a significant health concern.