Water, Energy, & Environment Task Force

Please join the East Bay Leadership Council for a discussion on PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in the San Francisco Bay. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not degrade in the environment, instead building up in the bodies of people and wildlife over time. Contamination of water, fish, and wildlife with PFAS is one of the most pressing pollution problems in our region as exposure to even trace amounts can cause serious health problems. Despite these risks, this class of synthetic compounds remains in wide use in a broad variety of consumer and industrial products, leading to global contamination.

Scientists with the Regional Monitoring Program for Water Quality in San Francisco Bay (RMP) are developing essential data to directly inform decision making to reduce PFAS pollution and protect both the Bay ecosystem and impacted fishing communities. Join us to learn more about the impacts of PFAS and the RMP's work to eliminate them.

OUR SPEAKER

Dr. Rebecca Sutton is a Senior Scientist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute. She leads the RMP's Emerging Contaminants Workgroup and a team of scientists investigating contaminants of emerging concern in the San Francisco Bay and other regions of California. She studies a broad range of contaminants, including PFAS, flame retardants, rubber and plastic additives, and microplastics. Dr. Sutton received her B.S. in Environmental Resource Science from the University of California, Davis and her Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.