Superfund Research Program

April 2022

Paper of the Month or Year


North Carolina State University SRP Center researchers showed that pine needles can be used as a tool to monitor the presence and distribution of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) over time. The pine needle’s waxy coating traps pollutants in air, including PFAS, providing a record of contamination. More than 70 different PFAS were identified in the pine needles. The types of PFAS detected in samples correlated with known changes in PFAS use over time.

Read more in the NIEHS Environmental Factor Newsletter.