To receive the Zoom link, please register in Career Pathway (by clicking on "Learning" then "Events Calendar" to find the relevant event after logging in via Drexel One).
This talk will address PFAs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of man-made chemicals that are often used in nonstick and waterproof products. PFAs have made national news lately as the EPA adjusts its recommendations on what levels of PFAs are considered "safe." PFAs are a known contaminant in drinking water and ground water across the country and around the world.
This talk will help you understand what these chemicals are, where they are found, how they might impact your health, and how to minimize your exposure.
This talk will be given by Christopher M. Sales, an Associate Professor in the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering Department at Drexel University. Dr. Sales has research expertise in environmental microbiology, environmental biotechnologies, and environmental remediation technologies. He is also an Affiliated Researcher of the C&J Nyheim Plasma Institute of Drexel University, collaborating on the research and development of innovate non-thermal plasma technologies for food safety, public health, and environmental applications.
Prior to this position, he was a post-doctoral researcher in the group of Distinguished Professor Joseph Hughes at Drexel University, studying the biodegradation of nitroaromatic compounds. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, under Lisa Alvarez-Cohen. His doctoral research applied a functional genomics approach to studying the biodegradation of the emerging environmental contaminants, 1,4-dioxane and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). He also did undergraduate research with Wen K. Shieh at the University of Pennsylvania working on novel bioreactors for wastewater treatment.
His research group studies microbes and non-thermal plasma technologies at the nexus of food, energy, and water systems using an array of molecular biology, microbiology, and analytical chemistry laboratory techniques with bioinformatic, data science, and computational modeling methods. An active and evolving area of research in his laboratory involves the degradation and the environmental fate and transport of the emerging class of contaminants known as poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Please register in Career Pathway. The Zoom link will be sent via email from Career Pathway once you register.
*Participants in our Wellness Incentive Program are eligible to earn 15 points (a $15 credit) for attending this event. Your name must appear in the participants box in Zoom (you must be signed in) in order to receive wellness credit. You will receive an email from Career Pathway confirming your attendance after attendance has been completed. Wellness points will appear in your Health Advocate profile in six weeks.
You must register for the Health Advocate Wellness Incentive Program AND complete your annual Personal Health Profile before you will be eligible to receive any payouts. Points for attending these events will be sent to Health Advocate on a monthly basis for the prior month’s activities. There will be a 6-week delay in these points and payouts being distributed. For information about our wellness incentive program, please visit: http://drexel.edu/hr/benefits/a-healthier-u/wellness-incentive-program/
Please contact Wellness Consultant Monica Fauble with questions: mfauble@drexel.edu