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Our next scientific panel, discussing the triple threat to Long Island and Westchester from microplastics, PFAS "forever chemicals" and excess nitrogen in lawn fertilizers, will take place on Wednesday, March 4th at 1pm.
Our Speakers:
• Sanjay Mohanty, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UCLA will discuss microplastics and PFAS in fertilizer.
• Rachel Criswell, MD, Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine will discuss human exposure to PFAS chemicals.
• Omanjana Goswami, PhD, Interdisciplinary Scientist with the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists will discuss nitrogen loading, water contamination
Nitrogen and PFAS
in Lawn Fertilizer
How lawn fertilizers are contaminating water on Long Island and in Westchester
Some of thre most popular lawn fertilizers sold and used on Long Island and in Westchester County contain high levels of water-soluble nitrogen (over 12%) which contaminate our drinking water and surface waters. Some also contain PFAS “forever” chemicals known to cause serious health problems in humans and permanent damage to the environment. Some also use plastic coating to make the nitrogen "slow release," which contributes to microplastic pollution and increased health risks.
Videos from our first webinar
See speaker bios below
Jamie Vaudrey, Ph.D. is a marine ecosystems ecologist and modeler, interested in the impacts of humans on coastal waters. She received a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Philosophy from Wellesley College, MA; and advanced degrees from the University of Connecticut. Jamie is involved with EPA’s National Estuary Program, serving on Narraganset Bay’s science advisory committee and as a member of Long Island Sound Study’s science and technical advisory committee. Jamie was the UConn lead of a NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve in Connecticut and is currently the Research Coordinator for the Reserve. Jamie also works as the science co-advisor for Save the Sound’s Unified Water Study.
For links to her research, visit Jamie Vaudrey's lab website.
Gillian Miller, Ph.D. is a senior scientist at Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford University, and was the lead author on a landmark report “Sludge in the Garden:Toxic PFAS in Home Fertilizers Made From Sewage Sludge.” Gillian brings experience analyzing materials in both academia and industry. An author of many peer-reviewed publications, she also taught university classes in the physical sciences and worked as a scientific editor. She holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Stanford University, where she focused on novel materials for solar cells. Gillian enjoys combining laboratory research with advocacy for a safer and healthier world. Visit the Ecology Center website for links to studies and more information.
David Bond, Ph.D. is Associate Director, Center for the Advancement of Public Action at Bennington College. A cultural anthropologist whose ethnographic research and public engagements aim to dismantle the imperial, epistemic, and altogether catastrophic reign of petro-capitalism, Bond was awarded the “New Directions Prize for Public Anthropology” by the American Anthropological Association in 2022. Bond received his PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the New School for Social Research in 2013. Bond serves on the editorial board of American Ethnologist and Current Anthropology, and his work has been featured in Bloomberg News, the Guardian, Inside Climate News, The Intercept, Politico, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. For links to David's publications and research, please click here.,