Furthering the Capabilities of Diffusive-Gradient Passive Samplers for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemical pollutants of growing concern for many stakeholders. Due to their ubiquity, persistence in the environment, and potential for toxicity at low environmental concentrations, it is necessary to have convenient and reliable methods to measure PFAS in natural waters. Passive sampling methods (in situ preconcentration of PFAS) may be suitable for monitoring situations. One passive sampling design successfully employed for other, well studied contaminants (e.g., methylmercury) is the diffusive gradient in thin film sampler (DGT). However, the application of DGT for PFAS requires development and validation. Here, we iterate on previous PFAS-DGT studies by introducing a redesigned diffusive gradient sampler for PFAS in water and show that it reliably measures 25 PFAS in water, consistent with diffusion theory. Diffusion and whole-sampler uptake rates consistently agreed with model predictions within ±50% relative difference, including when tested at cold temperature (5 °C). In field and laboratory deployments, DGT samplers measured PFAS concentrations within ±23% of grab sample results on average in each case─better performance than codeployed microporous polyethylene tube passive samplers. Based on the evidence in this study, the DGT passive sampler is a promising tool for consistently and accurately passively sampling PFAS in natural waters

Bioaccumulation of legacy and novel PFAS in the environment

The bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), both legacy and novel, in the environment presents significant ecological and health risks. PFAS are a diverse group of synthetic chemicals known for their persistence and bioaccumulation, which can cause widespread environmental contamination and health risks. Strong carbon-fluorine bonds give these compounds unparalleled stability, preventing them from degrading and enabling them to endure in a range of environmental matrices, including water, soil, and biota. Legacy PFAS, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), have been extensively studied and regulated, resulting in lower concentrations in some environmental media. However, novel PFAS, which are frequently used as substitutes, are becoming more prevalent and pose new challenges due to their poorly understood toxicological profiles. Bioaccumulation studies show that PFAS concentrations are higher in organisms near contamination hotspots, such as fluorochemical manufactures, than in other regions. These compounds accumulate in protein-rich tissues and can spread through food chains, affecting both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The bioaccumulation of PFAS in agricultural settings is also a concern, as these chemicals can enter the food supply via contaminated crops and livestock, necessitating additional research to understand their uptake and lessen exposure. In this chapter, we look at birds as indicators of both terrestrial and marine PFAS contamination, in particular seabirds. Furthermore, we evaluate the impact of PFAS on marine mammals by combining data on tissue concentrations from the sub-Antarctic, Antarctic, and Arctic regions. There is ample evidence for PFAS accumulation in terrestrial and aquatic plants. In addition, we review the concepts of biomagnification and bioaccumulation, marine mammals and seabirds typically displaying the highest trophic magnification factors (TMFs) and field-derived biomagnification factors (BMFs) for PFAS

Cartoons from the 2000s: The representation of disability and a culture of inclusion

Representations of diversity and otherness in cartoons offer metaphors for identity that can affect children’s perceptions and attitudes towards the potential and challenges associated with various forms of disability. This contribution analyses a corpus of animations made up of feature films, series, and short films with a focus on how disability is represented. It examines the role that characters with physical or mental disabilities play in the story, the structure of narratives in which disability is presented as an integral part of reality, and the types of disability explored in the stories. The image that emerges is one in which children are offered positive identification models and useful relational tools. This article aims to help teachers and parents select and enjoy cartoons

Disability and Human Trafficking: Prevention Education and Professional Training

Aim: This pilot study aimed to explore the intersection of disability and anti-trafficking prevention and training efforts from the perspectives of human trafficking survivors with disabilities and the professionals who work with them to inform further research. Methods: The current study draws from in-depth interviews with seven participants, including two survivors and five professionals who regularly worked with human trafficking survivors with disabilities. Data analysis involved independent co-coding of transcribed interviews by a three-member research team to identify core themes and subthemes. Results: The results showed a lack of human trafficking prevention education for people with disabilities, as well as disability inclusive training for professionals. Participants described the need for prevention education to be audience-tailored, accessible, and culturally humble. Participants described that professional training was lacking in both the inclusion of people with disabilities and accessibility, and highlighted the importance of training that includes culturally humble practices. Implications: Prevention education necessitates consideration of the audience, including tailoring content and delivery to the audience (e.g., age/ disability type), making content accessible, and exercising cultural humility in learning about and modifying curriculum and delivery. Professional training requires inclusiveness of the heightened risk experienced by people with disabilities, as well as ways risks and signs may be distinct by disability type. Professional training should be accessible to professionals with disabilities and also include information about accessibility within organizations and culturally humble practices to better serve human trafficking survivors with disabilities

Perfluorinated Carbon Chain Length Drives Uptake of Diverse Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Field-Deployed Passive Samplers

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of compounds of high concern due to their ubiquity, persistence, and adverse health impacts. With a diversity of chemical structures and properties, detection tools are needed to capture as many PFAS as possible. In this study, a microporous polyethylene tube (MPT) passive sampler was calibrated for 25 target compounds, 8 suspect PFAS, and extractable organofluorine (EOF) during 1–2 week deployments in groundwater, freshwater river, and estuary contaminated by aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Targeted analysis, suspect screening, and EOF were performed on passive and grab samples to derive sampling rates, Rs. Median measured and fluorine-normalized estimated EOF Rs in groundwater (7.1 vs 8.4 mL day–1 respectively) and river water (55 vs 66 mL day–1 respectively) were within 20% of each other. For suspect PFAS, Rs were similar to targeted PFAS of alike functional group chemistry and perfluorinated carbon chain length. For example, for 6:2 and 8:2 FTSAS-sulfoxide, estimated Rs values were 1.8 and 6.0 mL day–1, respectively, similar to Rs measured for 6:2 and 8:2 FTS of 2.2 and 6.3 mL day–1. These results suggest that targeted and suspect PFAS and EOF are predictably taken up by MPT samplers, expanding passive sampling capabilities

Struggles Around Transgenderism in Hungarian Feminism: An Autoethnographic Account

In this autoethnography, I am using my personal experiences as data to examine the inextricable personal, political, social, and cultural aspects of one of the most decisive ruptures in Hungarian “progressive” activism of the second half of the 2010s. In the mid-2010s, I was part of an informal collective of women that started to outline a feminist approach critical of mainstream individualistic renditions of women’s rights as social progress, thereby diverging fundamentally from the country’s institutionalised feminism. As I and the circle of women I worked with focused on women’s reproductive autonomy, we encountered central feminist questions about sex and “gender” and soon faced serious backlash from political networks that felt their agenda threatened by our approach. Even though we did not intend to deal with the question of transgenderism, this question became the issue along which the feminist scene came to be divided. Through my experiences, I examine the role of institutions, the combative style of mainstream gender activists, and the co-optation strategies that eventually absorbed and defused the critique of “gender identity.” From this wider perspective, I look at how I made sense of the events, the scene, and its actors, as well as my own possible “place” in the processes

Usage Statistics: Project COUNTER R5 tr_b1 Report FY2024 - Book Requests (Excluding OA_Gold) by Platform

Project COUNTER R5 Report TR_B1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. The TR_B1 report is defined as Book Requests (Excluding OA_Gold). This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI. File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics. Results: Total Item Requests - 130,532 Unique Title Requests - 54,59

Usage Statistics: Project COUNTER R5 ir_m1 Report FY2024 - Multimedia Item Requests

Project COUNTER R5 Report IR_M1 for the University of Rhode Island for the period from July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024. The IR_M1 report is defined as Multimedia Item Requests. This report presents an annual total only and only includes those platforms successfully configured for automated harvesting via SUSHI. File for download is Excel spreadsheet generated by Alma Analytics. Results: Total Item Requests - 4,67

Machine learning-driven optical microfiltration device for improved nanoplastic sampling and detection in water systems

The rising presence of nanoplastics in water poses toxicity risks and long-term ecological and health impacts. Detecting nanoplastics remains challenging due to their small size, complex chemistry, and environmental interference. Traditional filtration combined with Raman spectroscopy is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often lacks accuracy and sensitivity. This study presents an agarose-based microfiltration device integrated with machine learning–assisted Raman analysis for nanoplastic capture and identification. The 1 % agarose microfluidic channel features circular micropost arrays enabling dual filtration: nanoplastics diffuse into the porous matrix, while larger particles (\u3e1000 nm) are blocked by the microposts. Unlike conventional systems, this design achieves both physical separation and preconcentration, enhancing nanoplastic detectability. Upon dehydration, the agarose forms a transparent film, significantly improving Raman compatibility by minimizing background interference. This transformation enables direct Raman analysis of retained nanoparticles with enhanced signal clarity and sensitivity. Using 100-nm polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs) as a model, we evaluated device performance in distilled water and seawater across concentrations (6.25–50 µg/mL) and flow rates (2.5–100 µL/min). Maximum capture efficiencies of 80 % (seawater) and 66 % (distilled water) were achieved at 2.5 µL/min. A convolutional neural network (CNN) further enhanced spectral analysis, reducing mapping time by 50 % and enabling PSNP detection in seawater at 6.25 µg/mL. This agarose-based system offers a scalable, cost-effective platform for nanoplastic sampling, demonstrating the potential of combining microfluidics with machine learning–assisted Raman spectroscopy to address critical environmental and public health challenges