Environmental Internship Program - 2023 Booklet

PROJECT TITLE
Molecular Simulation of
Natural Organic Matter
and Organic Contaminants
ORGANIZATION(S)
Interfacial Water Group,
Department of Civil
and Environmental
Engineering, Princeton
University
LOCATION(S)
Princeton, New Jersey
MENTOR(S)
Ian Bourg,
Associate Professor of
Civil and Environmental
Engineering and the High
Meadows Environmental
Institute
Cynthia Jacobson ’26
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Certificates: Sustainable Energy, Theater and
Music Theater
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are
large, complex chemicals that have been used
for decades in consumer and industrial products
due to their heat resistance and water-proofing
capabilities. All PFAS contain a fluorinated
alkyl chain, whose strong carbon-fluorine
bonds allow them to be highly resistant to
degradation. Due to their widespread use and
long-lasting nature, these contaminants have
accumulated in groundwater, soil and air. As
a class of contaminants, PFAS are difficult to
mitigate because they encompass thousands of
molecules with various structures and behavioral
tendencies. I used molecular dynamics
simulations to model a set of 34 diverse PFAS
contaminants in order to assess their behavioral
differences. These contaminants can now be
simulated in various environmental systems
such as air, water and clay, and biological
systems such as lipid membranes and placental
walls. Understanding how various subgroups
of PFAS interact with these systems will inform
future research on the efficacy of water treatment
methods and the movement of PFAS in the
human body. I look forward to continuing this
research through my independent work.
WATER AND THE
ENVIRONMENT
101