Earth Data Science
UNC Policy Collaboratory: North Carolina Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Testing (PFAST) Network DataHub
Description
RENCI co-lead the data science team for the North Carolina Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Testing (PFAST) Network developing the data distribution hub for the Network. The NC PFAST Network is an effort to establish a baseline assessment of PFOA contamination of public drinking water supplies in North Carolina, to better understand the environmental and health effects of these contaminants, and to evaluate PFOA remediation technologies. The data science team is charged with developing the means to manage and make publicly available project data.
Per and polyfluoroalkyl (PFOAs) substances are chemicals with applications such as the production of non-stick surfaces and fire suppression foams. After these chemicals were found in North Carolina’s Cape Fear River, the NC General Assembly allocated funds to create a research network focused on identifying PFAS in air and water across the state, understanding its potential health impacts, and informing remediation and risk communication.
RENCI's Role
RENCI co-leads the project’s data science team. The goal for this team was to assist with data management and distribution across the Network research teams. The data generated by the science teams was highly heterogeneous and involved incorporating significant detailed information about the chemicals and the attributes associated with the samples, such as location and sample method, e.g. air, water. The primary focus of the DataHub was to disseminate the PFOAs measurements as determined from the chemical assays.