Campus Connection

UWL research examines ‘forever chemicals’ toll on vulnerable communities 

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are omnipresent — found in everything from shampoo bottles to burger wrappers. Despite their widespread use, the health risks posed by these "forever chemicals" are not uniformly distributed across society. 

Brian Pompeii, UW-La Crosse assistant professor of Geography & Environmental Science, is delving into how PFAS disproportionately affect society's most vulnerable populations. Since June, Pompeii has been conducting interviews with residents of French Island, a community grappling with PFAS contamination since 2016. His research zeroes in on elderly individuals, infants, and pregnant women — groups particularly susceptible to the long-term health effects of PFAS. Pompeii's study aims to evaluate the physical and mental health impacts, coping strategies, and community perceptions of the crisis response related to PFAS. 

Pompeii’s research, projected for publication by late summer 2025, seeks to develop a framework to guide future communities facing similar chemical contamination challenges as scientific methods and detection technologies evolve. 

PFAS impact on French Island 

Three years ago, the Department of Health Services issued an interim health advisory regarding drinking water due to PFAS contamination in wells on French Island. This contamination raised concerns for state health officials, as it affected hundreds of private wells. The region has two aquifers: a shallow aquifer used by most neighboring municipalities and a deeper aquifer known as the Mt. Simon. While the shallow aquifer is contaminated, the Mt. Simon aquifer, used by La Crescent, MN, remains unaffected due to layers of bedrock that separate it from the shallow aquifer. As a result, the Town of Campbell is developing a new municipal water system that will draw from the PFAS-free Mt. Simon aquifer. 

Pompeii's investigation began three years ago with his participation in Campbell Town Hall meetings. There, he listened to residents’ concerns, which led to some key environmental geography questions he could help answer. One notable query concerned the relationship between well depth and contamination levels — a question stemming from the township's interest in drilling for cleaner water. Pompeii's findings revealed that well depth did not correlate with contamination levels, an ongoing puzzle as PFAS' underground movement remains poorly understood. 

Lee Donahue, a Town of Campbell supervisor, calls the collaboration with Pompeii mutually-beneficial. “When an initial hypothesis asserted that deeper wells in the surficial (upper sand and alluvial) aquifer may not be as heavily impacted, his research proved the opposite,” says Donahue. “Some of the 80-foot-deep wells showed somewhat higher levels of contamination than the 60-foot-deep wells on the same street.” 

Connecting people and PFAS

With support from a UWL Faculty Research grant, Pompeii has expanded his study to include a human element. Alongside student research assistant, UWL Senior Jackie Oetterer, he conducted numerous interviews on French Island during the summer of 2024, creating a personal snapshot of the daily challenges and fears of living with toxic water. 

Pompeii is committed to publishing his findings and sharing his results with the broader community through public meetings and geography conferences. “When published, this insight can be leveraged by other communities grappling with environmental concerns,” notes Donahue. 

Meanwhile, Oetterer is gaining valuable experience in qualitative research, learning how to recruit participants, conduct interviews and handle sensitive topics. 

“While I initially started the project to develop technical skills for the future, my most valuable lessons have centered around soft skills,” says Oetterer. “Throughout this process, I have learned how to immerse myself in a community and truly listen to the people I engage with. Additionally, I have gained a deeper understanding of politics and policies along the way.” 

Oetterer has also expanded other skills aligned with her degree such as using GIS software and data analysis. Ultimately, she’d like to get a job within an environmental government organization. “Conducting this research required me to investigate claims and connect dots. Overall, I now see the world very differently and have acquired irreplaceable skills that no textbook can teach,” she says. 

Donahue’s discussions with Pompeii’s students have also led to their advocacy for the environment in this region. Students broached the idea of asking La Crosse County to expand the collection of spent water filters in the Town of Campbell to include the UWL campus versus disposal in the trash to be incinerated. 

“It has been my pleasure to work with Brian and Jackie who connect students to the environment and help empower them to see how small personal choices can impact our region,” says Donahue.