Meet EPA Chemist Emma D’Ambro, Ph.D.
EPA researcher Emma D’Ambro studies the atmospheric occurrence and fate of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Research and regulatory efforts have traditionally focused on PFAS in water, particularly drinking water, but the interest in understanding PFAS in the atmosphere is rapidly growing.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on adding PFAS atmospheric emissions into the EPA’s flagship air quality model, the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. PFAS are a class of human-made compounds that are found in many industrial products, but also many products consumers come into contact with regularly: carpets, rain jackets, non-stick cookware, popcorn bags, and personal care products such as shampoo, dental floss, and makeup, to name a few. I work on determining the quantity and chemical composition of PFAS emissions from various manufacturing sources, and then model what happens to them in the atmosphere. We care about PFAS in the atmosphere because it can be inhaled or dermally absorbed by humans, atmospheric deposition can lead to drinking water contamination, and atmospheric transport can take PFAS far from the original source.
Tell us about your background.
I have a B.S. in Chemistry from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. Le Moyne is a small liberal arts school, so to gain research experience, I did a summer research project at Duke University after my junior year, and after my senior year I did a summer research project at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in D.C. I then went to the University of Washington in Seattle where I received my Ph.D. in Chemistry, although the research group I worked in was in the Atmospheric Sciences department.
When did you first know you wanted to work in environmental science?
I’d always been interested in the environment and took a few classes during college, but it wasn’t until the end of college that I started thinking about applying my chemistry knowledge to the environment.
What do you like most about your job?
I love that my work has an impact! Working at EPA provides a more immediate link between my research and EPA’s mission of protecting human health and the environment.
How does your science matter?
My research has shown that atmospheric deposition can lead to drinking water contamination. This information is taken into account when developing Reference Doses, the maximum acceptable oral dose of a substance, which are used to determine regulatory concentrations. We also provide assistance to EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA), on their investigations of PFAS manufacturers throughout the United States.
If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing?
There are so many cool options! Dog trainer, college cross country coach, urban planner – I’d have a hard time choosing!
What advice would you give a student interested in a career in science?
It can be hard, but it’s doable! Try not to compare your progress to others. Take every opportunity that comes your way, even if, or maybe especially if, it scares you.
If you can have any superpower, what would you choose?
Teleportation, that way I could travel as much as I want, to wherever I want, and not worry about my carbon footprint.
What do you think the coolest scientific discovery was and why?
I really love reading about “everyday” scientific findings that remind me just how cool all scientific fields are. Some of my favorite recent finds include a wild orangutan using medicinal plants to heal his own wound, and this study investigating how different conditions impact the cradle-to-grave carbon emissions from internal combustion, plug in hybrid, and battery electric light-duty vehicles.
What do you think is our biggest scientific challenge in the next 20/50/100 years?
Climate change. This includes both reducing the emissions of carbon into the atmosphere, as well as mitigating impacts from the carbon we’ve already introduced.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the researcher alone. EPA does not endorse the opinions or positions expressed.