Meet EPA Researcher Susan Glassmeyer, Ph.D.
For the past two decades, Dr. Susan Glassmeyer has been investigating contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), chemicals like pharmaceuticals, PFAS, and also microorganisms, in the water cycle. Many of these CECs have wastewater sources, but persist through wastewater treatment and are transported in surface water and groundwater, so they can be measured in drinking water source waters, and even treated drinking waters. Susan's projects have been interdisciplinary collaborations examining the occurrence of these CECs as well as the potential for health impacts to both humans and aquatic life.
Tell us about your background.
I earned a bachelor’s in chemistry from Xavier University, and a master’s in environmental science (MSES) and Ph.D. in environmental science from Indiana University. I started at the EPA in 1998 as a federal post-doc, which transitioned to a permanent federal position. At an all hands meeting in my first week as a post-doc, someone received their 40-year pin. I was astounded that someone could be in one place for so long. But now, after working at EPA for a little over half of that time, I see how it happens.
How does your science matter?
I have been focused on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) - chemicals such as pharmaceuticals, household chemicals, and PFAS- in the water cycle for over 20 years. Environmental exposures are typically never to just a single chemical, but instead to mixtures of contaminants. I coordinate large interagency collaborations with researchers in ORD, the USGS, and academia to focus on the exposure to CECs both through targeted analyses to provide exact concentrations, as well as newer techniques such as non-targeted analysis and bioassays. This interdisciplinary examination provides more information on what is occurring and what the potential health effects to human and aquatic life than any one technique could.
When did you first know you wanted to be a researcher?
I enrolled at Xavier University with the intent of becoming a high school chemistry teacher. During my initial class sign-ups, one of my advisors pointed out that I could teach with a chemistry degree instead of just an education degree, and it might open different pathways. During freshman year, a chemistry department seminar mentioned that graduate programs in the sciences often not only cover tuition, but also provide a stipend. Geek that I was, once I heard that you could get paid to go to school, I knew that was the path I wanted to be on.
What impact do you see your research having?
Almost everyone in the US turns on a tap to get a glass of water, and flushes their waste away after nature calls, but most do not consider where the drinking water came from and where their wastewater goes. I’ve given several presentations to non-technical audiences where I make the connection that someone else’s wastewater may be part of their drinking water, and for many that was the first time they had that realization. By examining the linkages between the different parts of the water cycle as well as focusing on chemicals that average citizens are familiar with, I hope that my research makes people consider their choices in the way they use water and dispose of products to limit their environmental impact.
If you weren’t a scientist, what would you be doing?
I grew up on a farm, and one of the things I most enjoy in my free time is working on the landscaping around my house. Spending time pulling weeds and laying mulch is both my cardio and stress management therapy. If I wasn’t working for the EPA, I would most likely be doing something where I can play in the dirt and help things grow.
Any advice for students considering a career in science?
My career path has been driven by serendipity. I knew I wanted to get my doctorate in an applied field, and I was initially considering chemical oceanography. The lack of oceans in the midwest made me reconsider that, so I enrolled in the school of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University. There, I was able to join the research group of Dr. Ron Hites, who happened to be one of the preeminent scientists in environmental mass spectrometry. I finished my degree at IU right at a time there was a spate of federal post-doc openings, which brought me to EPA. I guess my advice is to make the most out of the opportunities that end up in your path. Had I set out to deliberately end up where I am now, it probably would not have turned out half as well.
What do you think the coolest scientific discovery was and why?
I am always amused by the accidental discoveries- Velcro was developed by someone who noticed burrs on his dog after a walk. Viagra was developed as a heart medicine, but the side effect became its raison d'etre. Playdoh was a wallpaper cleaner. The problem of radon in homes was discovered by workers setting off radiation detectors coming into a plant. Penicillin was discovered in a contaminated experiment. Being open to what you find, not necessarily what you are looking for, is important.
What do you think will be our biggest scientific challenge in the next 20/50/100 years?
One of the many harsh realities that the pandemic laid bare was the lack of understanding between the scientific community and the public. The solutions to many of the problems we are facing – climate change, increasing population density, water scarcity, the next pandemic – will be impacted by getting people to understand that science is a slow, evolving process, sometimes filled with dead ends and contradictory data. Solving the challenges will take both funding and behavioral changes. These require a population that understands why the status quo is no longer good enough, and that requires a better basic scientific understanding.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the researcher alone. EPA does not endorse the opinions or positions expressed.