Christy Remucal

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

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Sea Grant to fund $4.6 M in Great Lakes research, education and outreach

On: February 1, 2024

In: 2024-26 research, Christy Remucal

The University of Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program today announced the investment of $4.6 million into Great Lakes research, education and outreach for 2024-26.

In that time, Sea Grant will fund 11 research projects and one education project, totaling $2.8 million, along with 46 outreach projects on seven Universities of Wisconsin campuses.

Interim Sea Grant Director calls the Great Lakes a true treasure and praises the investment of research dollars to study them.

“The inland seas and their coastal ecosystems are true treasures. This investment is a critical one as we seek to more deeply understand the Great Lakes, enhance their use and foster conservation,” said Christy Remucal, interim director of Sea Grant. “In a 2022 analysis, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coastal Management valued the Great Lakes regional economy at $3.1 trillion. So, for the actual dollar value of the lakes, as well as the perhaps more intangible cultural value, all Wisconsin residents will see a return on investment from this new freshwater-focused work.”

Thanks to funding from Sea Grant, other entities will participate in the research projects—the Wisconsin Historical Society conducting shipwreck research; Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission engaging in microplastics and contaminants research; Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Community determining more efficient ways to cultivate walleye; and governmental bodies, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Health Services and town of Campbell, on investigations into PFAS in waterways and various questions surrounding the Great Lakes fishery.

Researchers will also look into microbial pollutants on recreational beaches, angler ice safety, creating a tool to measure the levels of microplastics in the Great Lakes, flooding and the 2,000-year-old history of Great Lakes fishing.

In all, nearly 100 scientists, staff and students will be engaged in this work. It is also rewarding, Remucal said, to see new researchers as part of the portfolio. Eight of the 11 projects will be led by scientists who have not previously secured Sea Grant funding.

The participating campuses within the Universities of Wisconsin system are Green Bay and its campus in Manitowoc, La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee, Stevens Point and Superior.

The NOAA, Department of Commerce, provides funding for this work through the National Sea Grant College Program.

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Remucal named interim director of Sea Grant

On: October 23, 2023

In: Christy Remucal, Cynthia Czajkowski, interim director, Wisconsin Idea

University of Wisconsin-Madison Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Cynthia Czajkowski named Christy Remucal as interim director of the Aquatic Sciences Center, which is home to the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program and the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI). Both programs support multidisciplinary research, education and outreach for the protection and sustainable use of Wisconsin’s water resources. The appointment was effective Oct. 22.

Remucal’s appointment comes after the retirement of Aquatic Sciences Center Director Jim Hurley.

“Since I’ve been at the UW, I have benefitted from so many things at the center—funding opportunities, working with the outreach and communications staff, mentoring undergraduates through the Water@UW REU program,” Remucal said. “The center has helped me grow my own research group, and I’m looking forward to working on the other side. I see this as a way to give back to the water community.”

Christy Remucal is the new interim director for Wisconsin Sea Grant. Contributed photo.

A professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, and the Freshwater and Marine Science Program, Remucal’s research focus is on contaminants that impact water quality and processes to remove those contaminants. Some of her recent studies have been on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). She serves as the only Universities of Wisconsin representative on the state’s PFAS Action Council.

“We are grateful for the commitment to the Wisconsin Idea and the leadership that Jim Hurley has provided in aquatic sciences research, and outreach and education in support of sustainable uses of our state’s natural resources while serving as director of the Aquatic Sciences Center for the past 11 years,” said Cynthia Czajkowski interim vice chancellor for research and graduate education. “And we welcome Christy to her new leadership role as interim center director. She has as a strong leadership background and ran excellent, relevant research experience that makes her perfectly qualified to serve in this capacity.”

When tapped for the interim center directorship, Remucal was leading the Aquatic Chemistry group at UW-Madison and was acting as the director of the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory. In addition to managing the center, she will continue to teach, mentor and conduct research. Remucal’s mentoring background includes mentoring 20 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

WRI came to the state 59 years ago. Wisconsin Sea Grant was founded 55 years ago. The programs with their similar missions merged in 1998 and created a highly efficient and cost-effective model for drawing out the best from Wisconsin’s aquatic scientists who, collaboratively, make a difference statewide, nationwide and around the world. Areas of particular strength for the programs are ecosystems contaminant research, extension service to coastal residents and fostering scholarship and training of the next generation of water science leaders.

Remucal is only the fourth WRI and Sea Grant director in the history of the programs, which is evidence of the steady leadership provided by previous directors that has been marked by excellence. In their most recent reviews by federal funders, both programs ranked top in the nation among their peers.

Remucal wants to continue seminal successes, build on them and seek research and outreach opportunities in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, and how compromised water quality may disproportionately affect some communities.

In terms of other research priorities, she called out emerging contaminants and microplastics. “There is so much that needs to be done. These water quality challenges are incredibly complex and there is a real need for outreach and communication to help the public understand these issues,” Remucal said.

“There is also a need for basic water research, fundamental work that addresses research questions. At the same time, there is a need to do research that serves the state agencies and the people of Wisconsin. It’s not always possible to have those align, but in many cases they can. Increasing knowledge and conducting actionable research is very valuable,” she said.

Person wearing white lab coat and safety goggles.

Remucal is a prominent researcher on contaminants in water. Photo by Bonnie Willison

Remucal holds degrees in civil and environmental engineering from the University of California-Berkeley (master’s and Ph.D.) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Bachelor of Science). Before joining Madison’s faculty in 2012, she completed a post-doctoral position in the Institute for Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Her background and passion have brought her to the center and Remucal summed it up: “Water is such a critical issue for people in Wisconsin. It is necessary for life and people in our state really do value our water resources. Because there is such a clear importance and relevance for water, this a great opportunity for outreach. It comes back to embracing the Wisconsin Idea and sharing our research with people in Wisconsin.”

Sea Grant is funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and WRI is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey.

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Remucal Named Interim Director of WRI

On: October 23, 2023

In: Christy Remucal, interim director, Wisconsin Idea

University of Wisconsin-Madison Interim Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Cynthia Czajkowski named Christy Remucal as interim director of the Aquatic Sciences Center, which is home to the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute (WRI) and the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program. Both programs support multidisciplinary research, education and outreach for the protection and sustainable use of Wisconsin’s water resources. The appointment was effective Oct. 22.

Remucal’s appointment comes after the retirement of Aquatic Sciences Center Director Jim Hurley.

Smiling person learning against a pillar. — New WRI Interim Director Christy Remucal. She officially took over the 59-year-old program yesterday. Contributed photo.

Person in lab coat and safety goggles in a lab. — Remucal in her water research lab. She focuses on contaminants. Photo: Bonnie Willison

WRI is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey and Sea Grant by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The post Remucal Named Interim Director of WRI first appeared on WRI.

News Release | WRI

https://www.wri.wisc.edu/news/remucal-named-interim-director-of-wri/

New study: Northeastern Wisconsin PFAS plume moves into Green Bay via groundwater

On: January 3, 2023

In: Christy Remucal, firefighting foam, forever chemicals, Green Bay, PFAS, Sarah Balgooyen, Tyco

A new study has found that a plume of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from an industrial source has made its way into Green Bay, Lake Michigan, through the movement of groundwater.

PFAS are often referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment. They have been used to make a wide range of products resistant to water, grease, oil and stains and are also found in firefighting foams, which are a major source of environmental PFAS contamination. The chemical compounds have been shown to have adverse effects on human health.

Christy Remucal with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and postdoctoral co-investigator Sarah Balgooyen published their work in the Dec. 27, 2022, issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology, https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c06600 It was funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program.

“We used a forensics approach to investigate how the PFAS fingerprint from an industrial source changes after undergoing environmental and engineered processes,” Remucal said.

Woman wearing lab goggles, gloves and a lab coat in a lab.

Researcher Christy Remucal in her lab on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is analyzing water samples taken from a known contamination site.

Researchers tracked the movement of PFAS through groundwater and surface water flow, as well as the chemicals’ presence in biosolids on land. Analysis of samples showed that, unfortunately, a large PFAS plume has moved into Green Bay, Lake Michigan.

Green Bay is one of the largest bays on the Great Lakes, an interconnected freshwater system providing drinking water for 30 million U.S. and Canadian residents. That makes it even more important for researchers to understand what contaminants are present and where they may have come from.

The source of this Great Lakes contamination has been traced to Tyco Fire Products. The company’s fire-training facilities in Marinette and Peshtigo have previously been identified as a source of PFAS contamination in groundwater and private drinking water wells in the area.

The forensic technique in this study used PFAS fingerprinting, a process that uses ratios of individual PFAS compounds to identify PFAS contaminants and their sources. In this case, the PFAS fingerprint in Green Bay is nearly identical to PFAS associated with Tyco and includes PFAS known to be active ingredients in firefighting foams. This fingerprinting method could be used to hold polluting companies responsible for the contaminated water, the researchers said.

The study also found that PFAS associated with the industrial facility are present in streams near some agricultural fields. The researchers believe this PFAS contamination may have come from the treated biosolids many farmers use to fertilize their fields.

Biosolids are the product of wastewater treatment and are rich in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. PFAS in wastewater undergo extensive processing and some PFAS tend to concentrate in biosolids during treatment.

Remucal and Balgooyen determined that PFAS from biosolids can still mobilize after being spread on land. So, when farmers spread biosolids on their fields, PFAS can eventually make their way to adjacent streams.

Blonde woman wearing safety goggles, gloves and a lab coat in a lab.

Sarah Balgooyen is a postdoctoral investigator of PFAS, which is a group of man-made chemicals known for stain- and water-resistance, but also causes cancer in humans.

“Treated biosolids are commonly spread on fields all across Wisconsin,” Balgooyen said. “This information may impact how municipalities across Wisconsin and other states approach the use of biosolids as an agricultural fertilizer.”

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Great Lakes tributary rivers play important role in bringing PFAS to the drinking water source of millions

On: February 14, 2022

In: acids, Christy Remucal, perfluoroalkyl, PFAA, PFAS, Sarah Balgooyen

The world’s largest source of fresh water, the Great Lakes, provides drinking water to more than 40 million people in the U.S. and Canada. In the first study of its kind, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering have demonstrated that tributary rivers feeding Lake Michigan play an important role in bringing the human-made group of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to the Great Lakes system.

Researcher Christy Remucal in her lab on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus is analyzing water samples taken from known contamination sites, the Menominee and Peshtigo rivers, which feed into Lake Michigan. Photo: Bonnie Willison

Christy Remucal with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and postdoctoral co-investigator Sarah Balgooyen quantified 10 PFAS chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), in the water and sediment of 41 tributaries to Green Bay of Lake Michigan.

The study is published in the Feb. 10, 2022, edition of the ACS ES&T Water Journal (https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsestwater.1c00348). It was funded by a grant from the Wisconsin Sea Grant College Program.

“Tributary PFAS loading to the Great Lakes is poorly understood,” Remucal said. “The role of sediments as a PFAS source or sink is also largely unknown. Our study is bringing some much-needed answers to not only the people who live around the bay of Green Bay, but also to all of the Great Lakes communities because it’s an interconnected water system. These findings could also be extrapolated to understand the conditions surrounding thousands of other tributaries that flow into the five lakes.”

PFAAs are found in common household items like cookware, cleaning agents and fabric treated with repellants, as well as in firefighting foams. In the study area, the Fox, Menominee and Peshtigo rivers contribute two-thirds of the total tributary PFAA loading to Green Bay despite their relatively low concentrations and despite the current regulatory focus on sites with high PFAA concentrations. The sources of the chemicals in the study tributaries are likely linked to a firefighting foam manufacturer, other industrial activity and airports, which use firefighting foam on runways.

In addition to the tributary discharge, the work showed that tributary sediments can contribute to PFAA via a releasing process known as desorption. Contaminated riverbed sediments may act as a PFAA source even if water concentrations are reduced by pollution mitigation.

Sarah Balgooyen, a postdoctoral investigator of PFAS, said there are likely more than 5,000 compounds known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In research published today in a leading journal Balgooyen quantifies 10 of the chemicals analyzed in the water and sediment of Lake Michigan tributary water bodies. Photo: Bonnie Willison

“Understandably, there is a heightened interest in the levels of PFAS in drinking water. PFAS have been linked to a number of ill human health effects, including cancer,” Balgooyen said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my research. It certainly leads to a clearer understanding and, hopefully, can provide some guidance on contamination cleanup.”

The research will also inform the Wisconsin PFAS Action Council, of which Remucal is a member as the University of Wisconsin System representative. She is joined by representatives from 17 state agencies. The group has identified eight PFAS priority themes, including one on sampling and one on research and knowledge.

A video about this project can be found here.

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