SUNY TAF Class of 2023 - Yanna Liang, University at Albany

Tech: Removing Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Drinking Water
For Professor Yanna Liang, providing sustainable designs for natural and engineered environments, and promoting sustainability in all areas related to the environment and human health is critically important to her work.
Widely used since the 1950s, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are harmful, synthetic forever chemicals that can cause cancer, liver damage, decrease fertility and increase the risk of asthma and thyroid disease. Across the US, thousands of sites have been contaminated by PFAS, affecting water supplies that serve millions of Americans.
Liang has designed and synthesized green, environmentally sustainable, low-cost sorbents that remove PFAS from drinking water, surface water, stormwater and groundwater. They can also be used to stabilize PFAS in soil, sediment and sewage sludge.
“The TAF award is very timely,” Liang explains. “TAF is unique in that it allows us to fine-tune and validate the performance of the sorbents - activities that are not typically funded by other agencies and programs.” Her hope is that once validated, the newly synthesized sorbents can be tested and certified by the National Sanitation Foundation, and her products can go to market for treating water at both small and large scales.
“Our focus is on helping communities remove these chemicals from their water and soil so they can get back to business,” said Liang.