Our Eternal Poison: Per- and Polyfluoroakyl Substances Recovered from Common Materials
A research study was conducted to determine the absorption of PFAS using bottle materials for experimental design. The data from this study was then used to conduct data analysis regarding the absorption of PFAS, and to highlight concerns for the general public regarding pollution and environmental impacts. It was found that PFAS with a carbon chain length of 10 have the greatest percentage of recovery, however all PFAS had very high percentages and some went over 100. As for the bottle materials, it does not appear that different concentrations impacted their recovery percentages. However, when different isomers were used (mixed or linear) there was greater variance among the mixed isomer’s recovery. There was also a significant difference between chemical classes, as PFCAs had higher recovery percentages than PFSAs.
Humans have created an environmental catastrophe, not only in terms of what we have created but also in terms of what we are leaving behind. Air pollution alone is responsible for 1 in 9 deaths, making it the most important environmental health risk of our time according to the United Nations.
Manufacturing of consumer products causes pollution, especially when toxic substances are used in production and later end up in our agricultural systems or water supply. However, it is not only the creation of a product that causes pollution. There is also the act of discarding a product, whether that is due to something breaking, degrading over time, or boredom in the case of over consumption. These discarded products could allow for harmful chemicals to make their way into the environment, agricultural systems, water supply, wildlife, and even our own blood.
PFAs are a class of controversial chemicals. While there have been attempts to remove them from our societies, there are reasons why they are still prevalent today (other than being “forever chemicals”). Industry leaders often have their way when laws are written- such as the Toxic Substances Control Act. The Environmental Protection Agency has also been significantly weakened, and chemicals in the United States can’t be banned until they are proven to pose unreasonable health risks. Chemicals are also regulated one by one- making banning whole classes of them difficult. Therefore, it is important for consumers to understand the risks associated with PFAS and other potentially hazardous chemicals and for governing bodies to reassess chemical regulations. With the prevalence of PFAS in our society, we must remain vigilant to avoid further polluting our environment with hazardous chemicals.
What carbon chain lengths are associated with different types of PFAS? Does this impact the percent recovery of the chemicals?
What bottle materials have high and low concentrations of PFAS?
Do mixed and linear isomers have similar PFA concentrations and percent recovery/deviation? Do the mixed and linear isomers share similarity in the carbon chain lengths?
Do different PFAS/classes of PFAS have different initial concentrations (ng/L)? Does the initial concentration impact the percent recovery?
How do different types of PFAS vary in the mass absorbed on the bottle (ng) compared to their equilibrium concentrations (ng/L)
Perfluroalkyl and polyfluroalkyl substances, widely known as PFAs or
“forever chemicals,” are a class of synthetic chemicals. They are
extremely long lasting, hence the use for the word “forever.” PFAs do
not break down easily like other chemicals, which can be removed using
water, lipids, heat, or other available methods.
PFAs are widely used in many products, including those meant for regular individuals and large production companies. However, PFAs have been detected in drinking water, soil, manufacturing facilities, food, food packaging, household products, dust, fertilizer, wildlife, air, and even in people. In the United States, most people have perflurooctane sulfonic acid and perflurooctanoic acid in their blood.
People are exposed to PFAs in a variety of circumstances. This can be
done unknowingly by the general population, such as breathing in
contaminated air or drinking contaminated water. Consuming certain
foods, such as fish, can increase the risk of being exposed to PFAs.
Some more well known examples include chemical manufacturing and using
products containing PFAs, such as Teflon pans.
PFAs in the environment have been shown to have harmful health
effects for both humans and wildlife. This includes decreased fertility,
child developmental delays, low birth weights, accelerated puberty,
cancer risk increase, reduced ability to fight infections, interfering
with bodily hormones, and even an increased risk of obesity. Because of
the wide range of PFAs, it can be difficult to determine the effects and
toxicity levels of PFAs. People are also exposed to PFAs in different
ways and the way PFAs are used changes over time.
Ultra-pure water, PFAs, and linear isomers of PFHxS and PFOS were used to conduct a study on PFA absorptivity with bottle materials. Two of the chemicals were in methanol, which needed to be dried by placing the chemicals in centrifuge tubes and using an evaporator with ultra-pure nitrogen gas. The centrifuge tubes were covered and heated for 24 hours, then cooled and rinsed. Stock solution was made with the product. The rest of the chemicals could be readily used for stock solutions, with pH adjustments made using sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, and argon.
Bottle materials used to measure adsorption were aquired from Fischer Scientific, consisting of high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and silanized glass. Polytertrafluoroethylene (PTFE) caps were used for the glass bottles. Absorption was measured initially (1 minute after mixing) and after seven days on a rotary mixer at a controlled temperature. Bottle material isotherm study was conducted for HDPE bottles, using the same 7 day period. PFA collection was done by collecting 20 mL of sample in centrifuge tubes with Trizma and 2-chloroacetamide solids. Analysis was conducted using solid-phase traction ultraperformance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.
PFAS: the specific per- or polyfluroakyl substance
PFAS Chain Length: number of carbons in the chain
PFAS Chemical Class: a subgroup of PFAS
Isomer: denotes if substance is a linear or mixed isomers
Time (Days): time that sample was taken (0 being immediate)
Bottle Material
Initial PFAS Concentration Range
PFAS Recovery (%)
Standard Deviation (%): error of PFAS percent recovery
Initial PFAS Concentration (ng/L)
Equilibrium Liquid PFAS Concentration: Value (ng/L)
Standard Deviation (ng/L)
PFAS Mass Absorbed on Bottle: Value (ng/L)
Standard Deviation (ng)
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS)
Perfluorohexane acid (PFHxA)
Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)
L-Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (L-PFHxS)
Perfluoro-2-propoxypropanoic acid (PFPrOPrA / GenX)
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)
L-Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (L-PFOS)
Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
PFAS with 6 carbons have the most consistent percentage recovered, however all carbon chain lengths have percentages above 100 which may be cause for concern. PFAS with 10 carbons have the highest percent recovery based on the median, however it is also above 100.
The bottle materials also had a wide variety of PFAS recovered, however it does not appear that initial PFAS concentration plays a role in the recovery. Low and high concentrations had varying recovery percentages.
Interestingly, the linear isomer had the same median percent recovery as the mixed isomers. However, the mixed isomers had greater variance. This is expected given that isomers are different “variations” of molecules and may not behave the same.
As for concentrations, the initial concentrations had very different recovery percentages for different PFAS classes. PFCAs had overall higher recovery percentages compared to PFSAs. As for the equilibrium concentrations, it is expected for there to be a linear relationship between the concentration and mass absorbed. However, this was not the case for PFHxS. Research should be done to determine whether the non-linear pattern shown by PFHxS was experimental error.
Further research should be done to determine if glass is actually the material with the lowest PFAS recovery. If this is accurate, it is alarming as glass is extremely common and often used for many years before it is discarded by consumers. It would also be important to test a wider range of PFAS to determine if mixed isomers should be of concern, as the wider range in recovery percentages could be alarming. Overall, this experiment was done on a small scale and the problem of over consumption is much greater. If we are to assess removing PFAS from the environment, we need more large scale research and clean-up efforts to limit the amount of PFAS that can circulate.
One major limiting factor of this study is the amount of chemicals tested. As stated before, there are numerous PFAS chemicals. While there are general trends, we cannot assume that all PFAS will behave the same. Further testing should include a more diverse pool of chemicals (including more ether based samples).
Another limitation is the type of materials tested. Consumers interact with many types of materials, and even blended materials are common, especially in food packaging. Research should also be done to determine how other materials consumers interact with may absorb PFAS.
It is also unclear why the percent recovery of the PFAS is so high. There may have been impurities in the recovered sample. Future researchers should be aware of this issue as it makes it unclear what the actual amount of PFAS recovered is.
My name is Caralina Lynn Crouch. I am a chemistry student looking to minor in Data Analytics, and I am also a member of the Dayton Civic Scholars 2025 cohort. My interests lie in the realm between science and community; I want to see how we can use science to not only educate people, but also improve their lives and well-being. I decided to pick up a minor in Data Analytics because I want to learn how to communicate information to other people while making that information accessible. I believe in using the skills I’ve learned for the good of humanity.
You can keep up to date with me on my LinkedIn.
---
title: "Our Eternal Poison"
output:
flexdashboard::flex_dashboard:
orientation: columns
vertical_layout: fill
source_code: embed
logo: "D:/Classwork/Year 3/MTH 209/Final Project/lilypad.png"
theme:
version: 4
bootswatch: yetijr
primary: "#73B22F"
---
<style>
.chart-title { /* chart_title */
font-size: 20px;
}
body{ /* Normal */
font-size: 16px;
}
</style>
<head>
<base target="_blank">
</head>
```{r setup, include=FALSE}
library(flexdashboard)
pacman::p_load(circlize, chorddiag, DT, knitr, maps, plotly, tidyverse, readxl)
set1 <- read_xlsx("D:/Classwork/Year 3/MTH 209/Final Project/pfa study.xlsx", sheet = "Figure 2")
set2 <- read_xlsx("D:/Classwork/Year 3/MTH 209/Final Project/pfa study.xlsx", sheet = "Figure 3")
set3 <- read_xlsx("D:/Classwork/Year 3/MTH 209/Final Project/pfa study.xlsx", sheet = "Figure 4")
set4 <- read_xlsx("D:/Classwork/Year 3/MTH 209/Final Project/pfa study.xlsx", sheet = "Figure 5")
```
Introduction
===
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### Abstract
**Our Eternal Poison: Per- and Polyfluoroakyl Substances Recovered from Common Materials**
A research study was conducted to determine the absorption of PFAS using bottle materials for experimental design. The data from this study was then used to conduct data analysis regarding the absorption of PFAS, and to highlight concerns for the general public regarding pollution and environmental impacts. It was found that PFAS with a carbon chain length of 10 have the greatest percentage of recovery, however all PFAS had very high percentages and some went over 100. As for the bottle materials, it does not appear that different concentrations impacted their recovery percentages. However, when different isomers were used (mixed or linear) there was greater variance among the mixed isomer's recovery. There was also a significant difference between chemical classes, as PFCAs had higher recovery percentages than PFSAs.
### Introduction
Humans have created an environmental catastrophe, not only in terms of what we have created but also in terms of what we are leaving behind. Air pollution alone is responsible for 1 in 9 deaths, making it the most important environmental health risk of our time according to the United Nations.
Manufacturing of consumer products causes pollution, especially when toxic substances are used in production and later end up in our agricultural systems or water supply. However, it is not only the creation of a product that causes pollution. There is also the act of discarding a product, whether that is due to something breaking, degrading over time, or boredom in the case of over consumption. These discarded products could allow for harmful chemicals to make their way into the environment, agricultural systems, water supply, wildlife, and even our own blood.
PFAs are a class of controversial chemicals. While there have been attempts to remove them from our societies, there are reasons why they are still prevalent today (other than being “forever chemicals”). Industry leaders often have their way when laws are written- such as the Toxic Substances Control Act. The Environmental Protection Agency has also been significantly weakened, and chemicals in the United States can’t be banned until they are proven to pose unreasonable health risks. Chemicals are also regulated one by one- making banning whole classes of them difficult. Therefore, it is important for consumers to understand the risks associated with PFAS and other potentially hazardous chemicals and for governing bodies to reassess chemical regulations. With the prevalence of PFAS in our society, we must remain vigilant to avoid further polluting our environment with hazardous chemicals.
### Research Questions
- What carbon chain lengths are associated with different types of PFAS? Does this impact the percent recovery of the chemicals?
- What bottle materials have high and low concentrations of PFAS?
- Do mixed and linear isomers have similar PFA concentrations and percent recovery/deviation? Do the mixed and linear isomers share similarity in the carbon chain lengths?
- Do different PFAS/classes of PFAS have different initial concentrations (ng/L)? Does the initial concentration impact the percent recovery?
- How do different types of PFAS vary in the mass absorbed on the bottle (ng) compared to their equilibrium concentrations (ng/L)
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### What are PFAs?
Perfluroalkyl and polyfluroalkyl substances, widely known as PFAs or “forever chemicals,” are a class of synthetic chemicals. They are extremely long lasting, hence the use for the word “forever.” PFAs do not break down easily like other chemicals, which can be removed using water, lipids, heat, or other available methods. <br>
### Why are they important to us?
PFAs are widely used in many products, including those meant for regular individuals and large production companies. However, PFAs have been detected in drinking water, soil, manufacturing facilities, food, food packaging, household products, dust, fertilizer, wildlife, air, and even in people. In the United States, most people have perflurooctane sulfonic acid and perflurooctanoic acid in their blood.
People are exposed to PFAs in a variety of circumstances. This can be done unknowingly by the general population, such as breathing in contaminated air or drinking contaminated water. Consuming certain foods, such as fish, can increase the risk of being exposed to PFAs. Some more well known examples include chemical manufacturing and using products containing PFAs, such as Teflon pans. <br>
### What are their impacts?
PFAs in the environment have been shown to have harmful health effects for both humans and wildlife. This includes decreased fertility, child developmental delays, low birth weights, accelerated puberty, cancer risk increase, reduced ability to fight infections, interfering with bodily hormones, and even an increased risk of obesity. Because of the wide range of PFAs, it can be difficult to determine the effects and toxicity levels of PFAs. People are also exposed to PFAs in different ways and the way PFAs are used changes over time. <br>
Methods & Data
===
Column {data-width=500}
---
### Research Methods
Ultra-pure water, PFAs, and linear isomers of PFHxS and PFOS were used to conduct a study on PFA absorptivity with bottle materials. Two of the chemicals were in methanol, which needed to be dried by placing the chemicals in centrifuge tubes and using an evaporator with ultra-pure nitrogen gas. The centrifuge tubes were covered and heated for 24 hours, then cooled and rinsed. Stock solution was made with the product. The rest of the chemicals could be readily used for stock solutions, with pH adjustments made using sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, and argon.
Bottle materials used to measure adsorption were aquired from Fischer Scientific, consisting of high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and silanized glass. Polytertrafluoroethylene (PTFE) caps were used for the glass bottles. Absorption was measured initially (1 minute after mixing) and after seven days on a rotary mixer at a controlled temperature. Bottle material isotherm study was conducted for HDPE bottles, using the same 7 day period. PFA collection was done by collecting 20 mL of sample in centrifuge tubes with Trizma and 2-chloroacetamide solids. Analysis was conducted using solid-phase traction ultraperformance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### Variables
PFAS: the specific per- or polyfluroakyl substance
PFAS Chain Length: number of carbons in the chain
PFAS Chemical Class: a subgroup of PFAS
Isomer: denotes if substance is a linear or mixed isomers
Time (Days): time that sample was taken (0 being immediate)
Bottle Material
Initial PFAS Concentration Range
PFAS Recovery (%)
Standard Deviation (%): error of PFAS percent recovery
Initial PFAS Concentration (ng/L)
Equilibrium Liquid PFAS Concentration:
Value (ng/L)
Standard Deviation (ng/L)
PFAS Mass Absorbed on Bottle:
Value (ng/L)
Standard Deviation (ng)
### Chemicals
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS)
Perfluorohexane acid (PFHxA)
Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)
L-Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (L-PFHxS)
Perfluoro-2-propoxypropanoic acid (PFPrOPrA / GenX)
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)
L-Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (L-PFOS)
Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
Chemical Breakdown
===
Column {data-width=500}
---
### Breakdown of Chemicals
```{r chord}
set1b <- table(set1$`PFAS Chemical Class`, set1$PFAS)
colors = c("#B3FF62", "#73B22F",
"#457115", "#264602",
"#188507", "#47D630",
"#84FB71")
chorddiag(set1b, type = "bipartite",
width = 500,
height = 500,
showTicks = FALSE,
groupnameFontsize = 14,
groupnamePadding = 20,
groupThickness = 0.05,
categorynamePadding = 110,
chordedgeColor = "white",
categoryNames = c("PFAs Class",
"PFAs"),
tooltipUnit = " Chemicals",
groupColors = colors
)
```
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### PFAS
```{r question1}
set1$`PFAS Chain Length` <- as.factor(set1$`PFAS Chain Length`)
ggplot(set1, aes(x = `PFAS Chain Length`)) +
geom_bar(fill = "#73B22F") +
labs(title = "Carbon Chain Lengths of PFAs",
x = "Chain Length",
y = "Count") +
theme_bw()
```
### Isomers
```{r q1 isomers}
ggplot(set2, aes(x = `PFAS Chain Length`, fill = Isomer)) +
geom_bar() +
labs(title = "Breakdown of Isomer Carbon Chain Lengths",
x = "PFAS Carbon Chain Length",
y = "Count") +
theme_bw() +
scale_fill_manual(values = c("#73B22F", "#264602"))
```
Analysis
===
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### % Recovery: Chain Length
```{r question 1.5}
set1$`PFAS Chain Length` <- as.character(set1$`PFAS Chain Length`)
ggplot(set1, aes(x = `PFAS Chain Length`, y = `PFAS Recovery (%)`)) +
geom_boxplot(fill = "#73B22F") +
labs(title = "Percent Recovery of PFAs Based on Carbon Chain Length",
y = "Percent Recovery",
x = "Carbon Chain Length") +
theme_bw() -> q1
ggplotly(q1)
```
### Bottle Material
```{r question2}
plot_ly(set1, y = ~`PFAS Recovery (%)`, x = ~`Bottle Material`,
type = 'violin', box = list(visible = T),
color = I("#73B22F")) -> material
material <- material %>%
layout(title = "Recovery of PFAS from Different Materials",
xaxis = list(title = "Bottle Material"),
yaxis = list(title = "Percent"))
material
```
### Isomers
```{r question3}
ggplot(set2, aes(x = Isomer, y = `PFAS Recovery (%)`)) +
geom_boxplot(fill = "#73B22F") +
labs(title = "Percent Recovery of PFAs Isomers",
x = "Isomer Type",
y = "Percent Recovery") +
theme_bw() -> q3
ggplotly(q3)
```
### % Error
```{r stdev}
ggplot(set2, aes(x = Isomer, y = `Standard Deviation (%)`)) +
geom_boxplot(fill = "#73B22F") +
labs(title = "Error in Percent Recovery of PFAs Isomers",
x = "Isomer Type",
y = "Standard Deviation") +
theme_bw() -> sd
ggplotly(sd)
```
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### Initial Concentration
```{r question4}
set3 <- set3[set3$`PFAS Chemical Class` != "Ether", ]
set3 <- set3[set3$`Initial PFAS Concentration (ng/L)` != "10", ]
ggplot(set3, aes(x = `Initial PFAS Concentration (ng/L)`,
y = `PFAS Recovery (%)`,
color = `PFAS Chemical Class`)) +
geom_point() +
labs(x = "Initial PFAS Concentration (ng/L)",
y = "Recovery Percent",
title = "Percent Recovery of Different PFAS Based on Initial Concentration",
caption = "All ether measurements were removed due to lack of data") +
theme_bw() +
scale_color_manual(values = c("#264602", "#73B22F"))
```
### Equilibrium Concentration
```{r question 5}
ggplot(set4, aes(x =`Eq Value (ng/L)` , y = `Mass Value (ng)`, color = PFAS)) +
geom_line(linewidth = 1.5) +
labs(title = "Equilibrium Concentrations of PFAS Compared to Absorbed Mass",
x = " Equilibrium Concentration (ng/L)",
y = "Mass Absorbed (ng)") +
theme_bw() +
scale_color_manual(values = c("#73B22F",
"#457115", "#264602",
"#188507","#84FB71"))
```
### Data Table
```{r concentration table}
datatable(set4, rownames = FALSE,
options = list(pageLength = 6))
```
Discussion
===
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### Conclusion
PFAS with 6 carbons have the most consistent percentage recovered, however all carbon chain lengths have percentages above 100 which may be cause for concern. PFAS with 10 carbons have the highest percent recovery based on the median, however it is also above 100.
The bottle materials also had a wide variety of PFAS recovered, however it does not appear that initial PFAS concentration plays a role in the recovery. Low and high concentrations had varying recovery percentages.
Interestingly, the linear isomer had the same median percent recovery as the mixed isomers. However, the mixed isomers had greater variance. This is expected given that isomers are different "variations" of molecules and may not behave the same.
As for concentrations, the initial concentrations had very different recovery percentages for different PFAS classes. PFCAs had overall higher recovery percentages compared to PFSAs. As for the equilibrium concentrations, it is expected for there to be a linear relationship between the concentration and mass absorbed. However, this was not the case for PFHxS. Research should be done to determine whether the non-linear pattern shown by PFHxS was experimental error.
Further research should be done to determine if glass is actually the material with the lowest PFAS recovery. If this is accurate, it is alarming as glass is extremely common and often used for many years before it is discarded by consumers. It would also be important to test a wider range of PFAS to determine if mixed isomers should be of concern, as the wider range in recovery percentages could be alarming. Overall, this experiment was done on a small scale and the problem of over consumption is much greater. If we are to assess removing PFAS from the environment, we need more large scale research and clean-up efforts to limit the amount of PFAS that can circulate.
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### Limitations
One major limiting factor of this study is the amount of chemicals tested. As stated before, there are numerous PFAS chemicals. While there are general trends, we cannot assume that all PFAS will behave the same. Further testing should include a more diverse pool of chemicals (including more ether based samples).
Another limitation is the type of materials tested. Consumers interact with many types of materials, and even blended materials are common, especially in food packaging. Research should also be done to determine how other materials consumers interact with may absorb PFAS.
It is also unclear why the percent recovery of the PFAS is so high. There may have been impurities in the recovered sample. Future researchers should be aware of this issue as it makes it unclear what the actual amount of PFAS recovered is.
References
===
Column {data-width=500}
---
###
**References**
+ [Data.gov: Practical Implications of Perfluoroalkyl Substances Adsorption on Bottle Materials: Isotherms and Sub-Sampling (V1)](https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/practical-implications-of-perfluoroalkyl-substances-adsorption-on-bottle-materials-isother)
+ [AWWA: Practical implications of perfluoroalkyl substances adsorption on bottle materials: Isotherms](https://awwa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aws2.1243)
+ [US EPA: PFAS Explained](https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained)
+ [US EPA: Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS](https://epa.gov/pfas/our-current-understanding-human-health-and-environmental-risks-pfas)
+ [UN Environment Program: Air](https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/air)
+ [ProPublica: Why the U.S. Is Losing the Fight to Ban Toxic Chemicals](https://www.propublica.org/article/toxic-chemicals-epa-regulation-failures)
**Relevance Based on Dayton, OH:**
+ [Report: Wright-Patt, 23 other bases exposed to toxic chemicals in water](https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/report-troops-at-24-bases-exposed-to-toxic-chemicals-in-drinking-water/XUVFKXADZNEO5OCMEZJCQXYZ6I/)
+ [Nearly 2 years later, Dayton PFAS lawsuit against Wright-Patt, DOD sits in legal limbo](https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/nearly-two-years-on-dayton-pfas-lawsuit-against-wright-patt-dod-sits-in-legal-limbo/HBSUIRDU45AUBC42HCGCT4FJTY/)
+ [Ohio secures $110M settlement with DuPont related to ‘forever chemicals’ contamination](https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/ohio-secures-110m-settlement-with-dupont-related-to-forever-chemicals-contamination/SUGYWXHLSND23FAR2TZF23U4VY/)
Author
===
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
### Hello
My name is Caralina Lynn Crouch. I am a chemistry student looking to minor in Data Analytics, and I am also a member of the Dayton Civic Scholars 2025 cohort. My interests lie in the realm between science and community; I want to see how we can use science to not only educate people, but also improve their lives and well-being. I decided to pick up a minor in Data Analytics because I want to learn how to communicate information to other people while making that information accessible. I believe in using the skills I've learned for the good of humanity.
You can keep up to date with me on my [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caralina-lynn-crouch-8015a8249/).
Column {.tabset data-width=500}
---
###
