McMaster wins $200,000 grant to track how PFAS reach the Great Lakes (Oct. 2026)
McMaster secured $200,000 from the Great Lakes Freshwater Ecosystem Initiative to study how PFAS travel into the Great Lakes. Researchers are collecting samples in Hamilton Harbour and the Grand River watershed; findings will be shared with federal partners.
A research team at McMaster received $200,000 to examine how per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) move through soils, wastewater systems and sediments before potentially entering the Great Lakes. Field sampling is underway in Hamilton Harbour and the Grand River watershed. The project recreates variable moisture conditions, including drought and heavy rainfall, to observe PFAS behaviour in real landscapes rather than only in laboratory settings. Results will be communicated to federal partners to support evidence‑based freshwater management and stewardship across the region.