07/14/2026
Big congrats to Professor Detlef Knappe for winning the 2026 Trailblazer Award from the National PFAS Conference! 👏
Knappe has dedicated years to studying forever chemicals, specifically PFAS. Notably in 2016, he co-authored a paper that investigated PFAS pollution in the Wilmington, NC area's drinking water.
The researchers found the pollution originated from a fluorochemical production plant near Fayetteville, NC, leading to a number of regulatory actions to decrease the contamination.
🗯️ “It was very special to receive this award because it recognizes the positive impacts my group’s research has had on PFAS-contaminated communities,” Kanppe said.