WFPL: ‘Dark Waters’ Puts Contaminants Saga for Ohio River on Big Screen
UC scientist warns against dangers of PFOA
Louisville, Kentucky public radio station WFPL looks at the dangers of the drinking water contaminate, perfluorooctanoic acid or PFOA, in the wake of the Hollywood film “Dark Waters.” The environmental thrillerdepicts the real-life story of the 20-year battle waged by Cincinnati attorney Rob Bilott against chemical giant DuPont. Bilott, played by actor Mark Ruffalo, as a young corporate defense lawyer living in Cincinnati. His grandmother, who lives in Parkersburg, West Virginia, gives his phone number to local farmer, Earl Tennant. Tennant lives next to a landfill.
WFPL interviewed Susan Pinney, professor in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine’s Department of Environmental Health, about the effects of PFOA and its possible presence in the drinking water of communities across the nation. One group estimates up to 110 million Americans drink water with dangerous levels of contaminants. Pinney said granular activated carbon filtration systems need to be installed in water treatment facilities to remove the PFOA threat from drinking water. “To me where we’re at right now, we’re soon going to find that there are a whole lot more communities with exposed people than anyone thought,” said Pinney.
Other media in Greater Cincinnati also covered the tie between 'Dark Waters' and Pinney's research.
Listen to the WFPL interview online
Read a Dayton Daily News interview online
Related Stories
UC structural biologists are first in world to visualize key cell protein
May 22, 2026
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine structural biologists are the first in the world to visualize a key cell protein as part of recently published research in the journal Cell Reports.
6 ways starting a GLP-1 medication could affect your emotions
May 20, 2026
When patients first start taking a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medication, they probably expect to feel full. But they might not anticipate how it can influence their emotions. The medications act on the stomach and the brain, said Malti Vij, MD, a University of Cincinnati adjunct associate professor in the College of Medicine's Department of Internal Medicine and a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine.
UC researchers recruit older adults for extreme heat health study
May 20, 2026
The University of Cincinnati’s Center for Collaboration on Climate & Community for Health (C4H) is recruiting older adults to participate in a study tracking their health during periods of extreme summer heat.