About
Elle Froberg
I am a senior at Lake Forest Academy and incoming student at Columbia University. I am the High School Democrats environmental chair and Young Democrats environmental caucus secretary. I am passionate about spreading awareness and information about pollution and threats to public health that go unacknowledged.
Problem Statement
Across the world, invisible pollutants are endemic in our daily lives, causing long-term health problems scientists are still trying to understand. The lack of both clarity and attention worldwide to PFAs, microplastics and e-waste is why we need to put more effort into regulating levels of toxins, reducing single-use plastic, and adopting more sustainable waste practices to mitigate environmental pollution. It is imperative that our generation is not the experimental group that discovers the final physiological costs of these persistent pollutants. If we act now, we can stop this increasing accumulation of chemical damage to ourselves and to those suffering from e-waste overseas.
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The United States and China are some of the richest countries in the world. Yet their citizens face unique and serious health concerns from PFA chemicals, microplastics, and harmful chemicals used in factory farms (also known as CAFOs: Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations). Beyond this, people in developing countries face severe environmental-related health issues from the endemic pollution and emissions of wealthy countries such as this. The very phones we hold in our hands and one day discard for newer versions don’t end up in traditional landfills–they are dumped on the shores of countries like Ghana, where their toxic fumes and chemicals cause significant long-term damage to Ghanaians. I have researched microplastics and PFAs for a while, taking steps to reduce my exposure to them. While I already have a prior knowledge of health issues resulting from chemical and plastic pollution in the United States, I seek to expand my understanding of climate-related health impacts in non-western countries, China and Asia.
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Sources​
Carrington, Damian. “‘A Bombshell’: Doubt Cast on Discovery of Microplastics Throughout Human Body.” The Guardian, 23 Jan. 2026, www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/13/microplastics-human-body-doubt.
“Chemicals: Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) Substances.” Wisconsin Department of Health Services, 21 Oct. 2025, www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/chemical/pfas.htm.
Cooper, Liz. “The Crisis That Makes Us Sick: The Health Impacts of E-Waste.” Human-I-T, 2 Dec. 2024, www.human-i-t.org/the-health-impacts-of-e-waste.
Dutchen, By Stephanie. “Microplastics Everywhere.” Harvard Medicine Magazine, 13 Nov. 2025, magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/microplastics-everywhere.
Gasiorowski, Robin, et al. “Effect of Plasma and Blood Donations on Levels of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Firefighters in Australia.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 5, no. 4, Apr. 2022, p. e226257. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.6257.
Upson, Kristen, et al. “An Epidemiologic Review of Menstrual Blood Loss as an Excretion Route for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.” Current Environmental Health Reports, vol. 9, no. 1, Mar. 2022, pp. 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40572-022-00332-0.
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Research
Solution
Yep we gonna do this soon