As one of the largest freshwater systems in the world, the Laurentian Great Lakes are the most vital water resources in North America. Current sampling has found low PFAS concentrations in Lake Superior and higher concentrations in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario due to industrial urban presence and corresponding wastewater discharge. Water quality data accessibility is critical to understand and develop effective solutions to the most pressing challenges of the Great Lakes water quality management.

A thorough evaluation of recent research studies, focusing on the PFAS contamination in the Great Lakes, shows that PFAS are present in all sampled fish of over 100 sportfish from all four quadrants of Lake Michigan. PFOS, the most toxic of the PFAS family, was found in 95% of the sampled fish, mainly salmon and trout. Analysis has shown that PFSAs in Lake Superior are 20% of PFAS, 29% in Lake Michigan, 35% in Lake Huron, 41% in Lake Erie, and 53% in Lake Ontario.

The main objective of this research project is to build a Data Warehouse Application Tool that will provide civil engineers and environmental scientists with the ability to research the Great Lakes Basin for PFAS and their novel variants. The data warehouse will include the following dimensions and fact tables that will store the pertinent data for researchers: Events, PFAS, Chemical, Precipitation, Microplastics, Transports, Time, Location, Datasets, and Scientific Articles. The storage of this data in one application will enable scientists to investigate and recommend better solutions to the toxic water problem in the Great Lakes Basin. This presentation will discuss the outline, structure, and utilization of the data warehouse tool for this application.