Mitchell Kim-Fu | College of Agricultural Sciences

Mitchell Kim-Fu

E-mail:

kimfum@oregonstate.edu

Highest Degree Received:

Ph.D., Chemistry, Oregon State University, 2025 (anticipated)

Education:

Ph.D., Chemistry, Oregon State University, 2025 (anticipated)

M.S., Chemistry, Oregon State University, 2024

B.S., Chemistry, Creighton University, 2021

About Me:

Mitchell received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry with a minor in philosophy from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska in 2021. There, he worked with David Dobberpuhl pursuing research in analytical wine chemistry. Mitchell is currently a graduate student and a member of the Jennifer Field Lab researching fluoropolymer thermal degradation in munitions and the occurrence of volatile (neutral) per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products and the environment.

Research Focus/Interest:

Environmental and analytical chemistry

Fluoropolymer thermal degradation

PFAS in consumer and industrial products

Analytical methods for PFAS characterization

Publications:

Droz, B.; Heron, C.G.; Kim-Fu, M.L.; Reardon, P.N.; Roig-Paul, M.; Field, J.A. Practical Guidance on Selecting Analytical Methods for PFAS in Semiconductor Manufacturing Wastewater and Gas Exhaust. ACS Meas. Sci. Au (In Review)
Nelson, S.; Kim-Fu, M.L.; Azizian, M.; Field, J.A. Cyclosiloxane Artifacts Explain Henry’s Law Constants for Nonvolatile Fluorotelomer Sulfonates. J. Haz. Mat. 2025. (In Review)
Kim-Fu, M.L. Demonstrating Air-Water, Octanol-Water, and Octanol-Air Partitioning with Food-Grade Menthol and Olfaction in a Single-Beaker. J. Chem. Ed. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c01390
Ye, Y.; Titaley, I.A.; Kim-Fu, M.L.; Moll, A.R.; Barlaz, M.A.; Field, J.A. Release of Volatile Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Paper-based Food Packaging and Municipal Solid Waste to Gas-phase Under Simulated Landfill Conditions. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2024, 58 (48), 21295–21304. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c08544
Kim-Fu, M.L.; Moll, A.R.; Hernandez, E.E.; Fouquet, T.N.J; Field, J.A. Fluorinated Aromatic PCBTF and 6:2 diPAP in Traffic and Bridge Paints. Environ. Sci. Process. Impacts. 2024, 26, 2158-2165. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00546E
Kim-Fu, M.L.; Moll, A.R.; Hernandez, E.E.; Fouquet, T.N.J; Field, J.A. Fluorinated Aromatic PCBTF and 6:2 diPAP in Traffic and Bridge Paints. Environ. Sci. Process. Impacts. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4EM00546E
Kim, J.; Leonard, S.W.; Van Meter, M.I.; Kim-Fu, M.L., Cao, D.; Field, J.A.; Chu, K.H. The Nexus of Soil Microbiomes, Genes, Classes of Carbon Substrates, and Biotransformation of Fluorotelomer-Based Precursors. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2024, 58 (46), 20553-20565. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c06471
Christie, E. C.; Schwichtenberg, T.; Schmokel, C.; Kim-Fu, M.L.; Moll, A.R.; Titaley, I.A.; Kostarelos, K.; DiGuiseppi, W. H.; Field, J. A. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Field-Collected Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids. ACS ES&T Water 2023, 3 (3), 885-891. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.2c00652
Cahuas, L.; Muensterman, D.J.; Kim-Fu, M.L.; Reardon, P.N.; Titaley, I.A.; Field, J.A. Paints: A Source of Volatile PFAS in Air – Potential Implications for Inhalation Exposure. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56 (23), 17070–17079. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c04864

Awards:

2021-Present: Wei Family Foundation Private Graduate Scholarship Awardee, College of Science, Oregon State University (every year)
2023: Best Graduate Poster, Industry-University Collaborative Conference Program, Oregon State University
2023: Benedict Award for Second Year Chemistry Grad Student with Best Course Record, Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University