Scaling Up a Field-Deployable Water Sampling Device to Rapidly Screen Adsorbable Organic Fluorine in situ

Innovativeness of the proposed technology: Forever Analytical Services (FAS) has developed an innovative technique using particle-induced gammaray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy to rapidly screen drinking water for harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This patented method allows for high-throughput screening of water samples in a twostep process. In the first step, a solid-phase extraction device with low-cost commercial filters is used to extract PFAS from each water sample. These filters are then exposed to an accelerated beam of protons, which results in the production of characteristic gamma rays. By measuring these gamma rays, the total fluorine content of each sample can be determined. PIGE is the only spectroscopic method that enables such rapid and precise total adsorbable organic fluorine analysis, making it sensitive enough to screen for PFAS in drinking water at extremely low levels, below 4 parts per trillion (ppt). Technical feasibility compared to current technologies (and customer need): The PIGE analysis of the filters allows for rapid quantification of total fluorine. In phase I of this project we successfully distinguished inorganic fluoride and ultrashort PFAS from adsorbable organic fluorine by rinsing the filter with acid and conducting a second PIGE measurement. This combined approach allows the quantification of total adsorbable organic fluorine within minutes. The limit of detection depends on the sample volume used, and since the solid phase extraction is performed on-site, larger sampling volumes can be used to achieve even lower detection limits compared to other existing methods. This is the first screening technology that can meet the proposed new EPA regulatory limits for PFAS in drinking water. Commercial potential (applications and end user): This field-deployable method developed by FAS will be highly beneficial to regulatory agencies, PFAS impacted communities, commercial laboratories and others. If offer a fast and reliable way to screen for PFAS without replacing existing EPA methods. Instead it provides additional information about total adsorbable organic fluorine rapidly, aiding decision-making processes. Faster screening and the ability to select specific samples for detailed PFAS analysis will provide significant long-term cost savings. This Phase II effort seeks to develop the method further. The plan is to scale up the sample volume by introducing a continuous flow version of the Phase I device, enabling water providers to comply with the new EPA drinking water limits more rapidly and with less cost. Moreover, we will also explore the method’s potential to test other types of matrices for total fluorine, such as solids, biosolids, and wastewater, based on interest from the Phase I customer discovery interviews. Potential for environmental feedback: Overall, the development of a field-deployable, rapid PFAS detection method, with in-situ testing capabilities, is a potential game changer for contaminated site characterization and remediation as well as drinking water providers.