Novel technology for concentration and detection of PFAS in water environment

HJ Science & Technology, Inc. proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of a portable technology capable of performing on-site detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in complex water environments including drinking water, groundwater, surface water and wastewater. Our approach combines these three technologies: 1) microfluidic automation, 2) rapid sample concentration, and 3) separation and detection, such that individual PFAS species including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in the sample can be identified and quantified The proposed instrument is compact, light weight, portable, inexpensive, and easy to use, specifically designed for the on-site detection of PFAS in water environment with sensitivity and selectivity that are only currently achievable with laboratory-based instruments (e.g. Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) and Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)). Our Phase I effort will focus on demonstrating the technical feasibility of the proposed technology to perform automated detection of PFOA and PFOS in water sample. If successful, we will be well positioned to achieve the goal of providing portable and rapid alternatives to the conventional methods. In Phase II, we will extend this detection capability to other PFAS as well as develop, build, and demonstrate a field-testable prototype system that accepts a sample from environment water, completes the analysis, and transmits an electronic record of the time and analytical result to the end user. We will compare the performance of the Phase II prototype with gold standard testing (e.g., HPLC) to determine the performance characteristics of the system. The Phase II effort will be performed in parallel with efforts to develop the technology for the commercial market as the proposed on-site PFAS detection technology offers compelling advantage for applications in the areas where the environment has been contaminated by PFAS, including both the government and private sectors.