Field-deployable Measurement of Fluorocarbons in Water

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been identified as a serious health contaminant in water at levels between 12 and 516 parts per trillion by the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. In 2016, the EPA set a lifetime health advisory of 70 parts per trillion for two PFASs, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). These compounds come from a variety of sources including non-stick cookware and cleaning products, aqueous film forming foams for firefighting, and numerous other manufacturing and specialty applications. Recently, numerous government agencies including the Air Force, Navy, Army, and local municipalities have been tasked with sampling hundreds of locations for these contaminants. However, the current EPA Test Method 537 is a laborious and expensive process that requires samples be shipped out and measured in a lab. In order to better protect our nation’s water supplies, Mainstream will develop a field-deployable analyzer of fluorocarbons (FAF) in water. The system will detect down to the EPA’s recommended limits and allow for rapid on-site detection, changing the way PFAS data is collected and allowing acquisition of higher resolution data.