CAS: Portable Absorbable Organic Fluorine Analysis for Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substance Guided Sampling

University Of Texas At Arlington, Arlington TX

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Chemical Measurement and Imaging (CMI) Program in the Division of Chemistry, Charles P. Shelor and his students from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) intend to build a portable instrument for measuring poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the field. PFAS are a class man-made chemicals utilized in fire-fighting foams and cleaning products. PFAS have often been referred to as “forever” chemicals due to their environmental stability. As such, they accumulate in the environment and pose a challenge for generations to come. In addition, some types of PFAS may pose significant health risks. Typically, PFAS are measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), a highly sophisticated and expensive instrument. Due to the high cost of capital equipment and the cost per analysis, the extent of contamination of rural and less affluent communities is often unknown. Further, heavily affected areas such as industrial centers, landfills, etc. disproportionately affect marginalized communities. This project aims to develop an inexpensive instrument capable of reliably measuring total organic fluorine that would serve as a scouting surrogate for PFAS, such that detailed analyses could an be carried by the latter when warranted. The size and weight of the envisioned instrument makes it well suited for tracking contamination plumes in the field enabling real time decisions and source attribution. By rapidly identifying the extent of the problem, remediation measures towards protecting public health would be facilitated. The instrument being developed first selectively concentrates PFAS from water on a filter. The project intends to develop and functionalize the filter media. The PFAS on the filter will be mineralized using a focused plasma produced by discharge. The plasma generates energetic species to break down PFAS compounds. The digest solution then passes through miniature solid phase extraction cartridge which has high affinity for fluoride. Separation is then performed on either a miniaturized packed capillary ion chromatograph or open tubular ion chromatograph (OTIC). While the packed capillary system uses commercially available components, the OTIC system is expected to offer an approximately 100-fold improvement in sensitivity. Additionally, the OTIC is more portable due to the lower weight and reduced power requirements. If successful, development and deployment of this instrument is expected to make a significant impact on data acquisition for PFAS, particularly in isolated or in rural areas around the country. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.