Particle-Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE) spectroscopy has been used to screen consumer products and environmental samples for total fluorine, as a surrogate for PFAS. Since there are few natural sources of inorganic fluorine in most consumer products and ground water/biota, a total fluorine measurement that is spectroscopic provides rapid identification of samples that have PFAS. PIGE has been used successfully to screen food-packaging and textiles in commerce, as well as ground water, biota and soil samples at aqueous film-forming foam impacted sites. However, solid-phase extraction is required to pre-concentrate PFAS in aqueous samples to attain concentrations that can be measured by PIGE. We report here on the development of a novel method used to pre-concentrate heavy metals in aqueous solutions that can be adapted to work on PFAS found in drinking water samples. A two-liter soda container can be fit with a low-cost “cap”  with a commercially-available carbon felt insert that sensitively extracts PFAS from drinking water by gravity filtration. The carbon filter can be returned for PIGE analysis which yields quantitative total fluorine measurements that are linear with concentration and sensitive down to the EPA health advisory limits of 70 ppt. In addition, the screening is non-destructive and if positive for fluorine, the same sample can be extracted for full LC-MS/MS identification of specific PFAS analytes. Ideal for groundwater and well water supplies, fluoridated municipal water supplies can also be screened with an additional fluoride removal rinse step. This technology has significant applications to both drinking water screening efforts for PFAS as well as for rapid testing of remediation technology for the sequestration or destruction of PFAS contaminants.

Development of a rapid PFAS screening tool for drinking water

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.