974262 - Efficient, Mobile, Non-Absorbent, Non-Emissive Field Testing for PFAS (Student Poster 6)

The use of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in manufactured goods, namely firefighting foams known as aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF), comes with many negative environmental and health effects. Current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits only 70 parts per trillion (PPT) of PFAS in ground and surface water. Testing methods for this extremely low concentration level can take a significant amount of time from 5 to 8 weeks in a specialized lab. The purpose of this project is to field test a new detection and modeling system for the presence of PFAS in ground and surface water. The research incorporates the work of Dr. King and 2W ITE CCH LLC, inventors of an inexpensive polymer sensor ship that can detect the presence of PFAS down to 7 parts per trillion. The UV spectrometry detection method has been shown to be very effective in a laboratory setting, with concentration level readouts being available within minutes of sample collection. A prototype to test for PFAS has been designed based on the functionality of the chip and customer needs from Peterson Air Force Base where a recent spill of PFAS occurred. The prototype was built, then field-tested at specified sites on Peterson AFB in Colorado that had previously been documented as sites containing PFAS. Testing also was conducted when there were notable amounts of surface water available to test from rain and snow events. Another part of the research was modeling of PFAS in surface water. The surfactant behavior of PFAS is being linked to its persistence in the environment and adverse health effects in humans. So, the ever-growing commonality of PFAS means that there is a need to understand its persistence in the environment at rising levels and in turn, in humans. Thus, this research uses COMSOL Multiphysics to model the persistence and transport of PFAS in surface water. This integrated research effort meets a growing demand for a sampling device capable of efficient, mobile, non-absorbent, and non-emissive testing.