Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Development of Innovative Broad-Spectrum Analysis Methods for PFAS
EPA Contract Number: 68HE0D18C0029Title: Development of Innovative Broad-Spectrum Analysis Methods for PFAS
Investigators: Jackson, Randy E
Small Business: Seacoast Science, Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: October 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2018) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Land Revitalization
Description:
Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are used in food packaging, as coatings for cloth (e.g. Scotchgard), fire-fighting foams, electronics, and industrial and automotive components. Being perfluorinated species, they are engineered to breakdown slowly (half-life over 92 years in water), and thus persist for very long times. Their high water-solubility makes them especially dangerous, and much like perchloro- and trichloro-ethylene, i.e. PCE and TCE, they can enter and be transported by groundwater into the drinking water supply. According to the EPA, there are 156,000 public drinking water systems in the U.S. supplying most of the population's water, 82% of which serve the country. It is estimated that 65 million Americans may be at risk from PFAS in their drinking water, based on detection in 94 public water systems. In fact, on Feb. 8, 2018, the State of Ohio sued DuPont for releasing PFOA into the Ohio River.
The overall project objectives in this Phase I SBIR were: 1) the development of an esterification-based analysis method for PFAS from water, 2) the development of an active microdiffusion analysis method for PFAS from water, and 3) the selection of the best PFAS analysis method from water in preparation for Phase II submission. Phase II work will consist of the 1) development of a soil extraction method, 2) optimization of mineralization of PFAS to HF and the reported microdiffusion method, and 3) incorporation of the PFAS analysis method into the platform technology developed for the Cyanalyzer.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
The initial results obtained for the esterification-based analysis method for PFAS in water were promising. Reaction times >12 hrs produced fluorescent signals that appeared to increase with increasing concentration, however high variability between replicate samples, and only slight increases in the average fluorescent signal between increasing calibration and QC standards indicated that there is no significant difference between PFAS containing samples and blank water samples. The high variability observed for the calibration and QC standards indicated that detection and quantification of PFAS in a 1 mL sample volume unlikely.
For the microdiffusion analysis method, 2 fluorometric reagents (OBPSMC and ADNPH) were identified due to their selectivity to fluoride. Because these two fluorometric reagents are not commercially available, synthesis of each fluorometric reagent was performed. OBPSMC prepared in ethanol showed increased selectivity for F- compared to methanol. Using a 3.6 mM of OBPSMC, the LOD of F- was 300 pM, which was far below the health advisory concentration PFAS (i.e., 700-845 pM based on 5x amplification). The mineralization complex BOHP was synthesized and the mineralization of PFAS to F- was achieved using BOHP and a photocatalytic reaction conducted using a 6 W UV lamp was successful. Conversion of PFOA to F- was determined by direct analysis and microdiffusion technique.
Conclusions:
Overall, the microdiffusion based analysis method for PFAS from water samples outperformed the esterification-based analysis method and the successful analysis of PFOA from water was performed. Although incorporation into the cartridge and optimization of the analysis method are necessary, the microdiffusion method developed is amenable to the platform technology developed for the Cyanalyzer. Additionally, the use of the cartridge system and mineralization allow for the removal of free F- in water, soil, or sediment prior to mineralization to ensure that the F- analyzed comes from PFAS. These tasks will be focused on as part of Phase II work.
Commercialization:
The U.S. invests about $30 billion annually in water supply sanitation. Therefore, the most important markets for the proposed PFA analysis system are (1) municipal water facilities and (2) the environmental remediation, site surveyors, and others involved with detecting and identifying contaminants in soils and groundwater. A Commercialization Assessment Report prepared from Foresight, indicates that currently there are no fieldable technologies for the analysis of PFAS, municipal water supply departments are slow adopters of new technology, and smaller cities/counties tend to use private labs. Additionally, large private companies like 3M generally hire environmental engineering consulting firms rather than source and buy technology and the US military has substantial funding for investigation, remediation, research into new detection and clean-up technologies, and also hire environmental engineering firms. Due to these market characteristics, partnership with a large environmental engineering firm contracted to investigate or remediate sites exposed to PFAS or a potential a startup that specializes in the field analysis of environmental samples with laboratory testing capabilities when further confirmatory testing is necessary are viable options for commercialization of the proposed PFAS Analyzer.
SBIR Phase II:
Development of Innovative Broad-Spectrum Analysis Methods for PFAS | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.