Upgrading high-resolution mass spectrometry system for advancing research in emerging environmental pollutants

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We are requesting two pieces of peripheral instruments to upgrade a high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) system. The requested PFAS-free ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) will establish the UHPLC-HRMS configuration, while the requested Direct Analysis in Real-Time (DART) ion source with gradient heating functionality will create the DART-HRMS configuration. The upgraded HRMS system will support multiple research programs and projects which investigate: (i) the environmental fate, transport, effect, and remediation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and (ii) the environmental fate of microplastics in aquatic and urban environments. The instruments will solve the long-standing issues of high PFAS background, the significant backlog of sample analysis, and the lack of opportunity for HQP training. The complementary use of the two configurations will enable us to efficiently deal with various sample types and extract rich chemical information that otherwise is not possible. The first configuration will enable the sensitive, reliable and comprehensive characterization of PFAS-contaminated samples for tracking fluorine in novel biochemical reactions that break C-F bonds, devising remediation strategies to protect drinking water supplies and identifying PFAS in food and consumer products. The second configuration will enable quick screening of samples with little pre-treatment and the development of new characterization methods for bulk monitoring of PFAS and plastic pollution with high sensitivity and accuracy. The instruments requested will be used in 14 current interdisciplinary projects (> $ 6 million) of global reach, including 5 NSERC Discovery Grants. At least 14 collaborating organizations from the public and private sectors in Canada, the US and UK will also benefit from the instruments. The equipment will be used to immediately train 36 HQP in the next 3 years at several campuses of diverse student populations across three provinces. The state-of-the-art upgraded system will substantially enhance HQP training and quality of research to sustain the competitiveness of the future Canadian workforce in the fields of environmental and chemical engineering, applied microbiology, and nanomaterials.