SBIR Phase I: In situ PFC Monitoring Sensors

这一小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目解决了监测废水中全氟辛酸（PFOA）和全氟辛烷磺酸（PFOS）的分析需求。全氟化学品具有生物累积性、极强的持久性和毒性;人们正在努力对全氟辛酸和全氟辛烷磺酸污染地区进行补救。考虑到对环境和公众健康的影响，对PFOA和PFOS进行监测非常重要。虽然已经建立了LC/MS/MS方法来测量它们的低水平，但这种设备价格昂贵，而且通常不能现场携带。本研究旨在开发一种可在现场和实验室部署的离子选择性电极，以低成本、低检测限的方式对全氟辛酸和全氟辛烷磺酸进行选择性和快速测量。该项目将利用最近从明尼苏达大学获得许可的高选择性和抗污染的氟膜。 这项研究的更广泛的影响是显着的，因为所提出的传感器将提供一个快速，简单，样品预处理免费，选择性和经济的检测方法，环境监测，合规性和补救工作，这是目前阻碍了昂贵和耗时的液体提取加上LC/MS。其他更广泛的影响包括扩大应用的传感器测量血液中的污染物，土壤和食品。最重要的是，这些努力对于指导和监测补救工作以及开展实地研究具有重要意义和指导意义。我们认为这一努力是更广泛努力的一个组成部分，以了解和减少持久性物质在环境中广泛传播的来源和途径。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the analysis needs for monitoring perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in waste water. Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are bio-accumulative, extremely persistent and toxic; and there is a huge effort surrounding remediation of PFOA and PFOS contaminated areas. Considering the impacts on environment and public health, it is important to monitor PFOA and PFOS. Although there are established LC/MS/MS methods to measure them at low levels, this equipment is expensive and not generally field portable. This research aims at the development of a field and lab deployable ion-selective electrode that permits selective and fast measurement of PFOA and PFOS with a low detection limit at low cost. The project will take advantage of the highly selective and fouling-resistant fluorous membranes recently licensed from the University of Minnesota. The broader impacts of this research are significant as the proposed sensor will provide a fast, easy, sample pretreatment free, selective and economical detection method for environmental monitoring, compliance and remediation efforts, which are currently hampered by costly and time consuming liquid extractions coupled with LC/MS. Additional broader impacts include expanded application of the sensor to measure the contaminant in blood, soil and food. Most importantly, these efforts are important and instructive to direct and monitor remediation and enable in-field research. We view this effort as an integral part of a wider effort to understand and reduce sources and pathways by which the persistent substance has become widespread in the environment.