New Ohio Sea Grant research develops technology to help improve PFAS detection in the environment

New research funded by Ohio Sea Grant is helping to improve how “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are measured in the environment.
 
A team of researchers led by Dr. Emanuela Gionfriddo, associate professor of chemistry at The University of Toledo, recently developed techniques that can accurately measure PFAS on-site in surface water and drinking water. Her team created a miniaturized probe that can quickly detect PFAS at very low concentrations and even applied the methods to measure pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
 
“You can basically bring the lab on-site without having to bring samples back to the lab,” Gionfriddo said. “We tested our approach with drinking water and other environmental waters, and it worked beautifully.”
 
Now, the team is taking the research a step further: learning how to detect forever chemicals in fish tissue “in vivo” — while the fish is still alive.
 
To avoid cross-contamination risks and ensure the chemicals are measured precisely, Gionfriddo’s team developed a unique “microextraction” process. The miniature probes have a metal fiber made of thin, elastic alloy that is 200 micrometers — a millionth of a meter — thick. That alloy is coated with polymers that can selectively extract PFAS, leaving behind any material that could introduce bias.
 
PFAS can bioaccumulate in fish, endangering wildlife as well as human health through fish consumption. Through the project, researchers are studying how to isolate chemicals in fish using materials that are biocompatible — not harmful to living tissue — in their sampling probes.
 
The technology developed so far offers several advantages. The miniature probes are portable and can rapidly detect concerning chemicals at low concentrations. Subsequent analysis of collected PFAS can occur on-site, rather than back at the lab.
 
Moving forward, accurate PFAS measurements will help scientists understand how humans are exposed to the chemicals and improve manufacturing processes to avoid future contamination. These new techniques can cut down on laboratory time and equipment waste, all while giving results that are often superior to existing methods, Gionfriddo said.
 
“This type of technique can be useful for not only understanding PFAS and other environmental pollutants but also for the pharmaceutical industry and the food industry,” Gionfriddo said. “So we hope people will see the potential through our research and create as many applications as possible.”
 
Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nation-wide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.