PFAS, a family of highly fluorinated substances, represent a danger for humans and the environment. Particularly problematic members of this family, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) appear to cause organ damage and cancer, as well as disrupting the endocrine system.
Researchers have now introduced a new method for an economical, easy-to-use fluorescence sensor for sensitive on-site testing for PFAS in water samples. In the journal, researchers have now introduced a new method for an economical, easy-to-use fluorescence sensor for sensitive on-site testing for PFAS in water samples.
Limits of 100 ng/l for individual specific PFAS substances and 500 ng/l for the total of all PFAS were set for drinking water in the EU. In Germany, water providers must begin testing drinking water for PFAS in 2026. The US Environmental Protection Agency has set stricter limits: for the most widespread PFAS , the upper limit is set at 4nm/l for each substance.
The test is based on a polymer -- in the form of a thin film or nanoparticles -- with fluorinated sidechains that have fluorinated dye molecules embedded in them. The special polymer backbone absorbs violet light and transfers the light energy to the dye by an electron exchange . The dye then fluoresces red. If PFAS are present in the sample, they enter the polymer and displace the dye molecules by a fraction of a nanometer.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances have become ubiquitous throughout the environment, and increasing evidence has demonstrated their deleterious effects. A group of smaller, fluorinated ...
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