Beyond SPE: Automated Nanoparticle Workflow with Photo-Elution for High-Throughput, Scalable PFAS Monitoring

About This Grant

SUMMARY Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic chemicals used in consumer products, industry, and firefighting foams. Their persistence and mobility have caused widespread contamination of drinking water, wastewater, soil, sediments, and food webs. Chronic exposure has been linked to cancer, immune suppression, and developmental harm. New U.S. EPA regulations, including maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) and Method 1633, are driving unprecedented demand for PFAS analysis. However, current laboratory methods rely on solid-phase extraction (SPE), a slow and labor-intensive procedure that creates severe analytical bottlenecks. As a result, sample to result times can exceed 6–12 weeks, at costs above $500 per sample, limiting organizations’ ability to monitor and respond to contamination in real time. To address these challenges, Biota, Inc. is developing a fully automated PFAS sample preparation solution. The platform leverages advanced nanoparticle chemistry paired with a high-throughput magnetic handling system to streamline PFAS isolation and concentration. This technology eliminates key bottlenecks in current workflows, reduces solvent use, and minimizes analyst time. The result is a method compatible with LC- MS/MS that can process 90 samples in under one hour with less than 10 minutes of operator involvement. By dramatically reducing time, cost, and variability, this solution will make high-quality PFAS testing accessible to more laboratories and communities. In turn, it will enable faster decision-making by utilities, regulators, and remediation professionals who depend on timely data to protect public health. This Phase I project will establish feasibility of the platform in water and wastewater, demonstrating compatibility with regulatory performance criteria. In Phase II, the system will be validated more broadly across the full panel of analytes and environmental sample types required under Method 1633, paving the way for commercialization and adoption in testing laboratories nationwide. Successful development of this platform will transform PFAS monitoring from a weeks-long process into a near real-time capability, empowering stakeholders to address contamination more rapidly, affordably, and effectively.