FY 2019 STATEMENT OF NEED

Environmental Restoration (ER) Program Area 

The objective of this Statement of Need (SON) was to develop improved analytical and environmental sampling techniques for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Specifically, the goal was to address the following research needs:

• Development of sampling techniques to evaluate soil and water columns, including consideration of potential biases associated with sampling supplies and equipment, and decontamination procedures for use at both minimally and highly contaminated sites.
• Evaluation of potential media to be used for passive samplers and their performance.
• Assessment of subsampling techniques to determine the process by which the subsample provides results that are most representative of the entire sample collected.
• Development of procedures to assess the total organofluorine in environmental waters, soil, and sediment.
• Development of rapid field screening procedures for PFAS.
• Development of extraction techniques to produce the most accurate and precise quantitation.
• Evaluation of techniques to eliminate matrix interference.
• Evaluation of techniques to achieve the lowest limit of quantitation possible when analyzing aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) formulations and samples containing high concentrations of PFAS while achieving the required precision and accuracy.
• Evaluation of techniques that could be used to ensure precision and accuracy of total PFAS analytical procedures.

The projects listed below were selected to address the objectives of this SON. Additional information on individual projects can be found by clicking the project title.

• Bench-Scale Assessment of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Complex Resistivity (CR) Screening Technologies for Rapid Assessment of PFAS in Soils and Sediments
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Lee Slater, Rutgers University Newark
• Developing PIGE into a Rapid Field-Screening Test for PFAS
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Graham Peaslee, University of Notre Dame
• Development and Validation of Analytical Methods for Comprehensive Profiling of PFAS in Firefighting Foam Impacted Environmental Matrices
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Jinxia Liu, McGill University
• Assessing and Mitigating Bias in PFAS Levels during Ground and Surface Water Sampling
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. Jennifer Field, Oregon State University
• Rapid Site Profiling of Organofluorine: Quantification of PFAS by Combustion Gas Analysis
  • Lead Investigator: Dr. David Hanigan, University of Nevada, Reno

Research should lead to better sampling and analysis of PFAS at Department of Defense (DoD) sites. This will in turn lead to improved management of PFAS sites by facilitating more accurate and precise assessments of the extent of PFAS contamination.