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Using Broadband Spectroscopy to Detect PFAS in Drinking Water and Real-World Samples

Oct 16, 2024
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About This Webinar
As the years go by and the world understands more clearly the negative impact of the various chemicals and products that sustain modern standards of living, the impact on our drinking water has received particular focus in recent months. This year saw the first national drinking water standard implemented by the EPA, specifically around per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly abbreviated as PFAS. The limit, set at the part-per-trillion level, will help prevent cancers and other conditions but will also require tighter detection methods deployed at the municipal level.

Guenther presents the capability of detecting one of the prominent indicators, perfluorooctanoic acid, using UV-VIS-IR and Raman broadband spectroscopy approaches. This compound is investigated in both drinking water and biological samples, and then compared to common PFAS-containing consumer products from Scotchgard to microwavable popcorn bags. By highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of these broadband techniques compared to more expensive and time-consuming chromatographic approaches, this study suggests the best methods to pursue PFAS detection depending on the type of sample in question.

*** This presentation premiered during the 2024 BioPhotonics Conference. For more information on Photonics Media conferences and summits, visit events.photonics.com

About the presenter

Derek GuentherDerek Guenther has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, with a minor in inorganic chemistry, from the University of South Florida (USF). His work at the USF Institute for Environmental Studies focused on novel silica-based algaecides targeting invasive species. Guenther’s strengths and passions lie in new chemical sensor development and spectral numerical processing. He has spent 15 years at Ocean Insight developing and supporting optical oxygen, pH, and SERS-based sensor products. Today, he works with the strategic marketing and lab services teams helping customers achieve their goals.
spectroscopyBiophotonicsUV-VIS-IRchemical detection
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