Development of Novel Functionalized Polymeric Thin Films for Equilibrium Passive Sampling of PFAS in Surface and Groundwater

Abstract

The overarching goal of this 1-year SERDP SEED project was to develop and test a range of functionalized polymeric membranes for use in equilibrium passive sampling of PFAS compounds. The following objectives were addressed in this project: 1) develop novel polymeric thin films for equilibrium passive sampling that will be either solid or liquid sorbents embedded in a thin polymer sheet; 2) perform equilibrium partitioning studies with PFAS compounds covering a range of properties and interpret isotherm data based on sorption models; 3) test equilibrium reversibility for the top two choices of polymers and assess the use of performance reference compounds to quantify the extent of equilibrium; 4) evaluate the mechanism of the sorption process. We demonstrate that several composite polymers can be synthesized that remain stable in the water environment and provide adequate sorption of PFAS from aqueous solution at equilibrium. Initial results presented in this report show great promise for pursuing the concept of equilibrium passive sampling for PFAS in water.