Developing passive sampling methodologies for equilibrium sampling of PFAS compounds in surface water and groundwater

Gregory Foster, emeritus professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry; senior fellow, Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center (PEREC), is developing methodologies for sampling per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. Foster is assessing the performance of a variety of synthesized embedded polymer sorbents as thin-film equilibrium samplers in laboratory binding experiments and field deployments. The research will lead to a new generation of passive samplers to measure low levels of PFAS contaminants for improved monitoring of water resources. Foster receives $100,000 per year from the State of Maryland (University of Maryland Baltimore County) on a subaward from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP – DoD/EPA) for this project. Funding began in October 2023 and will end in October 2026.