Development of In-Situ Mass Spectrometric Method for Detecting Short-Lived PFAS Degradation Intermediates

With the support of the Chemical Measurement and Imaging Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Hao Chen of the New Jersey Institute of Technology focuses on the development of a new mass spectrometric approach for detecting elusive intermediates involved in the degradation of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). PFASs, widely regarded as "forever chemicals", are extremely stable due to their high carbon-fluorine (C-F) bond energies. From a human health perspective, PFAS exposure has been linked to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress, DNA damage, and an elevated risk of chronic conditions such as cancer and inflammatory disorders. The widespread presence and harmful effects of PFASs in the environment have made their degradation a critical research focus. However, PFAS degradation mechanisms are not fully understood, largely due to lack of information about their elusive degradation intermediates. The project aims to tackle this very challenging problem. Its success would greatly benefit the public by enabling researchers to understand PFAS degradation chemistry and to discover new and effective ways for PFAS removal. This project will engage undergraduates in the research and reach out to even younger students to acquaint them with this important interdisciplinary science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) area. The difficulty in detecting and characterizing the transient PFAS degradation intermediates is due to their short lifetimes and low abundances. This research project will develop a novel in-situ high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) approach to capture and detect short-lived degradation intermediates generated from either thermal or electrochemical degradation of PFAS. This project is expected to have a high impact in the fields of both analytical chemistry and environmental science. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.