Project description
Cost-effective tech for PFAS permanent monitoring in drinking water
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent pollutants found in drinking water and people’s blood, posing health risks. Current detection methods are costly and inefficient, underscoring the need for more effective strategies. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the PFAScan project aims to develop a cost-effective technology for continuous monitoring of PFAS in drinking water, improving environmental safety. Using graphene field effect transistors (GFETs) functionalised with arene diazonium salts containing perfluoroalkyl and amine groups, this technology is designed to enhance detection selectivity and sensitivity through fluorophilic and electrostatic interactions. The process will help ensure environmental stability and allow continuous monitoring via integrated microfluidic channels for tap and well water.
Objective
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are among the most persistent and hazardous pollutants known, Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are among the most persistent and hazardous pollutants known, and they represent a long-term threat to public health and ecosystems. Due to their widespread use and resistance to degradation, PFAS are routinely detected in drinking water. Consequently, biomonitoring studies across multiple continents have consistently found measurable levels of PFAS in the blood of the general population. Given that universal PFAS exposure primarily occurs through drinking water and considering the significant limitations of current validated detection methods such as analysis time (hours), cost (350€ per sample), and scalability (non-portable), there is an urgent need for novel and more efficient detection strategies. PFAScan seeks to overcome the limitations of the current validated detection methods through the development of a novel cost-effective technology for continuous monitoring of PFAS in drinking water to transform environmental monitoring and safety in water.
Graphene Field Effect Transistors (GFETs) will be functionalised through electrochemical approach using arene diazonium salts containing perfluoroalkyl and amine groups. This will create fluorous matrices enabling the detection of PFAS with enhanced selectivity (through fluorophilic interactions) and sensitivity (through electrostatic interactions). This covalent functionalisation will create environmental stability which combined with the integration of microfluidic channels will allow for the continuous monitoring of water systems (tap and well water). The performance of the device will be study for six highly toxic PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, PFBA, PHFxS and GenX). PFAScan could be used for early detection and real-time alerts to take immediate actions, ensuring no contaminated-water source goes overlooked due to the lack of portability of the current detection methods.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences public health
- engineering and technology environmental engineering water treatment processes drinking water treatment processes
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry hydrocarbons
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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15001 La Coruna
Spain
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