PFAS have been detected on contaminated agricultural soils loaded with compost and fibers from paper industry. Details on PFAS products and their environmental fate are largely unknown. Therefore, we are applying nontarget screening approaches with LC-high-resolution mass spectrometry and Kendrick mass analysis to screen environmental samples for PFAS products and transformation products. We apply electrochemical oxidation and simulated sunlight experiments to characterize PFAS contamination and to investigate the fate of PFAS in the field.
PFAWAS: Input, preconcentration and mobilization of PFAS in urban water infrastructures (Baden-Württemberg Stiftung, 2023 - 2026)
PFClean: Innovative modular system for the sustainable reduction of PFAS contaminants in soil and groundwater (LURCH Collaborative Project, BMBF, 2023 - 2026); Collaboration partners: DVGW-Technologiezentrum Wasser (TZW), Karlsruhe; Institut für Wasser- und Umweltsystemmodellierung, Universität Stuttgart; Arcadis GmbH, Karlsruhe; Geiger Entsorgung GmbH, Waltenhofen; Industrie Engineering GmbH, Reutlingn; Sax + Klee GmbH Bauunternehmung, Mannheim
PFAS in consumer products: Characterization of PFAS and their TP formation potential by LC-HRMS and oxidation methods (DBU, 2021-2023)
FluorTECH: Fluorinated compounds from technical products in paper production – Evaluation of transformation, transport and formation potential by innovative analytical methods (BWplus, PTKA 2019-2021)
EOFplus: Optimization of EOF analysis taking various classes of poly and perfluorinated compounds into consideration – Non target screening and electrochemical oxidation (BWplus, PTKA 2019-2021); Collaboration partners: Technologiezentrum Wasser (TZW), Karlsruhe; Fraunhofer-Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung (IVV), Freising; Landwirtschaftliches Technologiezentrum Augustenberg (LTZ), Karlsruhe; Helmholtz Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ), Leipzig