Objective:

To explore advancements in portable sensing technologies for the detection of PFAS compounds, emphasizing the urgent need to address current detection challenges and their potential to complement traditional laboratory methods.

Key Findings:

• Current lab-based PFAS detection methods are expensive, slow, and limited in capacity, posing challenges for regulatory compliance.
• Portable sensors are emerging as a viable alternative, with advancements in sensitivity and selectivity.
• Electrochemical methods show greater sensitivity compared to optical methods and are closer to field-deployability, making them a promising option for real-time monitoring.

Interpretation:

The development of reliable, low-cost, field-deployable sensors could significantly enhance PFAS monitoring capabilities, making it feasible for large-scale environmental assessments and aiding regulatory compliance.

Limitations:

• Many new sensors are still in the proof-of-concept stage and lack extensive real-world testing, which limits their immediate applicability.
• Current portable sensors may not yet match the accuracy of LC-MS/MS methods, but ongoing research aims to address these gaps.

Conclusion:

A tiered approach using screening-type sensors to flag samples for confirmatory analysis could be the most effective strategy for PFAS detection, with recommendations for future research and implementation.