Method for detecting fluorinated chemicals in liquid

A method of detecting the presence of perfluorinated or polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS(s)) comprising the steps of:

• obtaining an aqueous sample of material for analysis;
• performing a solid phase extraction on the aqueous sample using a weak anion exchange cartridge to capture any present PFASs in the aqueous sample;
• forming a target from the weak anion exchange cartridge;
• placing the target in a target end station of a particle accelerator, wherein the target end station and target are ex vacuo and an ion source, accelerator and beamline structure of the particle accelerator are in vacuo;
• creating a focused beam of charged particles with the particle accelerator;
• directing the focused beam of charged particles to exit the beamline structure through a thin film dividing the ex vacuo target from the in vacuo beamline structure, and wherein the focused beam of charged particles impacts the target to produce gamma rays of different energies;
• measuring the wavelength and quantity of gamma rays created by the impact of the focused beam of charged particles against the target;
• and
• analyzing the measured gamma rays to determine if peaks in the measured gamma rays are present at 110 keV and 197 keV to determine if fluorine in PSAS(s) is present.