Project ISF-DUIRI: Assessing PFAS Contamination Sources in Blood Sample Collection Program DUIRI - Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship Term Fall 2025 Status Accepted Research Area Global Sustainability Description Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have become a mounting concern due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and toxicity to both humans and ecosystems. PFAS have been detected in various media, including human blood, with US citizens showing measurable levels of PFAS and detection rates of PFOA and PFOS in blood. While the conventional and conservative definition of 'PFAS' is limited to compounds containing two or more consecutively connected fluorinated carbons in their chemical structure, there is ongoing debate about including compounds with single fluorinated carbons. This broader definition would encompass a vast number of pharmaceuticals that do not fall within the traditional PFAS classification. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is one such compound, widely used in chemistry and biology as an LC analysis additive and in chemical/peptide synthesis. Recent studies have detected TFA in human blood, raising concerns about ultrashort-chain PFAS and their potential adverse health impacts. This study serves as an add-on investigation to screen for background PFAS contamination in blood collection tubes and assess possible contamination pathways that could affect collected samples. Supervisor Youn Jeong Choi Mentor Linda S Lee Type of work required The collected tubes will be analyzed to evaluate PFAS levels using LC-MS and LC-QTOF methods for comprehensive screening. Also, test will be conducted to evaluate residual PFAS in the tube impacting the background of the sample. Websites Qualifications Pre-training is required to join this project. Credit Hours 0 Weekly Hours 10 (estimated)