Written by Jordan Partington, Australian Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants, The University of Melbourne
In 2023 I was honoured to be awarded the Dr Sarah Richards Award. ALGA’s ongoing interest in my research into non-target analysis (NTA) workflows to identify novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been a great support throughout my PhD journey to date. As of my last update, I had been working on two studies. The first was an evaluation of blood microsampling devices for their use in PFAS sampling at home. The second was an evaluation and comparison of open source NTA software tools collaboratively with a working group originating from the US EPA named Best Practices for Non-Targeted Analysis (BP4NTA).
PFAS blood microsampling update
Our evaluation of multiple microsampling devices is now complete. I have developed a workflow for the analysis of 45 PFAS in blood using Volumetric Absorptive Microsampling (Neoteryx Mitra®). This workflow has been validated for self-sampling at home and is suitable for general post. We tested the stability of blood microsamples kept at room temperature for several weeks, and it was observed that it had a minimal impact on the retained blood PFAS. This research has recently been accepted for publication in Analytica Chimica Acta and is currently available for open access as a pre-proof (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2025.344324).
Opensource NTA tool evaluation update
The evaluation of NTA tools for the analysis of PFAS is ongoing. This is a rapidly changing space, and unfortunately, some of my key collaborators have faced changing work environments with structural changes being made throughout different US government divisions. However, the work we have done has allowed me to shape my own PFAS NTA workflows and I am currently evaluating them on blood microsamples, biological tissues, and environmental matrices. The workflows I am developing allow for the identification of novel and emerging PFAS that have been introduced as substitutes to legacy PFAS such as PFOS and PFOA. In addition, these NTA workflows also allow for the identification of PFAS precursors and transformation products. Through the identification and measurement of these additional PFAS, we will be one step closer to truly comprehensive PFAS risk assessments.
I have much more research to come! We are currently conceptualizing the research projects I will be undertaking the second half of this year. These projects will employ the NTA workflows I have developed and combine them with other forms of analysis for comprehensive PFAS measurements. Once these projects have taken shape, I will be eager to share more with the broader ALGA community.
Jordan Partington
Australian Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants – The University of Melbourne