A team led by researchers at Boise State University and Idaho-based Pearlhill Technologies, LLC, has developed a portable PFAS detector that can identify toxic forever chemicals in water samples within minutes.
The device was created by electrical engineering professor Kris Campbell and Pearlhill Technologies president Bamidele Omotowa with support from a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Technology Transfer grant.
The new system, known as ENVIR-OGT, is designed to detect PFAS compounds at concentrations as low as one part per trillion, matching current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking water standards.
Unlike conventional laboratory testing, which can cost hundreds of dollars and take weeks to complete, the handheld device delivers near real-time results directly at the testing site.
The breakthrough could significantly change how governments, utilities and manufacturers monitor water contamination.
By lowering the cost and complexity of testing, the PFAS detector may help communities identify PFAS pollution faster and respond before contamination spreads through public water systems.
The growing need for PFAS detection technology
PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are synthetic chemicals used in products ranging from nonstick cookware and waterproof clothing to food packaging and industrial manufacturing.
Often referred to as forever chemicals, they do not break down easily in the environment and can accumulate in soil, water, and the human body over time.
Health researchers have linked several PFAS compounds to serious medical conditions, including cancers, fertility problems, developmental delays in children and weakened immune systems.
The growing concern around exposure has pushed regulators worldwide to tighten monitoring requirements for drinking water and industrial waste.
Despite the urgency, testing remains difficult and expensive. Current EPA-approved methods rely on sophisticated laboratory instruments such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry systems.
A single test can cost around $300 and may require weeks before results are returned.
How the new PFAS detector works
The ENVIR-OGT system takes a different approach. The portable PFAS detector uses specially engineered transistors combined with machine learning algorithms to identify chemical signatures in water samples.
Researchers say the device can detect two of the most heavily regulated PFAS compounds, PFOS and PFOA, at trace levels that satisfy current federal safety thresholds.
The technology also demonstrated a 97% accuracy rate in identifying the ultra-short-chain PFAS chemical PFPrA.
Because the device can be used directly at rivers, streams, wastewater sites or industrial facilities, researchers believe it could dramatically expand testing access.
Utilities, environmental agencies and manufacturers could potentially conduct regular on-site monitoring without sending samples to specialised laboratories.
An accidental discovery sparked the innovation
The origins of the PFAS detector began unexpectedly inside Campbell’s research lab.
Undergraduate engineering students working with transistor technology noticed unusual fluctuations during experiments. Researchers later realised the devices were reacting to chemicals in human breath.
That observation led the team to investigate whether the same transistor technology could detect hazardous substances in water.
Boise State graduate student Jacob Jackson became the first researcher to integrate machine learning into the detection process, helping the system distinguish between specific chemical compounds.
Over several years, the research group refined the technology at Boise State’s Idaho Microfabrication Lab, eventually transforming an early-stage experiment into a commercially viable environmental monitoring platform.
NIH funding supports commercial development
The project received support through an NIH Business Technology Transfer award administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Boise State University also received a $101,000 research subaward tied to the commercialisation effort.
The university’s Office of Technology Transfer assisted the researchers with patent protection and industry partnerships, helping move the technology beyond the laboratory stage.
Idaho’s semiconductor expansion raises stakes
The timing of the PFAS detector’s development is especially significant for Idaho’s growing semiconductor sector.
Semiconductor manufacturing is considered one of the major industrial sources of PFAS contamination because the chemicals are widely used during chip production processes.
In 2026, Boise State researchers plan to begin testing the device in semiconductor wastewater systems using funding from the UPWARDS initiative.
The goal is to help industries and local governments develop more effective contamination monitoring and mitigation strategies.
Additional research involving Boise State chemistry and environmental science teams is also underway to better understand how the detector performs under complex real-world water conditions.
As PFAS regulation tightens across the United States, affordable field-testing technologies are becoming increasingly important.
The Boise State-developed PFAS detector could offer a faster, cheaper and more accessible way to monitor one of the world’s most persistent environmental threats.