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 …