
The panel concludes by envisioning the future of PFAS research and analysis.

Dr. Rainer Lohmann is a Professor at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography in Narragansett, RI. He obtained a degree in Chemical Engineering (EHICS, Strasburg, France) and a Doctorate in Environmental Science (Lancaster University, UK). His research focuses on the detection, fate and transport of anthropogenic pollutants in the environment, often relying on passive samplers in the process. Rainer is Director of the NIEHS-funded URI Superfund Research Program Center on the Sources, Transport, Exposure and Effects of PFAS (STEEP), and PI on several SERDP projects focused on assessing detection tools and bioaccumulation processes of PFAS. Since 2000, he has published > 180 publications and book chapters. He serves as Editor of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Rainer was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship as part of the Fulbright Arctic Initiative III in 2020, and an Alexander-von-Humboldt Fellowship in 2011.

The panel concludes by envisioning the future of PFAS research and analysis.

The conversation turns to collaboration—highlighting the value of cross-sector partnerships in advancing PFAS science, securing funding, and fostering scientific progress.

Panelists discuss the creation and use of PFAS libraries and databases, stressing the need for comprehensive, up-to-date resources to support accurate compound identification.

Scientists examine the role of non-targeted analysis in discovering unknown PFAS, and how automation and data processing tools are accelerating this work.

The panel examines how evolving global regulations are shaping approaches to PFAS analysis, while also highlighting how ongoing research enhances our understanding of these contaminants and informs regulatory decision-making.

In this episode the panelists unpack how laboratories can reduce background contamination and improve sensitivity through rigorous method optimization and instrument handling.

The panelists discuss the challenges of analyzing short-chain PFAS and highlights how emerging techniques like ion mobility offer promising solutions.

In this episode the panelists explore emerging analytical techniques that are enhancing PFAS quantification.

The experts explore the most pressing analytical challenges in PFAS analysis, highlighting persistent issues such as contamination, detection limits, background blanks, and other method-related obstacles encountered in the lab.

The panelists introduce their backgrounds, research focus areas, and what drew them into the field of PFAS analysis, setting the stage for a deep dive into current challenges and innovations.