This creates difficulties for many stakeholders, since soils often contain far more PFAS than today’s methods can measure. Decisions about how to manage soil and excavated material, when based on incomplete information, risk leaving contamination in the environment for a long time. This poses a threat to our environment, drinking water supplies, and food safety, as PFAS can spread from soil into both groundwater and surface waters.
To address this challenge, we are developing a tool that supports sustainable land management by providing access to relevant site-specific knowledge about contamination levels. The goal is to create a simple and cost-effective method for measuring total organic fluorine (TOF) in soil, an indicator of the overall amount of PFAS. The project will deliver: i) a standardised procedure for sampling and chemical analysis, designed for use by laboratories and consultants, ii) guidance for decision-makers on how the tool can be applied and how results should be interpreted. To ensure the tool’s usability for a wide range of stakeholders, the project will gather insights through interviews and surveys. The method will then be evaluated in a series of relevant case studies, in close dialogue with end users.
The project is a collaboration between Linköping University and the Swedish Geotechnical Institute, together with a broad range of stakeholders to ensure societal relevance and impact.
Funding
The Kamprad Family Foundation for Entrepreneurship, Research & Charity
Project time
2026–2028
