Boise State Creates Portable PFAS Detector

Researchers at Boise State University in Idaho and Pearlhill Technologies developed a handheld device that detects PFAS chemicals in water within minutes. Electrical engineering professor Kris Campbell and Pearlhill Technologies president Bamidele Omotowa created the system, called ENVIR-OGT, with funding from the National Institutes of Health.

The device identifies PFAS at concentrations matching current EPA standards, unlike traditional lab tests which take weeks and cost hundreds of dollars. It uses engineered transistors and machine learning to detect chemical signatures, currently focusing on PFOS, PFOA, and PFPrA—achieving 97% accuracy with the latter. This innovation began with an accidental discovery in Campbell’s lab, where students noticed unusual transistor fluctuations reacting to human breath.

The team continues to refine the technology, planning to test it in semiconductor wastewater systems starting in 2026. They are also investigating how the detector performs in more complex, real-world water conditions, as complete understanding of performance across varied environments remains a goal.