New national research shows home buyers are ready to act on PFAS once rapid, accessible testing tools become available.
For decades, PFAS testing has existed almost entirely within regulatory, industrial, and scientific settings. Water utilities test at the treatment-plant level, environmental agencies measure PFAS during contamination events, and laboratories rely on slow, specialised workflows. Meanwhile, the families most affected by PFAS have had almost no practical way to test their own water or soil.
Traditional PFAS testing is expensive, slow, and logistically complicated – optimised for laboratories, not households or the rapid timelines of a real-estate transaction. As PFAS awareness has grown, homeowners have been left without tools that match their concerns or decision-making needs.
PureTrace Labs, a startup dedicated to rapid PFAS screening and accessible testing solutions, began studying this gap. Through engagement with communities, environmental professionals, and home inspectors, the team consistently heard the same message: families want answers, but the current system makes PFAS testing too slow, too costly, or too confusing.
This prompted PureTrace Labs to ask a different question: How do home buyers think about PFAS, and what tools would empower them to act?
Before sharing the results of the company’s new national research, it is important to understand the breakthrough that finally makes PFAS testing practical at the household level.
A scientific breakthrough that makes practical PFAS screening possible
PFAS testing has lagged behind consumer needs largely because existing laboratory methods were not designed for speed, affordability, or household-scale sampling. Researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) – an R1 research university recognised for leadership in PFAS science – have developed a transformative alternative.
Under the direction of Dr Hao Chen, NJIT advanced a novel implementation of Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry (PS-MS) and Desalting Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry (DPS-MS) that enables rapid PFAS screening with minimal sample preparation.
PureTrace Labs is commercialising this approach to deliver a practical, community-ready PFAS screening platform:
- Rapid screening with results in as little as 48 hours
Traditional PFAS testing can take up to 21 days due to laborious sample preparation. PureTrace’s workflow screens each sample in under three minutes, enabling results in as little as 48 hours.
- Broad spectrum PFAS screening
PureTrace screens for 25 PFAS compounds at once. Currently, every PFAS compound regulated under the EPA’s National Primary Drinking Water Regulation is included, providing a clear, actionable indication of whether regulated PFAS are present. The underlying platform also has the capability to expand to additional PFAS compounds as regulations or community needs evolve.
- Sensitivity at the parts per trillion level
The method achieves roughly one parts per trillion limits of detection – highly sensitive for early-stage screening.
- Lower cost per screen
Minimal preparation reduces consumables, labour, and overall cost, making high-throughput screening feasible.
- Simple, small-sample collection
Only a few drops of water or a small soil sample are needed, making the method easy for homeowners, inspectors, and community programmes to adopt.
This technology does not replace confirmatory regulatory testing. Instead, it enables a screening-first model that helps determine when additional analysis is needed – exactly what homeowners, inspectors, utilities, and municipalities have been missing.
New national data: Home buyers want clarity – and are ready to act
PureTrace Labs conducted a national survey of 114 recent and future home buyers and 134 homeowners ages 30–65 with household incomes over $75,000. The findings suggest that homeowners could play a much larger role in PFAS awareness and detection than previously recognised.
Awareness and concern are rising.
- 50% of homeowners and 40% of future buyers were already familiar with PFAS.
- After receiving a brief factual explanation of PFAS and their effects on human health:
- 62% of homeowners said they would use a PFAS test if reasonably priced.
- 88% of future buyers said they would likely or highly likely add PFAS testing to a home inspection.
PFAS information influences buying decisions. Respondents ranked PFAS information alongside radon, mould, and well-water quality – environmental factors buyers routinely consider during a home inspection. In the Homebuyers study, a strong majority said it was important or very important to know whether PFAS was present in a home they were considering purchasing, and to have PFAS results available before closing.
Among recent home buyers in the sample, several indicated that PFAS results would have influenced their next steps – such as asking for more information, requesting remediation, or negotiating.
Home inspectors are the trusted guides.
Nearly nine in ten respondents would add PFAS testing to their inspection if their inspector recommended it.
Why waiting for buyers to ask about PFAS is the wrong approach
A frequent concern raised by home inspectors and realtors is that consumers are not yet asking for PFAS testing. PureTrace Labs’ research confirms that many buyers recognise the term PFAS but do not fully understand its implications or realise that household-level testing is now possible.
This pattern mirrors every environmental hazard that has become standard in home inspections.
Radon, mould, lead paint, asbestos, and well-water contaminants all began with low consumer awareness. Demand grew once:
- Testing became affordable and practical
- Inspectors began introducing these risks during inspections
PFAS is now at that same inflection point.
When informed, consumers immediately value PFAS testing.
PureTrace found that:
- 88% of buyers wanted PFAS testing after receiving a short explanation
- 91% would follow an inspector’s recommendation
- 85% prefer inspectors who offer PFAS testing
Low awareness is not evidence of low demand – it is evidence that buyers need inspectors to guide them.
Inspectors already introduce environmental risks buyers don’t know to ask about.
Home inspectors regularly recommend tests that buyers did not proactively request, including radon, sewer scopes, mould, and well-water panels. PFAS fits naturally into this advisory role.
Low awareness is not a reason to wait on PFAS testing. It is the reason home inspectors are needed now more than ever.
Why home inspectors may become the key to PFAS awareness
Home inspectors operate at the intersection of timing, trust, and decision-making. That makes them uniquely positioned to bring PFAS screening into the mainstream.
- Inspectors advise at the decisive moment.
Buyers rely on inspectors to identify hidden risks just before the most important purchase of their lives. - PFAS aligns with existing environmental assessments.
Inspectors already test for radon, mould, lead paint, asbestos, sewer issues, and well-water quality. - Buyers trust inspectors more than any other source.
Inspector recommendations carry more weight than utilities or realtors. - PFAS testing strengthens the inspector’s value proposition.
85% of buyers said they would choose an inspector who offers PFAS testing over one who does not. - Early adopters gain a competitive advantage.As PFAS regulation increases and public awareness grows, inspectors offering rapid screening will stand out. Early adopters also strengthen their position as trusted environmental advisors. As PFAS becomes a more common topic in community conversations – whether through water reports, local news, or public-health discussions – inspectors who offer PFAS screening demonstrate that they are forward-thinking and aligned with emerging consumer expectations. Offering PFAS screening now also helps inspectors stay ahead of regulatory shifts and future-proof their services.
What families can do when PFAS is detected
If PFAS is present in household water, several mitigation approaches exist:
- Carbon-based filtration
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Whole-home treatment for private wells or high-risk locations
These options vary in cost and complexity, allowing families to choose a solution that aligns with their needs and comfort level. For households using private wells, rapid screening can help determine whether confirmatory laboratory testing is warranted. In municipal systems, screening results can prompt constructive conversations with water providers about local water quality.
Above all, rapid screening provides clarity – not alarm – giving families the information they need to make confident decisions.
Policy momentum and the growing need for practical tools
PFAS regulation in the United States is accelerating. EPA’s 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulation established some of the first enforceable federal limits on PFAS, raising national awareness and prompting water systems to evaluate compliance strategies.
Yet regulation alone cannot protect consumers without practical, scalable tools at the household level. Rapid PFAS screening supports:
- Municipalities identifying early exposure patterns
- Utilities responding more effectively to customer concerns
- Environmental consultants prioritising sites
- Public-health agencies monitoring emerging risks
As utilities work to meet new federal PFAS standards, rapid household screening can support these efforts by identifying areas where additional clarity is needed and helping address resident questions early. Screening does not replace regulated testing – it strengthens it by providing a community-level view that utilities can use to inform planning, communication, and response.
Legislation raises awareness – rapid screening enables action.
Partnering through demonstration projects
PureTrace Labs is partnering with municipalities, utilities, environmental consultants, and home-inspection organisations to integrate rapid PFAS screening into real-world settings.
These targeted demonstration projects help partners:
- Evaluate rapid screening within existing workflows
- Provide homeowners with fast, actionable information
- Identify potential exposure hotspots earlier
- Determine where confirmatory laboratory testing is warranted
PureTrace Labs offers screening kits, technical support, and results in as little as 48 hours.
By incorporating rapid PFAS screening, partners gain a scalable, practical tool for improving environmental clarity and community confidence.
Conclusion
As PFAS becomes a more visible concern, the combination of scientific innovation and rising consumer willingness creates a pivotal opportunity.
With the right tools, homeowners may indeed become the catalyst that moves PFAS screening from emerging innovation to everyday practice.
Learn more at PureTraceLabs.com.
About PureTrace Labs
PureTrace Labs is the first commercial spin-out from the New Jersey Innovation Institute’s venture studio, dedicated to bringing advanced PFAS detection technology from academic research into real-world applications. The company partners with municipalities, utilities, environmental consultants, and home inspectors to expand access to rapid PFAS screening across the United States.
