Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have unique properties that make their use in industry and manufacture very desirable. However, PFASs are very persistent in the environment, can bioaccumulate and have been linked to potential adverse human health outcomes. Hence, these compounds are important for monitoring and remediation purposes. Traditionally, studies have focused on analysis of a few perflurocarboxylic and sulfonic acids which have been detected in groundwater, recycled water and wastewater around the globe. Few studies on newer fluorinated compounds in wastewater and recycled water are available. The occurrence data for alternative classes of PFASs in Australian recycled water is currently unavailable while data for PFCAs is limited. The current study employed unique workflows for the comprehensive analysis and identification of PFASs in two Australian wastewater treatment plants and recycled water. Targeted quantification of 15 PFASs was performed using stable isotope dilution on a LC-QTOF in an All Ions MS/MS mode. Further, the samples were screened for the presence of 65 PFASs using a custom database with different levels of verification ranging from confirmation of fragments from validated MS/MS spectra to identification of molecular mass and isotope fidelity etc. Finally, software tools such as MassHunter molecular feature extractor (MFE), mass profile professional (MPP) and molecular structure correlator (MSC) were used to propose and identify fluorinated compounds in the water samples not present in the database and further analysis was performed to verify their identity. The combined targeted and untargeted analysis provides a more complete picture of PFAS contamination in Australian wastewater and recycled water. This study provides additional information to Australian regulatory agencies on point-source PFAS contribution in the environment.

Comprehensive targeted and untargeted analysis of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Australian Wastewater and recycled water

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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