Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are common, man-made, persistent environmental contaminants that are used in the production of many consumer products. For example, PFAS are used to produce non-stick coatings and are used to manufacture stain resistant and water-resistant films and packaging. Widespread use of these compounds has led to their release into the environment, making them an important class of compounds for monitoring programs globally. Two of the most common PFAS, PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonate) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), were included in the US EPA Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 3) occurrence study and showed significant detection levels and occurrence frequency for water sources across the USA. These findings, combined with human health impact studies, have resulted in the establishment of an EPA drinking water health advisory level of 70 ng/L (ppt). In this study, LC-MS/MS with UniSpray ionization was used for determination of approximately 40 PFAS compounds in drinking water including well characterized legacy PFAS compounds as well as some emerging compounds of interest, such as GenX, ADONA, and F53B. We will discuss sample collection and preparation requirements for this analysis as well as the design and operation of the UniSpray source.

Novel LC-MS/MS procedure for determination of legacy and emerging polyfluoroalkyl substances in environmental water samples

2019 Fall National Meeting

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