Analysis of Perfluorinated Alkyl Acids Specified in EPA M537 and Beyond in Drinking Water Using Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS System.

Characterization of Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in the Environment
Oral Presentation

Prepared by B. Prakash, J. Byrne II, W. Lipps Ph.D., T. Ogura Ph.D.
Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc., 7102 Riverwood Drive, Columbia, Maryland, 21046, United States


Contact Information: brprakash@shimadzu.com; 410-910-0903


ABSTRACT

There has been an increasing awareness of the presence of perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFOS) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in water. Although perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the most studied polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances with chain lengths varying from C2-C14 have also been detected in various sample matrices. The continued use of these compounds presents a long-term challenge to scientist, industry leaders, and public health officials worldwide. This presentation describes a highly sensitive Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) – Liquid Chromatography - Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) Method for the determination of twenty-four specific polyfluorinated chemical (PFCs), fourteen of which are listed in EPA M537 in drinking waters. Method development included tests on optimal solvent conditions for the LC-MS/MS analysis. The linearity of the instrumental response was good, with average regression coefficients of greater than 0.99 for most analytes. Quantitation was performed by LC-MS/MS in multiple-ion reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, using 13C- labeled internal standards. Method validation was performed to determine recovery, precision, limit of detection and quantitation estimates.

Keywords: Perfluoroalkyl substances, Organic Pollutants, PFOA, PFOS, Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS), Water analysis