Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that have been found in a variety of industrial and consumer products since the 1940s. PFAS contamination is a growing environmental and public health concern due to their highly persistent nature, propensity for accumulation, and mobility, thus earning them the nickname “forever chemicals.”
Effective detection of PFAS is the first step towards eliminating PFAS contamination. An effective environmental analysis workflow features a high specificity for target compounds, provides for detection limits below regulatory thresholds, has the ability to accommodate smaller sample volumes, and boasts a simpler sample preparation process while delivering high throughput. Automated analysis of PFAS helps researchers eliminate manual errors while providing higher sample throughput, data recovery, and reproducibility.
The ubiquitous nature of PFAS means the potential for contamination is very high. Therefore, the elimination of PFAS and other interfering substances is crucial for the success of an environmental analysis workflow.
In this article, you will learn about:
- Establishing an effective environmental analysis sample prep workflow
- How to combine PFAS remediation technologies such as reverse osmosis filtration, granular activated carbon, and ion exchange resin for a clean workflow
- Sartorius’ comprehensive platform of solutions for a clean workflow for PFAS determination
Download the article now to improve your environmental analysis sample prep workflow.
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Enhanced PFAS Detection With a Clean Sample Prep Workflow
Eliminating PFAS contamination ensures accurate reporting of data and strengthens your environmental analysis workflow
Analysis concerning water, soil, sediments, biota, food, and blood is a complicated process, and often marred by misleading results. In the case of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), this gets even more difficult, with persisting challenges to under- stand the diverse range of compounds that identify as PFAS, the potential for cross-contamination, and the provision of regulatory standards to ensure a clean, and safe environment.
Making decisions about PFAS
PFAS constitutes thousands of man-made chemical molecules that persist in the environment. More than 12,000 PFAS have been identified by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) with definitive molecular structures. PFAS mitigation is an expensive and
time-consuming endeavor. Thus, the information used to delegate relevant decisions must be accurate,
reliable, of high quality, and easily accessible. A good environmental analysis workflow is characterized by a high specificity for target compounds, detection
limits ideally below regulatory thresholds, the ability to accommodate smaller sample volumes, simpler sample preparation, and high throughput.
Recently, automated analysis of PFAS has helped in this effort by eliminating manual errors while provid- ing higher sample throughput, data recovery, and reproducibility. Beyond these factors, the most crucial element for the success of an environmental analysis workflow hinges on its cleanliness. PFAS is ubiquitous and the potential for contamination is very high. There- fore, the elimination of these contaminants or other interfering substances at levels less than one-third of the minimum reporting level is a must to avoid false
positives or false negatives, ensure accurate results, and for robust reporting of data.
PFAS remediation technologies
Although PFAS treatment may vary depending on the functional groups and length of carbon chains of the contaminants involved, three technologies are
prominently utilized by researchers in the field: granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange (IX) resin, and reverse osmosis module (RO).
GAC
Developed more than 15 years ago, GAC is an estab- lished treatment technology that has proven effective for long-chain PFAS such as PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA. Here, the activated carbon works as a highly porous and large surface area barrier upon which PFAS can adsorb and accumulate at the interface between the liquid and solid phase. The effectiveness of GAC comes down to the dif- ferent GAC loading capacities and breakthrough times of individual PFAS. GAC has greater removal capacity for longer-chain PFAS like PFOS and PFOA, but in general, shorter-chain PFAS can also be treated using GAC if the changeout frequency is increased. Various types of base materials are utilized for GAC with bituminous-based products observed to be the most successful for PFAS removal. Used GAC media are either disposed of via landfill or incineration or reactivated for reuse, with both options requiring regulatory approval.
IX
IX makes use of synthetic resins composed of hy- drocarbons that work by attracting PFAS and other contaminants. IX targets and binds to the functional end of the molecule, like the sulfonate in PFOS, while releasing an equal amount of a harmless ion, like chlo- ride, into the treated water. IX resins have been utilized for treatment applications concerning the removal of nitrate, perchlorate, and arsenic but have also shown high capacity for remediation of shorter-chain PFAS. Single-use and regenerable resins are both used. Used IX media are disposed of via landfill or incineration,
or reactivated for reuse, with both options requiring regulatory approval.
RO
The most effective of the three, RO is a powerful technology for PFAS removal including short-chain compounds. Distinguished by its long-term efficiency,
RO was only recently validated for PFAS removal. As a membrane technology, RO works by using high
amounts of energy to push water through a taut mem-
brane and removing organic and inorganic compounds. Continued innovations in polymer chemistry and manufacturing processes have further elevated RO efficiencies, lowered operating pressures, and reduced costs. Accumulation of material on the membrane may lead to fouling but this can be alleviated by sufficient pretreatment. The resulting PFAS-enriched concen- trate is later appropriately treated and disposed of.
PFAS-How do they get everywhere?
1 Release from industrial plants
3 Rainfall brings chemicals back to the surface
2 Enter water bodies and
atmosphere
"More than 12,000 PFAS have been identified by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) with definitive molecular structures."
Commonly used in consumer products and featured in various industrial processes, PFAS are ubiquitous in the environment. Com- posed of carbon-fluorine bonds, the strongest covalent bonds in chemistry, these chemicals are extremely durable to biological and environmental degradation. PFAS bioaccumulation and contami- nation of drinking water have major consequences on human health including weakened immunity, decreased fertility, and liver damage.
Setting up a clean workflow for PFAS determination
Proper, contamination-free sample preparation is crucial for environmental analysis. In establishing an effective environmental analysis sample prep workflow, Sartorius offers a variety of trusted solutions in its extensive portfolio. These solutions combine and feature effective utilization of RO filtration, GAC, and IX technologies, to ensure time efficiency, reproducible results, and a clean workflow.
Workflow Solutions
Step 1: Solvent Preparation Ultrapure water is crucial for preparing mobile phases and samples in LC-MS, Total Organic Fluorine (TOF), and other chromatographic techniques, as water
contaminants can disrupt measurement ac- curacy. Tailored to the level of consumption, Sartorius' Arium® Mini and Arium® Comfort I Lab Water Systems provide a complete water purification solution.
Step 2: Standards Preparation Deviations in calculating standards or lab control samples can lead to significant downstream errors. Sartorius' Cubis® II high-capacity micro balances and semi-mi- cro balances enable precise weighing that meets the user's needs over a wide range of weighing capacities.
Step 3: Pipetting
Accurate and precise pipetting is necessary for achieving reliable data from samples.
Pipetting is one of the most common tasks performed in a laboratory on a daily basis and therefore ergonomics is key to the well-being of the user and the reliability of the results.
Step 4: Filtration
Filtration devices help with clarification, prefiltration, and sterile filtration processes. Sartorius' Minisart® Syringe Filters do exactly this and are optimized for sample preparation with a PP housing and membrane compo- nents with maximum chemical compatibility and minimum extractable for accurate results.
Arium® Comfort I, Arium® Mini, and Arium® Mini Extend
Effective removal of inorganic and organic com- pounds, microorganisms and PFAS
Complete purification solution using a combination of GAC, RO, and IX
Sartorius' Cubis® II Balances
Precise weighing from a few µg to hundreds of grams.
Intuitive operation and aided by intelligent diagnostic systems
Ensures reproducibility and repeatability for diverse workflows while reducing human error
Sartorius' Tacta® and Picus®2 pipettes
Combine ergonomics with user-friendliness
Reduce errors due to fatigue, and risk of repetitive strain injuries
Eliminate accidental volume changes using Tacta® Optilock and Picus®2 plate tracker
Connect the pipette Picus®2 to Sartorius Pipetting mobile app for sample preparation workflows and pipette management
Sartorius' Minisart® Syringe Filters
Optimized for sample preparation with PP housing and membrane components, coupled with the largest surface areas and fastest flow rates
Maximum chemical compatibility and minimum extractable for accuracy
Typical volume ranges from < 1 mL to 100 mL
Three different diameters with filtration areas of
0.07 cm2, 1.7 cm2, and 4.8 cm2
Successful PFAS removal hinges on a clean, contaminant-free analysis
workflow. Proper sample preparation facilitated by efficient remediation technologies ensures the effective reduction of PFAS contaminants.
Sartorius' comprehensive platform of solutions helps users and provides them with the right tools for their analytical laboratory needs and a wide range of applications.