The persistent presence of PFAS in our food, water, and the environment has led to rising health and safety challenges. While a fully effective PFAS remediation technology is lacking, continuous innovation and development of versatile technologies and solutions have helped elevate the precision with which researchers have been able to detect and quantify PFAS.
Representative methods such as liquid-chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), time-of-flight mass spectrometry, solid phase extraction, and direction injection methods enable researchers to assess and characterize the presence of PFAS in water, biota, food, and other environmental matrices.
At Waters, these individual methods are brought together into one comprehensive and scalable platform to help researchers meet the ever-evolving regulatory and competitive pressures surrounding PFAS detection and quantitation. Adapting a sample-to-result approach, Waters’ platform enables labs to reduce risk and lost time while elevating existing capabilities and scope for PFAS detection and analysis.
In this article, you will learn about:
- Waters’ platform for PFAS detection in various matrices
- Comparative data on current PFAS environmental and food methods
- How labs can streamline PFAS workflows with a versatile sample-to-result methodology for detection levels as low as single-digit ppq
- Diverse and innovative solutions provided by Waters’ platform to help researchers elevate their PFAS detection
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Tackling PFAS Analysis in Common Routes of Environmental Exposure
Improve analysis and quantification of PFAS in the environment with innovative, highly sensitive mass spectrometry platforms.
The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in our food and water has led to rising health and safety challenges. While a full-scale, fully effective PFAS remediation technology remains lacking, growing evi- dence regarding the harmful effects of PFAS has prompted global implementation of advisory and regulatory limits
to protect public health and the environment. Dropping maximum allowable levels presents detection challenges, requiring continuous methods and technological develop- ment to support the growth of future solutions.
Representative technologies like liquid chromatogra- phy-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for targeted methods, non-targeted analysis using quadru- pole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, solid phase ex-
traction for concentration of analytes, and direct-injection methods can be utilized for assessing and characterizing the presence of PFAS in potable water and other environ- mental matrices.
All of these components come together in an adaptable, scalable platform from Waters that helps researchers meet new regulatory and competitive pressures. This platform incorporates a sample-to-result approach with methodolo- gies adaptable to any laboratory workflow and multiple ma- trices, reducing the risk and time associated with changing methods or analytical scope. As a result, laboratories can streamline PFAS analysis workflows and achieve detection levels as low as single-digit ppq (parts per quadrillion) in water, biota, food, and other environmental matrices.
CURRENT PFAS ENVIRONMENTAL & FOOD METHODS
Matrix | SW GW WW | Soils | DW | DW | Aqueous | Non potable | DW | Food | DW GW SW | DW GW SW |
(not DW), | water(SW, | WW < 2 g/L | ||||||||
Soil, Solids, | GW, WW) | solid partic- | ||||||||
Fish Tissue | ulate matter | |||||||||
Prep | Dilute, filter | Dilute, filter | Sep-Pak PS2 | Dilute, filter | Direct Inject | |||||
Waters Collateral | ||||||||||
Column | nyl Hex- yl2.1x100mm | mier BEH Shield RP18Column | ||||||||
Minimum Instrument | TQ Absolute | TQ Absolute | TQ-S micro | TQ-S micro | TQ-S micro | TQ Absolute | TQ Absolute | TQ Absolute | TQ-S micro | TQ-S micro |
Number of compounds | 24 / 44 | 24 / 44 | 25 | 18 | 40 | 24 | 20 | 30 | 2 | 30 |
Robust solutions for environmental PFAS require less re-analysis and reduce waste with optimized analytical workflows. Reliable quantitation and identification are
challenging when samples can be contaminated with ubiq- uitous PFAS compounds at any point during collection, preparation, and analysis.
“Robust solutions for environmen- tal PFAS require less re-analysis and reduce waste with optimized analytical workflows.”
Multiple solutions increase sensitivity and decrease contamination risk. Beginning with sample preparation, instruments that undergo quality-control pre-screen testing for common PFAS allow researchers to concentrate samples without background contamination concerns. Instruments that reduce analyte/surface interactions are a crucial step toward achieving better sensitivity, analyte recovery, and experimental reproducibility, leading to more comprehensive analysis with improved chromatographic peak shape and better retention of ultra-short PFAS. False positives, a per-
sistent risk, can be minimized using a PFAS-specific LC kit that helps separate analytes of interest from system contam- ination while improving repeatability with reliable retention and chromatographic separations. High-performance tandem quadrupole MS systems enable lower limits of quantitation with significantly enhanced negative ion sensitivity as well
as high productivity with longer periods of optimal perfor- mance by injecting less and/or by sample dilution without compromising method performance. New platforms can also offer 50 percent lower electricity and gas consumption to help labs meet sustainability goals and lower operating costs.
Next-generation, intuitive software solutions give laborato- ries reduced training burden, improved data consistency, and faster, easier data reports. Supporting accredited laboratories, including ISO 17025, the Waters informatics platforms offer extensive toolsets for efficient and compliant data handling.
Customizable rules and tolerances using Exception Focused Review (XFR) allow laboratories the flexibility to meet analytical quality control and reporting criteria, such as EPA, FDA, EURL, GB, and other regional guidelines.
The Waters PFAS solution helps researchers detect PFAS at extremely low levels for persistence and toxicity studies. As a recognized leader in environmental testing accreditation, Waters ERA produces the proficiency test- ing programs and certified reference materials required for PFAS testing accreditation, giving labs confidence in Wa- ters PFAS solutions and the quality of analysis and results.
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