Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are synthetic compounds that were created to improve the quality of industrial products. These chemicals are used for a wide range of consumables including plastics, non-stick cookware and even cosmetics. While their properties proved to be beneficial, they have become of great concern as they are slow to degrade and can remain in the environment for long periods of time. In addition, they have been shown to be a human health risk, having carcinogenic properties even at low levels.
While targeted analyses of individual PFAS compounds can provide high sensitivity and specificity, non-targeted screening for organically bound fluorine can provide a better overall picture of the full scope of contamination from the thousands of potential PFAS and other fluorinated organic compounds.
This application highlights the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) non-targeted screening method for organofluoride compounds in water as adsorbable organic fluorine (AOF), using combustion ion chromatography (CIC). Effective sample preparation and the suitability of Metrohm’ s ProfilerF Analyzer for AOF for use with EPA Draft Method 1621 is demonstrated herein.
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