A comprehensive liquid chromatography/triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated for the quantitation of 47 perand polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) with the intention to accelerate and simplify routine laboratory water testing. Compound transitions and optimized parameters were applied to the analytical method. The method suitability was demonstrated using an Agilent 1290 Infinity II LC system coupled to an Agilent 6495 triple quadrupole LC/MS on water, surface water, and ground water, using direct injection of samples.
Method performance was evaluated and validated according to ISO 17025 based on instrument limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), calibration curve linearity, uncertainty of measurement (UoM) recovery, and precision using calibration standards up to 0.25 μg/L. All 47 of the analytes demonstrated linearity with R2 ≥0.995. Method precision was assessed using relative standard deviation (RSD). RSD at 0.1 and 0.02 μg/L for all compounds were within the limit of 12.5% and mean recoveries were within the limits of 75 to 125% for all target analytes; UoM values were <60% for all compounds.
PFAS are compounds of unique chemistry, with surfactant properties. As with many surfactants, PFAS often have a hydrophilic moiety covalently linked to a hydrophobic alkyl chain. In PFAS, the alkyl chain generally has few or zero hydrogen atoms; instead, the alkyl chain is populated with fluorine and other halogens. The diversity of the chain length, branching, and type of hydrophilic moieties are still being discovered today. However, regulatory bodies in many countries require monitoring of specific PFAS, thought to be end-products of degradation processes, in potable drinking water samples.
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