Direct Injection Analysis of Organofluorine Compounds (PFAS) by Triple-Quadrupole LC/MS/MS

Organofluorine compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (Per/polyfluoroalkyl compound: PFAS) have superior functionality of water and oil repellency and are widely used as coating agents for daily necessities. However, PFAS is known to remain in the blood and is reported to be a toxic compound. Moreover, PFAS is chemically stable and highly persistent. PFOS, a typical organofluorine compound, is listed in Annex B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Restriction), and its manufacture and use are internationally restricted. It is designated as a Class I Specified Chemical Substance under the Chemical Substances Control Law in Japan, and its manufacture and use are basically prohibited, with some exceptions.

Analyses of many types of organofluorine compounds have generally been reported after solid-phase extraction/concentration pretreatment, while simplification of pretreatment is required. In this news, PFOA, PFOS, and PFAS including related substances were analyzed by triplequadrupole LC/MS/MS without the concentration procedure.
Niegl Grieves, K. Ishioka