Page 5 - Application Notebook - PFAS Analysis

SHIMADZU | WHITE PAPER Ultra-fast LC-MS/MS Analysis of PFAS in Environmental Waters

 Growing List of PFAS Compounds  Flexibility of Analytical Instruments

Due to the impact of PFAS on human health and the To incorporate the growing list of PFAS compounds
environment, EPA launched the 2010/2015 PFOA and to enhance the specificity and sensitivity of the LC-
Stewardship Program [18] in early 2006 to reduce and MS/MS analysis, Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM)
ultimately eliminate PFOA, PFOS and long-chain PFAS is commonly utilized. Shimadzu’s Ultra-fast Mass
from products and emissions. The eight participating Spectrometry (UFMS) systems, featuring an ultra-fast
companies with global operations have either stopped acquisition rate of 555 MRM/sec and which can operate
the production and import of these selected PFAS and without any compromise in sensitivity, prove to be ideal
then switched to alternatives or entirely move away for the fast and sensitive analysis of many PFAS
from the PFAS industry. compounds in a single run.
GenX process and technology has emerged as a Shimadzu’s collision cell, UFsweeper , is one of the
TM
substitute to PFOA and PFOS; companies are able to key features that contributes to the high acquisition
make high-performance fluoropolymers (GenX rate. The redesign of the collision cell allows for an
chemicals), such as hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) ultra-fast ion sweeping where ions are efficiently
dimer acid and its ammonium salts. With the recent accelerated out of the collision cell without losing
recommendation for a global ban on PFOA and its momentum. With these features in Shimadzu UFMS,
related chemicals by the UN global scientific committee short dwell time and pause time are achieved and
2
1
[19], manufacturers and industries all over the world data can be acquired at a high speed with no loss in
may turn to these GenX compounds as substitutes. sensitivity. With more time for data collection, the
UFMS technology addresses the need of large-
These alternatives have raised several health and compound-panel testing in PFAS analysis and ensures
environmental concerns as they possess similar potential extendibility of the LC-MS/MS method for
properties as PFOA and PFOS [20]. To accelerate PFAS.
occurrence assessment, the EPA updated the drinking
water method to EPA 537.1 Version 1.0 in November In this white paper, the state-of-the-art analytical
2018 [21] to include GenX (HFPO-dimer acid) and methods for monitoring PFAS are described, with
three other compounds (i.e. 11Dl-PF3OUdS, 9Cl- emphasis on the work related to the validation of ASTM
PF3ONS and ADONA, [21]) in addition to the target list. D7979. A robust method consisting of simple sample
preparation with direct injection to LC-MS/MS
With the release of EPA’s Health Advisory for PFAS in (Shimadzu LCMS-8060) is demonstrated, showcasing
2017, the availability of validated methods and increase the setup, performance and compatibility of LCMS-
of public awareness, PFAS monitoring and testing is 8060 for the separation and analysis of 49 PFAS in
becoming routine. Together with this trend of using environmental samples.
similar compounds as alternatives, the list of PFAS that
are of concern may continue to grow.

1 Dwell time is the time allocated for acquiring the data of an ion of a particular m/z in a mass spectrometer.
2 LC-MS/MS measurement conditions must be switched to perform simultaneous measurements of multiple compounds. The time needed for
this is termed as pause time. As data cannot be acquired during the pause time, it should be as short as possible.