Detecting Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) in Source Samples using Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
Citation:
Wallace, M., E. Shields, S. Jackson, AND W. Preston. Detecting Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) in Source Samples using Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry. ASTM Workshop on PFAS in Atmosphere - Sources, Sampling, and Standards, Washington, D.C., DC, November 01 - 02, 2023.
Impact/Purpose:
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of industrial chemicals that consist of carbon-fluorine backbone chains with different functional groups that provide water-resistant, lipophobic, stain-resistant, and other advantageous properties to materials. PFAS are used in the production of a variety of consumer and industrial products, including polymers, adhesives, ceramics, lubricants, cookware, cosmetics, and electronics. PFAS are worldwide contaminants that do not break down naturally in the environment and are difficult to fully destroy and mineralize. Determining the PFAS content in source samples is important to monitor the release of PFAS into the environment and to ensure that PFAS have been properly destroyed through thermal or chemical treatment. Measures are being taken to reduce PFAS release and contamination, and the development of monitoring techniques at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is vital to this process. Thermal desorption (TD) tubes and canisters are convenient vessels for collecting PFAS source emissions samples for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. These techniques have been used to collect samples from sources including furnaces, chemical manufacturing plants, and munitions emissions. A canister sampling method known as Other Test Method-50 (OTM-50) is currently under development at U.S. EPA for the analysis of 30 very volatile fluorochemicals from source emissions. A pilot-scale research combustor has also been employed at U.S. EPA to evaluate the destruction efficiency of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) and evaluate the formation of products of incomplete combustion (PICs). TD tube and canister sampling were used to evaluate the usefulness of these techniques for real-world sampling. Two GC/MS instruments, including a quadruople MS and high resolution Orbitrap MS, have been used to detect targeted and non-targeted volatile and semi-volatile PFAS in these and other source emissions. The results of TD tube and canister sampling for source applications will be discussed in this presentation.
Description:
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of industrial chemicals that consist of carbon-fluorine backbone chains with different functional groups that provide water-resistant, lipophobic, stain-resistant, and other advantageous properties to materials. PFAS are used in the production of a variety of consumer and industrial products, including polymers, adhesives, ceramics, lubricants, cookware, cosmetics, and electronics. PFAS are worldwide contaminants that do not break down naturally in the environment and are difficult to fully destroy and mineralize. Determining the PFAS content in source samples is important to monitor the release of PFAS into the environment and to ensure that PFAS have been properly destroyed through thermal or chemical treatment. Measures are being taken to reduce PFAS release and contamination, and the development of monitoring techniques at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is vital to this process. Thermal desorption (TD) tubes and canisters are convenient vessels for collecting PFAS source emissions samples for gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. These techniques have been used to collect samples from sources including furnaces, chemical manufacturing plants, and munitions emissions. A canister sampling method known as Other Test Method-50 (OTM-50) is currently under development at U.S. EPA for the analysis of 30 very volatile fluorochemicals from source emissions. A pilot-scale research combustor has also been employed at U.S. EPA to evaluate the destruction efficiency of aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) and evaluate the formation of products of incomplete combustion (PICs). TD tube and canister sampling were used to evaluate the usefulness of these techniques for real-world sampling. Two GC/MS instruments, including a quadruople MS and high resolution Orbitrap MS, have been used to detect targeted and non-targeted volatile and semi-volatile PFAS in these and other source emissions. The results of TD tube and canister sampling for source applications will be discussed in this presentation.