Prepare to Meet the Challenges of a Regulated PFAS Landscape

Importance of the topic

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals used for decades in cookware, textiles, paper coatings and firefighting foams. Their exceptional stability and resistance to degradation make them persistent in water, soil and biota and lead to bioaccumulation in humans and wildlife. Toxicological studies have linked certain PFAS to tumors and endocrine disruption. As regulations tighten globally, reliable, high-sensitivity analytical methods are essential for environmental monitoring, public health protection and compliance with evolving standards.

Objectives and overview of the study

This whitepaper reviews current challenges in PFAS analysis, surveys global regulatory limits and compares established and emerging methods. The goals are to outline sample preparation best practices, assess SPE-based and dilute-and-shoot protocols, evaluate performance of multiple LC/MS platforms, and demonstrate workflows that meet or exceed reporting requirements under US EPA, EU and ASTM guidelines. The paper also highlights techniques for detecting both regulated PFOS/PFOA and broader suites of legacy and emerging PFAS.

Methodology and instrumentation

This overview covers:

• Sample collection and mitigation of background contamination via non-PFAS labware, HDPE/PP containers, nitrile gloves and PFC-free consumables.
• Solid phase extraction (SPE) with weak anion exchange (WAX) and divinylbenzene cartridges, plus supported lipid removal for biota.
• ‘Dilute-and-shoot’ preparation for ASTM 7979 and EPA 8327 in non-potable waters.
• Automated online SPE coupled to LC/TQ for high throughput and reduced manual handling.
• Chromatographic separation on UHPLC columns (e.g. Poroshell 120 EC-C18, ZORBAX RRHD) to resolve linear/branched isomers.
• Detection using Agilent triple quadrupole LC/MS systems (Ultivo, 6470, 6495) for ppt-level quantitation, and Q-TOF MS for suspect screening.
  

Used instrumentation

• Agilent 1260/1290 Infinity II HPLC/UHPLC systems
• Agilent 6470, 6495 and Ultivo triple quadrupole LC/MS
• Agilent Q-TOF LC/MS for high-resolution screening
• Agilent Bond Elut LMS and WAX SPE cartridges
• Agilent Captiva EMR-Lipid sorbent plates
• PFC-free conversion kits, delay columns and PEEK tubing

Main results and discussion

SPE-based workflows met or exceeded US EPA reporting limits for PFOS and PFOA (0.7 ng/L advisory) with recoveries of 80–120% and RSDs <15%. ASTM 7979 and EPA 8327 dilute-and-shoot methods achieved LOQs of 10 ng/L across 21 PFAS. The 6495 LC/TQ enabled direct aqueous injection for EU target levels <1 ng/L, delivering linear calibration (R2>0.99) and sub-pixel detection. Automated online SPE with 6470 LC/TQ yielded 0.1 ng/L LOQs and broad dynamic range (0.1–1 000 ng/L). High-resolution LC/Q-TOF identified emerging PFAS such as 6:2 FtS in wastewater effluent, facilitating non-targeted profiling and source tracking. PFC-free HPLC kits and delay columns effectively eliminated background contamination for 36 of 38 analytes.

Benefits and practical applications

• High sensitivity and reproducibility for compliance with global PFOS/PFOA limits.
• Flexible workflows for drinking, surface and wastewater, soil, sediment and biota.
• Reduced manual labor and contamination risk via online SPE automation.
• Rapid method development with Agilent compound optimizer and MRMs libraries.
• Comprehensive data analysis, quantitation and suspect screening using MassHunter software.

Future trends and possibilities

Regulations are expected to expand beyond PFOS/PFOA to hundreds of PFAS. Techniques such as high-resolution MS for non-target discovery, expanded SPE sorbents for diverse chemistries and greener ultra-miniaturized extraction will gain prominence. Integration of AI-driven data processing and real-time monitoring platforms may further accelerate identification and risk assessment of novel PFAS in complex matrices.

Conclusion

The global PFAS challenge demands robust, sensitive and adaptable analytical workflows. By combining contamination-free sample handling, optimized SPE, advanced LC separation and sensitive MS detection, laboratories can meet current regulatory limits and rapidly integrate new analytes as they emerge. Automated and high-resolution approaches future-proof PFAS monitoring programs and support public health and environmental protection goals.

Reference

US EPA. 2020. Basic Information On PFAS | US EPA.