Analysis of perfluoroalkyl carboxylates and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates in environmental water by in-port arylation gas chromatography–electron impact ionization–mass spectrometry

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2024-12, Vol.31 (57), p.65385-65392
• Main Authors: Tashiro, Yutaka, Harada, Kouji H., Ikehara, Takanori, Ito, Takuma
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; arylation; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Carboxylates; Carboxylic Acids - analysis; Chromatography; detection limit; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Electron impact; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Fluorocarbons - analysis; Gas chromatography; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Groundwater; Groundwater - chemistry; Impact analysis; industrialization; Ionization; Japan; Liquid chromatography; Manufacturing industry; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Perfluoroalkyl & polyfluoroalkyl substances; perfluorocarbons; Perfluorochemicals; pollution; Research Article; Ryukyu Archipelago; Scientific imaging; Solid Phase Extraction; Solid phases; Sorbents; Sulfonates; tandem mass spectrometry; Waste Water Technology; Water analysis; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution Control; Water sampling
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-35615-6

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental pollutants that have been used for various purposes. Although PFAS can pollute the environment in a variety of areas related to the use, storage, and disposal of their products, there are insufficient data on the extent of PFAS pollution outside industrialized countries with their manufacturing facilities. Most of the analyses depend on high-cost liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In this study, we established a method to analyze ionic PFAS using gas chromatography–electron impact ionization–mass spectrometry with in-port arylation by diaryl iodonium. Extraction of PFAS from water samples was performed using solid phase extraction with reverse phase sorbent. Fourteen PFAS compounds could be detected from spiked water samples, and the detection limit ranged from 3.1 to 8.1 ng L −1 . Using this method, we analyzed groundwater samples from Okinawa Island, Japan, and detected PFAS up to a total concentration of 1900 ng L −1 . This method uses relatively inexpensive analytical equipment; hence, it can possibly enable surveys on PFAS contaminations in a wide range of regions and opportunities.