PFAS Analysis

Trace-level detection and quantification of PFAS

PFAS documentary On demand PFAS summit

PFAS workflows

Current and future limits

The analysis of poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is now a regular test conducted across many environmental laboratories around the globe. The prevalence of PFAS compounds in environmental samples require an end to end workflow that is highly sensitive to quantify at parts per quadrillion levels (ppq), free from the spoils of contamination throughout the method, produces consistent, precise, and reliable results from injection to injection.

The demand for PFAS testing of drinking water, raw water, and soil (just to name a few) is expanding. PFAS testing needs are now migrating outside of the typical matrices found in environmental analysis to food products, animal tissues, human biological fluids. Therefore, depending on the type of analysis your laboratory performs, the chosen workflow must be adaptable and robust to analyze various sample types for PFAS.
Download PFAS lifecycle

PFAS workflows

A new series of advisory levels for PFAS

April 2024 saw the final announcement from the EPA announcing the National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, stating the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for six PFAS compounds in drinking water. Collaborating with industry experts, the SCIEX PFAS team are constantly challenging the status quo on the best PFAS applications our instruments can offer to our users, as evidenced by the technical materials and scientific knowledge presented here. Keep scrolling and discover what SCIEX offers, and ask us about more PFAS-related materials.

The Superfund law then designated PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), coinciding with a few regional regulations updates: such as the European Union (EU) and the state of New York banning PFAS in food packaging, and New Zealand banning PFAS in cosmetics.

One of the first major announcements by the US EPA focused on advisory levels for PFAS in drinking water, including contaminants such as Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), GenX (HFPO-DA) chemicals, and Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS). The original proposal called for Health Advisories (HAs) as low as 4 parts-per-quadrillion (PPQ), which our internal SCIEX PFAS experts were the first to deliver a working method for this application using highly sensitive LC-MS/MS instrumentation.

Since then, a number of government-led guidelines have been announced to regulate these environmental pollutants and safeguard against potential harm due to human exposure. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) led with their universal PFAS restriction proposal covering a wide-range of commercial products containing this family of chemicals.

Meet the SCIEX PFAS Experts

CraigM
Craig M. Butt, PhD

Craig obtained his PhD in environmental chemistry at the University of Toronto, under the co-supervision of Dr. Scott Mabury and Dr. Derek Muir (Environment Canada), where he investigated the fate of PFAS in biological systems.

Craig was then an NSERC postdoctoral research fellow and research scientist at Duke University, under the guidance of Dr. Heather Stapleton. Among other interesting topics, Craig’s postdoctoral research involved measuring human PFAS exposure in serum, handwipes and wristbands.

In his 20 years of mass spectrometry experience, Craig has published 48 peer-reviewed manuscripts, many of which are on PFAS, are globally recognized and are highly cited.

Within SCIEX, Craig is the applications lead for all things PFAS and has contributed to a variety of PFAS-specific applications, including EPA Methods 537.1 and 533.

Recent publications

SimonR
Simon Roberts, PhD

As a postdoctoral fellow at the Colorado School of Mines, Simon worked with Dr. Christopher Higgins and Dr. Jennifer Field to identify novel classes of PFAS chemicals in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs). At SCIEX, Simon specializes in method optimization and data reporting as he helps labs around the country set up PFAS and other environmental analytical methods.

Fun fact: Simon even wrote a song about PFAS; yeah, he’s that serious about this stuff! Watch Like a Forever Chemical and enjoy

Recent publications

MegumiS
Megumi Shimizu, PhD

Megumi received her PhD in Marine Science from Duke University, with Dr. Cindy Van Dover, and worked as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, in Dr. Ralph Mead’s lab.

Her postdoctoral research investigated emerging PFAS in diverse environmental media.

Megumi brings expertise on emerging contaminants in environmental samples, including water, sediments and atmospheric depositions to the SCIEX team.

Recent publications

KarlO
Karl Oetjen, PhD

Karl completed his PhD at Colorado School of Mines under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Higgins. Karl’s research focused on non-targeted characterization of complex surfactant mixtures, including aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs). This work led to the discovery of several novel PFAS that since have been found in a variety of environmental samples and industrial chemicals.

At SCIEX, Karl creates and implements both regulated and unregulated, quantitative and qualitative, PFAS screening methods for our customers.

Recent publications

HollyL
Holly Lee, PhD

Holly completed her PhD with Dr. Scott Mabury at the University of Toronto, studying the biological and environmental processes involved in the fate of PFAS upon consumer disposal. Her work in wastewater incubation, agrocosm, sorption, bioaccumulation, and human exposure demonstrated a clear link between the use of commercial products containing PFAS and the fluorochemical burden observed in both humans and the environment.

Holly was a Senior Analytical Technologist at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, developing methods on emerging contaminants such as nonylphenols in environmental samples.

Since joining SCIEX in 2016, Holly has worked in R&D of mass spectrometry software products and recently transitioned to global technical marketing in food LC-MS/MS applications.

Recent publications

JianruS
Jianru Stahl-Zeng, PhD

Jianru joined SCIEX in 2001 to support the SCIEX application team in proteomics and small molecules. She moved to the technical marketing team to focused on food, environmental, and beverage applications.

Jianru is also the Global Technical Lead for food and beverage applications. Jianru leads multiple PFAS analysis projects within the European regulatory landscape.

Highlights

Highlights from our keynote speakers on PFAS

Amy Rand

Assistant Professor, Charlton University

Presentation: Screening of PFAS in cosmetics and personal care products

Andrew Patterson

Technical Director, Eurofins Specialty Services

Presentation: The ever-changing landscape of the modern PFAS laboratory

Cora Young

Associate Professor and Guy Warwick Rogers Chair, York University

Presentation: Environmental fate and global distribution of PFAS

Chris Higgins

PHD, University Distinguished Professor, Colorado School of Mines

Presentation: Advancing LC-MS analyses for characterizing human exposure to PFASs

PFAS workflows

Detect, quantify, characterize

Targeted trace level quantification

SCIEX 7500 system

For ultimate quantification of trace level PFAS compounds, the SCIEX 7500 system is the instrument of choice. The sensitivity gains reduce the need for concentration steps in sample preparation.

Non targeted unknown screening

Zeno Trap and EAD

With thousands of PFAS compounds out in the environment, and materials used in all aspects of daily life, the SCIEX 7600 system delivers comprehensive discovery workflows to detect and characterize new compounds of interest.