Determination of Perfluoralkyl Substances (PFAS) in Marine and Freshwater Sediments using QuEChERS Extraction and LC-MS/MS

Poster-Other
Poster Presentation

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ABSTRACT

We have developed a rapid, accurate, and robust analytical method for the determination of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sediments using the Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-and-Safe or QuEChERS extraction technique. This method was originally developed for the determination of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. Since its introduction, this methodology has found applications in other areas including the environmental field. In this study, we demonstrate the ease of using a modified QuEChERS method to extract 18 perfluoroalkyl substances in marine and freshwater sediments. Analysis was performed on an LC-MS/MS system using isotopically labeled internal standards for quantitation. Method reporting limit (MRL) ranged from 0.04 – 0.05 ng/g based on a 2.0 g dry weight sample. Average extraction recoveries are within the 80-120% range, and precision values, expressed as relative standard deviations (%RSD), are less than 10%.