Semi-automated Solid Phase Extraction Cleanup of Soil Samples with LC-MS/MS Analysis of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Accordance with EPA Draft Method 1633

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Environment
Poster Presentation

Prepared by C. Grim1, T. Astill1, K. McHale2
1 - Thermo Fisher Scientific, 55 River Oaks Pkwy, San Jose, CA, 95134, United States
2 - Thermo Fisher Scientific, 265 Davidson Ave., Suite 101, Somerset, NJ, 08873, United States


Contact Information: [email protected]; (408) 965-6200

ABSTRACT

PFAS workflows are continuously being developed to meet evolving testing requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) worldwide, driven by increasing health concerns related to these persistent chemicals in our environment. Global regulatory organizations are developing and publishing testing requirements to standardize the application of PFAS testing, considering extended compound lists, various sample matrices, and lower detection limits. The EPA's Draft Method 1633 is one example of a regulatory method that mandates determining the quantitative results for 40 PFAS compounds. Laboratories face the challenge of meeting these requirements while improving sample throughput and maintaining data quality to meet their productivity needs.

This work describes that workflow by leveraging the Thermo Scientific™ Dionex™ AutoTrace™ 280 PFAS Solid-Phase Extraction (SPE) instrument to automate the soil sample solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup stage that is described in Draft EPA Method 1633. The workflow utilizes the Vanquish Flex Binary UHPLC, the TSQ Altis Plus triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, and the Thermo Scientific™ Chromeleon™ Chromatography Data System to achieve reproducible and precise sample quantitation to meet the regulatory requirements for both water and solid sample types. In this work an overview of the LC-MS/MS workflow for PFAS quantitation in solid samples will be discussed in detail.