Mitigating PFAS Contamination: Performance of Supelpak™-2 4PFAS for Emissions Testing

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

Prepared by J. Fera1, H. Nyoni2, O. Shimelis1, J. Ross1
1 - MilliporeSigma, 595 N Harrison Rd, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, 16823, United States
2 - The Pennsylvania State University, 753 Hastings Road, 753 Hastings Rd, University Park, Pennsylvania, 16802, United States


Contact Information: [email protected]; 814-359-5488

ABSTRACT

The analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) poses significant challenges due to their environmental persistence and contamination in manufactured labware. This study evaluates MilliporeSigma's pre-cleaned XAD®-2 resin, Supelpak™-2 4PFAS, under EPA's Other Testing Method-45 (OTM-45). This cleaning methodology enhances sustainability by reducing the use of environmentally hazardous solvents. A critical aspect of this study is managing PFAS background contamination in sampling materials and chemicals, as unclean XAD®-2 can introduce significant interference, affecting accuracy, precision, and detection limits.
We assessed the suitability of Supelpak™-2 4PFAS under controlled laboratory conditions, confirming its effectiveness for PFAS analysis without further cleaning while maintaining strong adsorption capabilities for targeted polar semi-volatile PFAS analytes. Utilizing two sample enrichment methods, evaporation and WAX solid-phase extraction (SPE), we achieved target analyte recoveries within the acceptable range of 70-130% for most compounds. However, specific heavier analytes, such as 9Cl-PF3ONS, 11Cl-PF2OUdS, and PFDoS, exhibited recoveries below 70%, a common challenge when extracting from environmental matrices.
Emerging trends highlights the significance of air and emissions from incinerators as the next frontier for PFAS exposure, underscoring the need for comprehensive analytical methods that address these matrices. These results have critical implications for regulatory compliance and public health initiatives. By using pre-cleaned materials such as Supelpak™-2 4PFAS, we can minimize PFAS contamination, thereby fostering trust in environmental monitoring data and supporting informed decision-making.