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An improved method for the analysis of volatile polyfluorinated alkyl substances in environmental air samples

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Abstract

This article describes the optimisation and validation of an analytical method for the determination of volatile polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in environmental air samples. Airborne fluorinated telomer alcohols (FTOHs) as well as fluorinated sulfonamides and sulfonamidoethanols (FOSAs/FOSEs) were enriched on glass-fibre filters (GFFs), polyurethane foams (PUFs) and XAD-2 resin by means of high-volume air samplers. Sensitive and selective determination was performed using gas chromatography/chemical ionisation–mass spectrometry (GC/CI–MS). Five mass-labelled internal standard (IS) compounds were applied to ensure the accuracy of the analytical results. No major blank problems were encountered. Recovery experiments were performed, showing losses of the most volatile compounds during extraction and extract concentration as well as strong signal enhancement for FOSEs due to matrix effects. Breakthrough experiments revealed losses of the most volatile FTOHs during sampling, while FOSAs/FOSEs were quantitatively retained. Both analyte losses and matrix effects could be remediated by application of adequate mass-labelled IS. Method quantification limits (MQLs) of the optimised method ranged from 0.2 to 2.5 pg/m3 for individual target compounds. As part of the method validation, an interlaboratory comparison of instrumental quantification methods was conducted. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by means of environmental air samples from an urban and a rural location in Northern Germany.

High-volume air sampling of volatile polyfluorinated alkyl substances using glass fibre filters and PUF/XAD-2 cartridges at a background monitoring site (Waldhof, Germany)

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Acknowledgements

The authors kindly acknowledge Norbert Socha from 3M, Germany, for the donation of the NMeFOSA and NMeFOSE standards. We thank Scott Mabury and his group from the University of Toronto for the donation of NEtFOSE.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute for Coastal Research, GKSS Research Centre, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502, Geesthacht, Germany

    Annika Jahnke, Lutz Ahrens, Ralf Ebinghaus & Christian Temme

  2. Institute for Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Lüneburg, Scharnhorststr. 1, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany

    Annika Jahnke & Lutz Ahrens

  3. Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), The Polar Environmental Centre, Hjalmar Johansens gt. 14, 9296, Tromsø, Norway

    Urs Berger

  4. Department of Applied Environmental Science (ITM), Stockholm University, Frescativägen 50, 10691, Stockholm, Sweden

    Urs Berger

  5. Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

    Jonathan L. Barber

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  1. Annika Jahnke
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  2. Lutz Ahrens
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  3. Ralf Ebinghaus
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  4. Urs Berger
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  5. Jonathan L. Barber
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  6. Christian Temme
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Correspondence to Annika Jahnke.

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Jahnke, A., Ahrens, L., Ebinghaus, R. et al. An improved method for the analysis of volatile polyfluorinated alkyl substances in environmental air samples. Anal Bioanal Chem 387, 965–975 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-006-1008-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-006-1008-y

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