Analysis of PFAS Compounds in Air using Solid Sorbent Tubes with Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography Mass SpectrometryAir Methods, Monitoring, and Technology
Oral Presentation
Prepared by K. Thaxton1, J. Stuff2, J. Whitecavage2, H. Hayes3, J. Miller4
1 - GERSTEL GmbH, 1 Eberhard Gerstel Platz, Muelheim an der Ruhr, -- Please Select --, 45473, Germany
2 - GERSTEL Inc., 701 Digital Drive Suite J, Linthicum Heights, MD, 21090, United States
3 - Eurofins Air Toxics, 180 Blue Ravine Road, Suite B, Folsom, California, 95630, United States
4 - Camsco, 6732 Mayard Road, Houston, Texas, 77041, United States
Contact Information: kurt_thaxton@gerstel.com; +49208 765 030
ABSTRACT
The fate of PFAS in air, both in the outdoor and indoor environments, is relatively unknown and is now becoming a new area of concern. Current PFAS measurement techniques involve capturing PFAS onto XAD or similar resins and extracting them with solvents; the extracts are then run in a way similar to those in drinking water. However, the analysis of extracts results in relatively poor analysis sensitivity due to the loss of analytes in the bulk of the un-analyzed extract.
Thermal desorption GC/MS can overcome the loss issue by concentrating PFAS in air and transferring a large part, or all, of the captured compounds onto the GCMS. This work will show a method developed in our lab geared towards indoor air sampling based on novel solid sorbent tubes with analysis by thermal desorption gas chromatography single quadrupole mass spectrometry, and the same extended to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry to increase specificity and further decrease limits of detection.
