Yeung Leo W Y, Stadey Christopher, Mabury Scott A
Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), Örebro University, 701 82 Örebro, Sweden; Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto,80 St George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
Waters Corporation, 6427 Northam Dr, L4 V 1J2, Mississauga ON, Canada.
J Chromatogr A. 2017 Nov 3;1522:78-85. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2017.09.049. Epub 2017 Sep 23.
An analytical method using ultra performance convergence chromatography (UPC) coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer operated in negative electrospray mode was developed to measure perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) including the ultrashort-chain PFASs (C2-C3). Compared to the existing liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method using an ion exchange column, the new method has a lower detection limit (0.4pg trifluoroacetate (TFA) on-column), narrower peak width (3-6s), and a shorter run time (8min). Using the same method, different classes of PFASs (e.g., perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs) and perfluorinated carboxylates (PFCAs), perfluorinated phosphonates (PFPAs) and phosphinates (PFPiAs), polyfluoroalkyl phosphate diesters (diPAPs)) can be measured in a single analysis. Rain (n=2) and river water (n=2) samples collected in Toronto, ON, were used for method validation and application. Results showed that short-chain PFAS (C2-C7 PFCAs and C4 PFSA) contributed to over 80% of the detectable PFASs in rain samples and the C2-C3 PFASs alone accounted for over 40% of the total. Reports on environmental levels of these ultrashort-chain PFASs are relatively scarce. Relatively large contribution of these ultrashort-chain PFASs to the total PFASs indicate the need to include the measurement of short-chain PFASs, especially C2 and C3 PFASs, in environmental monitoring. The sources of TFA and other short-chain PFASs in the environment are not entirely clear. The newly developed analytical method may help further investigation on the sources and the environmental levels of these ultrashort-chain PFASs.
开发了一种分析方法，该方法使用超高效收敛色谱法（UPC）与在负电喷雾模式下运行的串联质谱仪联用，以测量包括超短链全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质（PFASs）（C2 - C3）在内的全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质。与现有的使用离子交换柱的液相色谱串联质谱法相比，新方法具有更低的检测限（柱上0.4 pg三氟乙酸（TFA））、更窄的峰宽（3 - 6秒）和更短的运行时间（8分钟）。使用相同的方法，可以在一次分析中测量不同类别的PFASs（例如，全氟烷基磺酸盐（PFSAs）和全氟羧酸盐（PFCAs）、全氟膦酸盐（PFPAs）和次膦酸盐（PFPiAs）、多氟烷基磷酸二酯（diPAPs））。在安大略省多伦多采集的雨水（n = 2）和河水（n = 2）样本用于方法验证和应用。结果表明，短链PFAS（C2 - C7 PFCAs和C4 PFSA）在雨水样本中可检测到的PFASs中占比超过80%，仅C2 - C3 PFASs就占总量的40%以上。关于这些超短链PFASs环境水平的报告相对较少。这些超短链PFASs对总PFASs的贡献相对较大，这表明在环境监测中需要包括短链PFASs的测量，尤其是C2和C3 PFASs。环境中TFA和其他短链PFASs的来源尚不完全清楚。新开发的分析方法可能有助于进一步研究这些超短链PFASs的来源和环境水平。
