PARENT SESSION
TP8 Polyfluorinated and polybrominated chemicals: Environmental aspects
3:00 PM to 6:30 PM, Tuesday, 08 May 2001
Session Chair: S. Mabury
Room 8

(279) Liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of fluorinated surfactants in environmental matrices.

Moody, Cheryl¹, Martin, Jonathan², Muir, Derek³, Mabury, Scott¹, ^{1 2 3}

ABSTRACT- Fluorinated surfactants are an important class of specialty chemicals that are employed in herbicide formulations, cosmetics, paints, and fire-fighting foams. Recently, one U. S. manufacturer discontinued production of perfluorooctylsulfonates and perfluorooctanoic acid because of evidence that these perfluorinated surfactants persist in the environment. Few published methods exist for the determination of these compounds in environmental samples. An analytical method for the determination of perfluoroalkylsulfonates and perfluorocarboxylates in aqueous samples was developed. Aliquots of surface water samples were pre-concentrated using solid phase extraction (C18) and then the analytes of interest eluted with methanol. The methanol extracts were chromatographed (Genesis C8, 2.1mm x 50 mm, 4m) using high performance liquid chromatography with a flow rate of 300 L/min. All mass spectra were acquired on a Quattro LC^TM liquid chromatography/mass spectrometer with a Z-spray^TM interface using negative electrospray ionization. Perfluoroalkylsulfonates (6 to 8 carbons) were detected in surface water with total concentrations ranging from non-detect (nd) to 2260 g/L. Total perfluorocarboxylate (6 to 8 carbons) concentrations (nd to 10 g/L) were lower than those concentrations determined for perfluoroalkylsulfonates. Perfluorooctanoate was detected in surface water sampled upstream of the airport and the fire-fighting foam spill. The method detection limit was 5 pg for most perfluorinated compounds. The presence of perfluorinated surfactants in surface water en route to Lake Ontario has implications as it is widely accepted that the perfluorinated surfactants persist in the environment. Finally, the developed methodology may be applied to future toxicological, biodegradation, and bioaccumulation studies of fluorinated compounds in environmental matrices that will permit life cycle analysis

Key words: fluorinated surfactants, analytical methods, liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry, fire-fighting foam spill