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Recent advances in mass spectrometry analytical techniques for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

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Abstract

The ubiquitous presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in various environments has led to increasing concern, and these chemicals have been confirmed as global contaminants. Following the chemical regulatory restrictions imposed, PFAS alternatives that are presumed to be less toxic have been manufactured to replace the traditional ones in the market. However, owing to the original release and alternative usage, continuous accumulation of PFAS has been reported in environmental and human samples, with uncertain consequences for ecosystem and human health. It is crucial to promote and improve existing analytical techniques to facilitate the detection of trace amounts of PFAS in diverse environmental matrices. This review summarizes analytical methods that have been applied to and advanced for targeted detection and suspect screening of PFAS, which mainly include (i) sampling and sample preparation methods for various environment matrices and organisms, and quality assurance/quality control during the analysis process, and (ii) quantitative methods for targeted analysis and automated suspect screening strategies for non-targeted PFAS analysis, together with their applications, advantages, shortcomings, and need for new method development.

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Abbreviations

AIF:

All-ion fragmentation

APCI:

Atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

APPI:

Atmospheric pressure photoionization

CI:

Chemical ionization

DBDI-MS:

Dielectric barrier discharge ionization mass spectrometry

DDA:

Data-dependent acquisition

DIA:

Data-independent acquisition

diPAP:

Fluorotelomer phosphate diester

DLLME:

Dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction

DSPE:

Dispersive solid-phase extraction

EI:

Electron ionization

ESI:

Electrospray ionization

FASE:

Perfluoroalkane sulfonamido ethanol

FOSAs:

Perfluoroalkane sulfonamides

FOSEs:

Perfluoroalkane sulfonamidethanols

FTAs:

Fluorotelomer acrylates

FTICR-MS:

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance

FTOHs:

Fluorotelomer alcohols

FTOs:

Fluorotelomer olefins

FTSA:

Fluorotelomer sulfonic acid

GC:

Gas chromatography

GFF:

Glass fiber filters

HDPE:

High-density polyethylene

HPLC:

High-performance liquid chromatography

HRMS:

High-resolution mass spectrometry

HS-SPME:

Headspace solid-phase microextraction

IPDC:

Optimized isotopic profile deconvoluted chromatogram

IPE:

Ion-pair extraction

IS:

Internal standards

LC:

Liquid chromatography

LC-MS:

High-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

LLE:

Liquid–liquid extraction

LOD:

Instrument detection limit

MALDI-IMS:

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry

MDL:

Method detection limit

MMF-SPME:

Multiple monolithic fiber solid-phase microextraction

MOF:

Metal-organic framework

MRM:

Multiple reaction monitoring

MS/MS:

Tandem mass spectrometry

MTBE:

Methyl tert-butyl ether

NCI:

Negative ion chemical ionization

OECD:

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

PAS:

Passive air sampler

PCI:

Positive chemical ionization

PFAA:

Perfluoroalkyl acid

PFAS:

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

PFC:

Perfluorinated compound

PFCA:

Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acid

PFI:

Polyfluorinated iodide

PFOA:

Perfluorooctanoic acid

PFOS:

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid

PFSA:

Perfluoroalkyl sulphonic acid

PLE:

Pressurized liquid extraction

PoFTOHs:

Polyfluorinated telomer alcohols

POPs:

Persistent organic pollutants

PP:

Polypropylene

PTFE:

Polytetrafluoroethylene

PUF:

Polyurethane foam

QA/QC:

Quality assurance/quality control

QFF:

Quartz fiber filters

QTOF:

Quadrupole time-of-flight

RP:

Resolving power

SIM:

Selected ion monitoring mode

SIP:

Sorbent-impregnated PUF

SPE:

Solid-phase extraction

SPME:

Solid-phase microextraction

TOF-MS:

Time-of-flight mass spectrometry

US EPA:

United States Environmental Protection Agency

UNEP:

United Nations Environment Programme

UPLC:

Ultra-performance liquid chromatography

VALLME:

Vortex-assisted liquid–liquid microextraction

WAX:

Weak anion exchange

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Authors’ contributions

Shenglan Jia: Data curation, Writing—Original draft preparation. Mauricius Marques Dos Santos: Methodology, Writing- Reviewing and Editing. Caixia Li: Data curation, Writing—Reviewing and Editing. Shane A. Snyder: Supervision, Writing—Reviewing and Editing.

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  1. Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Nanyang Technological University, 1 Cleantech Loop, CleanTech One, Singapore, 637141, Singapore

    Shenglan Jia, Mauricius Marques Dos Santos, Caixia Li & Shane A. Snyder

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  1. Shenglan Jia
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  2. Mauricius Marques Dos Santos
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Correspondence to Shane A. Snyder.

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Published in the topical collection Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) – Contaminants of Emerging Concern with guest editors Erin Baker and Detlef Knappe.

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Jia, S., Marques Dos Santos, M., Li, C. et al. Recent advances in mass spectrometry analytical techniques for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Anal Bioanal Chem 414, 2795–2807 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-022-03905-y

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