Quantitative trace analysis of polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in ambient air samples from Mace Head (Ireland): A method intercomparison

A method intercomparison study of analytical methods for the determination of neutral, volatile polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) was carried out in March, 2006. Environmental air samples were collected in triplicate at the European background site Mace Head on the west coast of Ireland, a site dominated by ‘clean’ westerly winds coming across the Atlantic. Extraction and analysis were performed at two laboratories active in PFAS research using their in-house methods. Airborne polyfluorinated telomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorooctane sulfonamides and sulfonamidoethanols (FOSAs/FOSEs) as well as additional polyfluorinated compounds were investigated. Different native and isotope-labelled internal standards (IS) were applied at various steps in the analytical procedure to evaluate the different quantification strategies. Field blanks revealed no major blank problems. European background concentrations observed at Mace Head were found to be in a similar range to Arctic data reported in the literature. Due to trace-levels at the remote site, only FTOH data sets were complete and could therefore be compared between the laboratories. Additionally, FOSEs could partly be included. Data comparison revealed that despite the challenges inherent in analysis of airborne PFAS and the low concentrations, all methods applied in this study obtained similar results. However, application of isotope-labelled IS early in the analytical procedure leads to more precise results and is therefore recommended.

[1]  T. Wallington,et al.  Atmospheric lifetime of fluorotelomer alcohols. , 2003, Environmental science & technology.

[2]  Eric Langlois,et al.  An interlaboratory study of perfluorinated alkyl compound levels in human plasma. , 2008, Environmental research.

[3]  Tom Harner,et al.  Indoor and outdoor air concentrations and phase partitioning of perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. , 2004, Environmental science & technology.

[4]  R. Ebinghaus,et al.  Urban versus remote air concentrations of fluorotelomer alcohols and other polyfluorinated alkyl substances in Germany. , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[5]  Jennifer A Field,et al.  Semivolatile fluorinated organic compounds in Asian and western U.S. air masses. , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[6]  Guibin Jiang,et al.  Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorochemicals in human blood samples from China. , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[7]  R. Draxler HYSPLIT (HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) Model access via NOAA ARL READY Website , 2010 .

[8]  Scott A Mabury,et al.  Fluorotelomer alcohol biodegradation yields poly- and perfluorinated acids. , 2004, Environmental science & technology.

[9]  Urs Berger,et al.  Latitudinal Gradient of Airborne Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances in the Marine Atmosphere between Germany and South Africa (53° N−33° S) , 2007 .

[10]  Scott A Mabury,et al.  Collection of airborne fluorinated organics and analysis by gas chromatography/chemical ionization mass spectrometry. , 2002, Analytical chemistry.

[11]  Urs Berger,et al.  Development and application of a simplified sampling method for volatile polyfluorinated alkyl substances in indoor and environmental air. , 2007, Journal of chromatography. A.

[12]  Scott A Mabury,et al.  Perfluoroalkyl contaminants in the Canadian Arctic: evidence of atmospheric transport and local contamination. , 2007, Environmental science & technology.

[13]  Shinsuke Tanabe,et al.  Perfluorooctanesulfonate and related fluorochemicals in albatrosses, elephant seals, penguins, and polar skuas from the Southern Ocean. , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[14]  A. Dreyer,et al.  Optimized method avoiding solvent-induced response enhancement in the analysis of volatile and semi-volatile polyfluorinated alkylated compounds using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. , 2008, Journal of chromatography. A.

[15]  Jiping Zhu,et al.  Perfluorinated sulfonamides in indoor and outdoor air and indoor dust: occurrence, partitioning, and human exposure. , 2005, Environmental science & technology.

[16]  F. Wania,et al.  Altitudinal transect of atmospheric and aqueous fluorinated organic compounds in Western Canada. , 2008, Environmental science & technology.

[17]  K. Hansen,et al.  Compound-specific, quantitative characterization of organic fluorochemicals in biological matrices. , 2001, Environmental science & technology.

[18]  T. Harner,et al.  Perfluorinated chemicals in the arctic atmosphere. , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[19]  Timothy J Wallington,et al.  Degradation of fluorotelomer alcohols: a likely atmospheric source of perfluorinated carboxylic acids. , 2004, Environmental science & technology.

[20]  Akio Koizumi,et al.  Survey of Airborne Polyfluorinated Telomers in Keihan Area, Japan , 2008, Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[21]  Derek C G Muir,et al.  Circumpolar study of perfluoroalkyl contaminants in polar bears (Ursus maritimus). , 2005, Environmental science & technology.

[22]  Ian T Cousins,et al.  Sources, fate and transport of perfluorocarboxylates. , 2006, Environmental science & technology.

[23]  Scott A Mabury,et al.  Polyfluorinated telomer alcohols and sulfonamides in the North American troposphere. , 2004, Environmental science & technology.

[24]  Kevin C Jones,et al.  Analysis of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in air samples from Northwest Europe. , 2007, Journal of environmental monitoring : JEM.

[25]  J. Giesy,et al.  Global distribution of perfluorooctane sulfonate in wildlife. , 2001, Environmental science & technology.

[26]  J. Boer,et al.  Struggle for quality in determination of perfluorinated contaminants in environmental and human samples. , 2006 .

[27]  R. Ebinghaus,et al.  An improved method for the analysis of volatile polyfluorinated alkyl substances in environmental air samples , 2007, Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry.