Measurement challenges and how to tackle them: Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and other Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC)
Jacqueline Bangma(1), Helmer Jonathan Korb(2), Lilit Ispiryan(3), and Jessica Lynn Reiner(4)
(1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC; (2) Sales / Applications, iChrom Solutions; (3) Applications Development, Axel Semrau, Germany, (4) National Institute of Standards and Technology
Chemical measurements are at the foundation of understanding the presence of contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) in the environment, and quantifying CEC concentrations in both the environment and model systems are key to understanding their associated toxicology. However, the detection of many CECs in environmental matrices can lead to unique measurement challenges that, if not recognized, can lead to falsely inflated or deflated measurements. Measurement challenges can arise from numerous sources depending on the field in question. Some examples of challenges from analytical chemistry include matrix suppression, matrix interferences, and in-source artifacts. Recently, investigations of PFAS in biological (e.g. muscle tissue, serum, placenta) and environmental matrices (e.g. groundwater, landfill leachate, food products) have identified several instances of analytical interferences where compounds interfere with quantitation of both short (e.g. PFBA and PFPeA) and long chain PFAS (e.g. PFOS and PFHxS) using low-resolution targeted mass spectrometry. Therefore, the focus of this session is to highlight, and share known and potentially unknown instances of PFAS and CEC measurement challenges with the wider scientific community. In addition, this session hopes to highlight methodologies that can help address measurement challenges including but not limited to analytical set-up (e.g., automated online SPE coupled with LC-MS/MS, adjustments to chromatography conditions, and monitoring for additional transitions). Authors encourage submissions from the mass spectral field, but also encourage submissions relating to other fields that may experience measurement challenges in some form (e.g. lab-based bioassays) related to CECs. This session will allow researchers to share experiences, foster collaboration, increase awareness of measurement challenges and how to address them across the scientific community.