New PFASs Identified in AFFF Impacted Groundwater by Passive Sampling and Nontarget Analysis

Abstract

Monitoring contamination from per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water systems impacted by aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) typically addresses a few known PFAS groups. Given the diversity of PFASs present in AFFFs, current analytical approaches do not comprehensively address the range of PFASs present in these systems. A suspect-screening and nontarget analysis (NTA) approach was developed and applied to identify novel PFASs in groundwater samples contaminated from historic AFFF use. A total of 88 PFASs were identified in both passive samplers and grab samples, and these were dominated by sulfonate derivatives and sulfonamide-derived precursors. Several ultrashort-chain (USC) PFASs (≤C 3 ) were detected, 11 reported for the first time in Australian groundwater. Several transformation products were identified, including perfluoroalkane sulfonamides (FASAs) and perfluoroalkane sulfinates (PFASis). Two new PFASs were reported (((perfluorohexyl)sulfonyl)sulfamic acid; m/z 477.9068 and (E)-

Nontarget Analysis of Legacy and Emerging PFAS in a Lithium-Ion Power Battery Recycling Park and Their Possible Toxicity Measured Using High-Throughput Phenotype Screening

“…They may transform into one another in the environment, which poses significant difficulties for their detection when only depending on target analysis . High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), utilizing instruments such as Orbitrap and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometers, has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying known and unknown PFAS. − In the context of PFAS screening, HRMS complements three common strategies: suspect screening, homologue-based screening, and fragment-based nontarget screening . The wide mass range, high-resolution capabilities, and accurate mass measurements of HRMS allow for the comprehensive analysis of PFAS and facilitate their identification in various environmental samples .…”