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"Forever chemicals"  are a class of nearly 10,000 compounds including per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) and other perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). The accumulation of PFASs in the environment leads to their presence in the food chain, especially for long-chain compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, or "C8") and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The sheer amount of forever chemicals increases by the year, and little information is known about how the majority of these compounds affect humans and the environment. These substances are a challenge to monitor individually and quantify in low concentrations, even in drinking water. Expensive analytical instrumentation and experience is required to determine a small selection of individual PFASs, and such analyses aretime-consuming and difficult to validate.

A large fraction of synthetic organofluorine substances is covered by the sum of all adsorbable organic fluorine (AOF) in waters. Non-targeted screening of AOF with combustion ion chromatography (CIC) is faster, easier, and a more robust alternative.

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Our products for PFAS analysis

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Combustion Ion Chromatography (CIC)

CIC from Metrohm is flexible, straightforward, fast and reliable method for PFAS analysis. Our instrumentation covers a wide scope of applications, and complies with international norms and standards.

PFAS Analysis with the 930 combustion IC 

Download the CIC information brochure

Distribution of PFAS in various products

The extensive use of PFAS in various products has led to widespread contamination and thus environmental and health concerns. PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, are a group of chemicals used in a variety of consumer products due to their unique water, grease and stain-repellent properties. Here are some products and categories where PFAS are commonly found and the problems associated with them:

diagram of PFAS products
  • Packaging materials

Some food packaging, particularly fast food containers, pizza boxes, and popcorn bags, may contain PFAS to repel grease and oils. This means that PFAS can leach into some foods and ultimately into the human body.

  • PFAS in outdoor equipment

PFAS are often used in water-repellent coatings for outdoor clothing, shoes and equipment such as tents. This makes it easier to protect against moisture, but comes with environmental impacts as PFAS can be released into the environment and slowly degrade.

  • Carpets and furniture

PFAS-containing impregnating agents are often used in carpets, curtains and furniture to repel stains. Off-gassing of PFAS from these products can affect indoor air quality.

  • Electronics and fire extinguishing foam

Substances containing PFAS are found in some electronic devices and in fire-fighting foam. During fires, PFAS can enter the environment and contaminate drinking water sources.

Of course, there are many other potential sources of PFAS.

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Why PFAS analysis with Metrohm? Advantages of CIC at a glance

Advantages of CIC

Why use Combustion Ion Chromatography from Metrohm for PFAS analysis?

  1. Rapid non-target screening for PFAS
  2. Quantification of the concentration for each halogen
  3. High sample throughput, precision and accuracy
  4. All information in a sample table or report
  5. Easy to use, robust and efficient
  6. Determination of the total fluorine content (TOF) in solid or liquid samples by direct combustion of the sample
  7. All-in-one solution from one provider (software, hardware and support)
  8. Selective determination of adsorbable organic halogen compounds (AOF, AOCl, AOBr, AOI) water samples according to DIN 38409-59
  9. MagIC Net ion chromatography software for control and data management
  10. Ideal for checking the latest analytical standards regarding halogen-free products (RoHS, WEEE ...)
  11. Flame sensor enables time-optimised, fully automated combustion of a wide variety of samples

FAQ on Metrohm PFAS Analysis

PFAS is an abbreviation for poly- and perfluorinated alkyl compounds, which are aliphatic organic compounds in which the hydrogen atoms on at least one carbon atom in the carbon skeleton have been completely replaced by fluorine atoms. These are a large number of compounds that are very persistent and are therefore also called eternal chemicals.

 

Since the group of PFAS includes a very large number of different compounds, analysing the individual substances is very complex and time-consuming. PFAS analysis is often carried out by measuring 20 defined individual substances using LC-MS/MS. The sum of these concentrations is then given as the “sum of PFAS”. The parameter “PFAS total” refers to the total of the per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances. Various sum parameters such as AOF, EOF, TOP assay, etc. can be used for this.

 

There are various ways to do this, depending on whether specific individual substances are to be analysed or whether all PFAS are to be determined. Combustion IC is one way to detect a large proportion of the fluorine compounds as AOF, EOF or TF.

 

In addition to the AOF for adsorbable organic fluorine compounds, according to the new DIN 38409-59, adsorbable organic chlorine, bromine and iodine compounds can also be determined by means of Combustion IC using the sum parameters AOCl, AOBr and AOI.

 

LC-MS/MS is generally used to determine various individual PFAS substances. Combustion IC can be used for PFAS screening in conjunction with various sample preparation techniques such as adsorption or extraction. Various automated systems are available on the market for this sample preparation. Combustion IC can also be used to burn the entire sample and then determine the total fluorine content (TF). Metrohm offers complete solutions for Combustion IC consisting of an autosampler, combustion furnace and ion chromatography from a single source with proven Metrohm support.

Find out more about Metrohm CIC: Get in touch

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White papers, application notes, webinars and more

White Paper: Screening for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) in water

Application Note: Adsorbable organically bound halogens analysis as per new DIN 38409-59

Application Note: Monitoring PFASs in water sources

Application Note:  Fast analysis of AOX in waters by CIC

Webinar: Monitoring PFAS and other organically bound halogens in water and wastewater