Introduction: The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water presents a significant concern to human health as these molecules can bioaccumulate and cause a variety of health issues. Coated Blade Spray (CBS) is a sample preparation technology that can be directly interfaced with mass spectrometer (MS) instrumentation for rapid screening and quantitation. In this work, weak anion exchange (WAX) coated blades were used to extract PFAS compounds from water and analyzed by MS with a prototype CBS Ion Source.
Methods: 18 PFAS compounds listed in EPA Method 537.1and internal standards were spiked into LC-MS grade water at concentrations ranging from 10 to 1000 ppt. Extraction from 750 µL samples of spiked water was performed using WAX coated blades for up to 60 minutes. Blades were then rinsed in water and allowed to air dry. Analysis was performed using an Opentrons liquid handling system with a prototype CBS Ion Source coupled to a Thermo TSQ Altis triple quadrupole mass spectrometer at a rate of 30 seconds per sample.
Preliminary Data: Of the 18 compounds analyzed, 14 showed signal-to-noise > 3 at 10 ppt and provided good linearity across a wide concentration range.
Novel Aspect: Coated blades utilizing a WAX coating were used to extract and analyze PFAS compounds.
