PFAS workflows are continuously being developed to meet evolving testing requirements for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) worldwide, driven by increasing health concerns related to these persistent chemicals in our environment. Global regulatory organizations are developing and publishing testing requirements to standardize the application of PFAS testing, considering extended compound lists, various sample matrices, and lower detection limits. EPA Method 1633 is one example of a regulatory method that mandates determining the quantitative results for 40 PFAS compounds.1 Laboratories face the challenge of meeting these requirements while improving sample throughput and maintaining data quality to meet their productivity needs. Previously, this was difficult due to a fragmented approach across sample preparation, analytical detection, and data processing. However, a holistic method from a single vendor offers a comprehensive and seamless workflow solution.
This work describes that workflow by leveraging the Dionex AutoTrace 280 PFAS SPE instrument to automate the soil sample solid-phase extraction (SPE) cleanup stage that is described in EPA Method 1633. The workflow utilizes the Thermo Scientific™ Vanquish Flex™ Binary UHPLC, the TSQ Altis Plus triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, and the Chromeleon Chromatography Data System to achieve reproducible and precise sample quantitation to meet the regulatory requirements for both water and solid sample types. In this work, an overview of the LC-MS/MS workflow for PFAS quantitation in solid samples will be discussed in detail.