A rapid method for analysis of PFAS including structural PFOS isomers in human serum using 96-well plate column-switching UPLC-S/MS

• To facilitate high-throughput analysis suitable for large epidemiological studies we developed an automated column-switching ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method for determination of perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs; C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, C10, C11, C12, and C13), perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs; C4, C6, C8, and C10), perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA), and five groups of structural perfluorooctane sulfonic acids (PFOS) isomers in human serum or plasma. The analytical procedure involves rapid protein precipitation using 96-well plates followed by a fully automated sample clean-up using an on-line trap column removing many potentially interfering sample components while through the mobile phase gradient the target analytes are eluted onto the analytical column for further separation and subsequent mass detection. The method showed good linearity (R2 < 0.995) at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 60 ngmL-1 and low method detection limits (MDLs) ranging between 0.01-0.17 ngmL-1 depending on the analyte. The precision of the developed method was good, with within-run (n=7) and between-run (n=103) coefficients of variation between 2% and 20% for most compounds including PFOS (2%, 8%) and its structural isomers (2-6% and 4-8%). The method showed good conformity with a standard reference material (n=56). The columnswitching UPLC method has been successfully applied for the determination of perflourinated alkyl acids (PFAAs), including structural PFOS isomers, and PFOSA in human plasma from an epidemiological study.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

human blood

perfluoroalkylated substances

structural isomers

perfluorooctane sulfonamide

sample preparation

column-switch

pfos

pfoa

Chemistry

Kemi

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)