Challenges in the analytical determination of ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids and implications for environmental and human health

• Ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids have recently gained attention due to increasing environmental concentrations being observed. The most well-known ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acid is trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) which has been studied since the 1990s. Potential sources and the fate of ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids other than TFA are not well studied and data reporting their environmental occurrence is scarce. The analytical determination of ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids is challenging due to their high polarity resulting in low retention using reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Furthermore, recent studies have reported varying extraction recoveries in water samples depending on the water matrix and different methods have been suggested to increase the extraction recovery. The present review gives an overview of the currently used analytical methods and summarizes the findings regarding potential analytical challenges. In addition, the current state of knowledge regarding TFA and other ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids, namely perfluoropropanoic acid, trifluoromethane sulfonic acid, perfluoroethane sulfonic acid, and perfluoropropane sulfonic acid‚ are reviewed. Both known and potential sources as well as environmental concentrations are summarized and discussed together with their fate and the environmental and human implications.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Analytisk kemi (hsv//swe)

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

Keyword

Perfluoroethane sulfonic acid

Perfluoropropane sulfonic acid

Perfluoropropanoic acid

Trifluoroacetic acid

Trifluoromethane sulfonic acid

Ultra-short-chain perfluoroalkyl acid

Extraction

Analytical challenge

Analytical determination

Environmental concentration

Environmental occurrence

Perfluoroalkyl acids

Reversed phase liquid-chromatography

Liquid chromatography

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

for (subject category)