Analysis of trifluoroacetic acid and other short-chain perfluorinated acids (C2-C4) in precipitation by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: comparison to patterns of long-chain perfluorinated acids (C5-C18).
A method has been developed to measure 29 perfluorinated acids (PFAs) including short-chain perfluorocarboxylates (PFCAs) such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA; C2) and long-chain PFCAs, perfluoroalkylsulfonates, fluorotelomer acids, and two perfluorooctylsulfonamides in water matrices. The method involves solid phase extraction (SPE) using a weak anion-exchange (WAX) cartridge, an ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column separation, and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) detection. To our knowledge, this is the first HPLC-MS/MS method to determine TFA in water at sub-ng L(-1) concentrations. The method is selective, simple, and robust, capable of measuring 29 PFAs in a single analysis, with overall recoveries of the target analytes ranging from 75% to 132%. The method was applied to the analysis of rainwater samples collected from two cities in Japan. TFA and several short-chain PFAs were the major compounds found in rainwater.
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 16-1 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8569, Japan.
Sachi
S
Taniyasu
Kurunthachalam
K
Kannan
Leo W Y
LW
Yeung
Karen Y
KY
Kwok
Paul K S
PK
Lam
Nobuyoshi
N
Yamashita
D002853:Chromatography, Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D005463:Fluoroacetates / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D052616:Solid Phase Extraction; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
D005463:Fluoroacetates