title: Particle-size distribution of airborne poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances.
abstract: Eleven particle-size-segregated samples were taken to investigate the particle-size distribution of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) using two five stage impactors in parallel. Samples were extracted with methanol and detected by HPLC/MS-MS. Investigation yielded reproducible results for the parallel samples over the entire sampling period. Particle-size distribution varied between perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and other perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs), perfluorooctane carboxylate (PFOA) and other perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) and n-methyl-perfluorooctanesulfonamido ethanol (MeFOSE). Whereas PFOA and MeFOSE were predominantly observed in smallest size fraction (<0.14μm), maximum PFOS mass fractions were observed in the coarser size fractions between 1.38 and 3.81μm. The reason for this different behaviour remained unclear and indicated a complex atmospheric PFAS processing and sampling which should be further investigated and optimized, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Eurofins GfA, Air Monitoring, Stenzelring 14b, 21107 Hamburg, Germany; Helmhotz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute for Coastal Research, Max-Planck Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany. Electronic address: annekatrindreyer@eurofins.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dreyer
authors.affiliation: Helmhotz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute for Coastal Research, Max-Planck Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirchgeorg
authors.affiliation: Helmhotz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute for Coastal Research, Max-Planck Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.affiliation: Helmhotz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Institute for Coastal Research, Max-Planck Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matthias
mesh_terms: D000388:Air / Q000032:analysis*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D005858:Germany; D010316:Particle Size; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons
keywords: Aerosol; Impactor; PFOA; PFOS