title: Multianalyte profiling of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in liquid commercial products.
abstract: The chemical properties of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) make them widespread for use in a number of industrial and commercial products to confer water and oil-repellency characteristics and to reduce surface tension e.g. in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs). Some PFASs, especially perfluoroctane sulfonate, and several perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, are known to cause significant human and environmental negative impact. Our knowledge on the content of PFASs in products remains scarce due to limited information available, thus impeding any precise assessment of human exposure and environmental release upon use. This study aimed at analyzing a wide variety of liquid products (n = 194) likely to contain PFASs, including impregnating agents, lubricants, cleansers, polishes, AFFFs and other industrial products. By means of LC- and GC-MS/MS analytical techniques, 24 PFASs (from 41 targeted PFASs) were detected and quantified in 55% of samples. PFAS quantification and profiling was found to be consumer product specific. PFASs were mostly detected in AFFF (90%) and impregnating agents (60%) with mainly ionic and neutral species, respectively. In particular, the fluorotelomer alcohols 6:2, 8:2 and 10:2 FTOHs were detected in 40-50% of impregnating agents. Further investigation by Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry (FAB-MS) on a set of AFFF samples allowed the characterization of 8 different PFAS classes as major components in these formulations. Results demonstrated that numerous and diversified PFAS are currently used in specific commercial products, implying significant human exposure and environmental release that necessitate further research concerning their toxicological impact.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment, Transport and Agriculture, General Direction of Environment, Service of Toxicology of Building Environment, 1211, Geneva 8, Switzerland. Electronic address: philippe.favreau@etat.ge.ch.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Favreau
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment, Transport and Agriculture, General Direction of Environment, Service of Toxicology of Building Environment, 1211, Geneva 8, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poncioni-Rothlisberger
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Place
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Air Pollution Control and Chemicals Division, CH-3003, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bouchex-Bellomie
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Air Pollution Control and Chemicals Division, CH-3003, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Air Pollution Control and Chemicals Division, CH-3003, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tremp
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Field
authors.affiliation: Department of Environment, Transport and Agriculture, General Direction of Environment, Service of Toxicology of Building Environment, 1211, Geneva 8, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohler
mesh_terms: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006795:Household Products / Q000032:analysis; D054327:Lubricants / Q000032:analysis; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D017738:Alkanesulfonic Acids; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D054327:Lubricants
keywords: Aqueous fire-fighting foams (AFFFs); Consumer products; Human exposure; Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs)