Determination of per- and polyfluorinated substances in airborne particulate matter by microwave-assisted extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive and confirmatory analytical method has been developed for the determination of 12 ionic per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in fine airborne particulate matter (PM2.5) at trace levels. The proposed method includes extraction of PM2.5-bound PFAS by microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) followed by centrifugation and injection into the liquid chromatograph coupled to a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry system (LC–MS/MS). The main parameters affecting the performance of MAE were optimised using statistical design of experiments (DoE). Recoveries ranged from 83 to 120% and the method quantification limit (MQL) was 1.4 pg m−3, when air volumes of 720 m3 were sampled. This method was successfully applied to 41 samples collected from five stations of the monitoring network of the Valencian Regional Government (Spain) during April–July 2010. Eight out of 12 PFCs investigated were quantified in at least one sample (PFBA, PFPeA, PFHxS, 6:2 FTS, PFOA, PFNA, PFOS and PFDA). The measured concentrations ranged from 1.4 to 34.3 pg m−3.