Analytical challenges for ultrashort-chain perfluoropropionic acid: Loss to polypropylene materials Swadhina Priyadarshini Lenka 1 , Melanie Kah 2 , Lokesh P. Padhye 1 1 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Auckland, New Zealand, 2 School of Environment, The University of Auckland, New Zealand Polypropylene (PP) materials have been recommended for handling per/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by international standard methods and most literature to date. However, only a few studies reported sorption of PFAS, mostly long-chain PFAS, from aqueous samples to PP surface during common laboratory practices such as storage, preparation, treatment, and analysis 1 . At present, knowledge regarding the sorption of short-chain and ultrashort-chain PFAS to PP surfaces remains limited. The recent detection of perfluoropropionic acid (PFPrA) in various important aqueous matrices including groundwater, rainwater, snow, and even drinking water worldwide 2 3 4 , calls for further research on PFPrA sources and accurate trace analysis. In this study, a simple direct injection method was developed based on Liang et al., 2019 5 and standard methods 6 7 for the simultaneous analysis of ultrashort-chain PFPrA, and short-chain PFBA and PFBS using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer. The LODs and LOQs of spiked samples in milli-Q water were 0.8 and 2.5 µg/L for PFPrA, 0.1 and 0.3 µg/L for PFBA, and 0.05 and 0.2 µg/L for PFBS. We observed significant losses of up to 22, 17, and 26 % for PFPrA, PFBA, and PFBS, respectively to PP materials after 48 hours. Losses increased linearly in the first four hours and unevenly thereafter, suggesting reversible sorption to PP surface. Accounting for such losses occurring in the laboratory is essential for the accurate quantification of ultrashort/short-chain PFAS in our environment and evaluation of various treatment efficiencies for such compounds at trace concentrations. Keywords: PFPrA; PFAS; PP; loss; sorption References 1. S. Lath, E. R. Knight, D. A. Navarro, R. S. Kookana and M. J. McLaughlin, Sorption of PFOA onto different laboratory materials: Filter membranes and centrifuge tubes, Chemosphere , 2019, 222, 671–678. 2. S. P. Lenka, M. Kah and L. P. Padhye, Occurrence and fate of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in urban waters of New Zealand, J. Hazard. Mater. , 2022, 428, 128257. 3. S. J. Chow, N. Ojeda, J. G. Jacangelo and K. J. Schwab, Detection of ultrashort-chain and other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in U.S. bottled water, Water Res. , 2021, 117292. 4. M. Kotthoff and M. Bücking, Four chemical trends will shape the next decade’s directions in perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances research, Front. Chem. , , DOI:10.3389/fchem.2018.00103. 5. S.-H. Liang, Integrating the Analysis of Ultrashort-Chain PFAS: Method Development for Simultaneous Analysis of Ultrashort-Chain, Alternative, and Legacy PFAS, , DOI:https://www.restek.com/globalassets/pdfs/literature/evan3073-unv. pdf. 6. USEPA, Method 533: Determination of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Drinking Water by Isotope Dilution Anion Exchange Solid Phase Extraction and Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry, EPA Doc. No. 815-B-19-020 , 2019, Washington, 1–52. 7. J. A. S. and D. R. Tettenhorst, 537.1 - 1, EPA Doc. # EPA/600/R-18/352 , 2018, 1, 1–50.
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