Quantitative determination of perfluorinated surfactants in water by LC-ESI-MS/MS

The surfactants perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and derivatives of the latter have emerged as globally distributed persistent environmental contaminants. Methods for their reliable quantitative determination at ppt‐levels (ng/L) are needed in order to detect their main sources, to elucidate their environmental fate, and to identify potential sinks. The common method for water analysis involves preconcentration by SPE followed by LC coupled to ESI MS/MS (LC‐ESI‐MS/MS). All sample preparation steps must be carefully optimized in order to arrive at reliable quantitative data. Two major aspects are important: (i) during SPE, contaminations may arise from materials containing traces of PFOA/S; (ii) during LC‐ESI‐MS/MS, ionization yields are suppressed by matrix components and depend upon the analyte concentrations in the extracts. The levels of PFOA/S in the river Roter Main near Bayreuth have been determined using the optimized method.