GEN-MKT-18-7897-A
Aug 19, 2020 | Blogs, Environmental / Industrial | 0 comments
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) continue to persist throughout the environment.Concerns about the health dangers posed by these contaminants, along with the possibility of biological toxicity of legacy PFAS such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanoic sulfonic acid (PFOS), have led to the production of PFAS alternatives.1 Such alternatives include hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA), commonly referred to as GenX.
I covered the what’s and whys of PFAS contamination in my last post. This time let’s explore some of the existing regulatory guidelines to handle these resilient contaminants. I’d also like to look at how the triple quadrupole and linear ion trap mass spectrometers can help you characterize and quantify the presence of PFAS and GenX in water to comply with those limits.
A snapshot of global regulations and guidelines
North America
There has been quite a bit of PFAS regulation in the US in recent years. In early 2019, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the multi-pronged Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan. As you scroll through the plan, you’ll appreciate the extent of the task ahead. Some have criticized the strategy behind this plan for moving slowly in the face of widespread PFAS exposures. This has prompted independent action by state and regional organizations, which are now introducing their own bans and regulations.
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the EPA has regulated more than 90 drinking water contaminants, setting maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for specific chemicals in public water supplies. However, there are arguments that the health advisory levels established in this act—70 parts per trillion—are as much as 10 times too high for chemicals found in Teflon and firefighting foam.
As an analytical scientist, I was excited when the EPA introduced its new validated method for determining PFAS levels in drinking water, known as Method 533, which focuses on “short-chain” PFAS and PFAS with carbon chain lengths of 4 to 12. Using this method in combination with the EPA’s Method 537.1 can enable testing for 11 additional PFAS.
Canada has designated several classes of chemicals as toxic substances and has prohibited its use and import. The current guideline for Canadian drinking water quality for PFOA is 0.02 ug/L and for PFOS is 0.06 ug/L.
European Union (EU)
PFOS and PFOA are both listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Annex A of theStockholm Convention, This guide advises the elimination of the production and use of the chemicals. Due to the recommendations in this guide, PFAS use and manufacture are much less in the EU than in the US. The region has been taking measures for a while now, to reduce its PFAS footprint, mainly addressing well-known PFAS substances and their precursors.
At the moment, PFOS is regulated as a POP under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) law.2 In 2017, the EU classified PFOA and similar substances as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) on the REACH list. GenX was added to this list due to its persistent and toxic properties when it comes to drinking water and the environment. That said, the plan is to regulate these substances in phases. Another candidate for strict regulation is perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS) along with PFOA and PFOS as priority hazardous substances under the EU’sWater Framework Directive.3-5
Australasia
In this region, Australia is leading the charge. The Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989 regulates new PFAS and new precursor chemicals that could break down to form PFAS. Australia also enforces import and export controls on PFOS, and selected precursors are listed under the Rotterdam Convention.
New Zealand on the other hand, has prohibited the import, manufacture and use of PFOS and restricted the use of PFOA since 2011. In 2017, the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996 banned the use of any non-approved Class B foam concentrates (foams that have not been tested and confirmed as free of PFOS and PFOA).
In addition, both Australia and New Zealand have collaborated to develop a PFAS National Environmental Management Plan (NEMP) to build a consistent approach to regulating the use of PFAS.
Asia and the Middle East
There is a lot of room for PFAS regulation to grow in this region. Many countries have restricted the use of PFOS in line with the Stockholm Convention, but most PFAS substances are still unregulated. Firefighting foams and extinguishers, for example, are readily available for consumer purchase in most countries in this region.
Characterize and quantify PFAS and GenX
Now that you have an overall understanding of the existing regulations let’s look at triple quadrupole and QTRAP® mass spectrometers available to help you comply with them. Whether you are a water provider, a utility company or an environmental monitoring agency, you are most likely contending with:
Well, guess what? The QTRAP addresses these issues head-on. Not only can they handle high-volume, routine PFAS analyses for water samples from multiple sources, but their advanced features will also prepare any environmental testing lab for whatever the future holds.
Just to give you a picture:
SCIEX QTRAP technology is renowned for delivering sensitivity and selectivity with minimal sample prep, short runtimes and powerful data-processing capabilities. It’s also robust enough to keep up with demanding environmental samples, and it delivers reproducible results. When it comes to meeting the demands of routine PFAS testing, every environmental lab should consider the SCIEX Triple Quad System.
The SCIEX QTRAP series: The power behind routine environmental testing
When you bring the SCIEX QTRAP Series together with an extensive PFAS MS/MS spectral library in the business, you’ll never look back. And here’s why:
Together, these features in a platform offer you the speed, accuracy and robustness you need high-throughput, routine PFAS testing. Download your copy of the QTRAP system compendium to learn more about how the SCIEX QTRAP Series can help with your analysis.
If you’re interested in learning about analytical techniques that can help you effectively discover PFAS and their precursors, read this blog.
References
It is no secret that (bio)pharmaceutical research and development is complex, both scientific and regulatory processes. Here is an overview of just some of the ways SCIEX is working to support these challenges.
In a recent webinar, available on demand, scientists Luiza Chrojan and Ryan Hylands from Pharmaron, provided insights into the deployment of capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) within cell and gene therapy. Luiza and Ryan shared purity data on plasmids used for adeno-associated virus (AAV) manufacturing and data on AAV genome integrity, viral protein (VP) purity and VP ratios using the BioPhase 8800 system.
Last year, Technology Networks hosted two webinars that featured groundbreaking research utilizing SWATH DIA (data-independent acquisition) for exposomics and metabolomics. Researchers Dr. Vinicius Verri Hernandes from the University of Vienna and Dr. Cristina Balcells from Imperial College London (ICL) demonstrated how a DIA approach can be successfully implemented in small molecule analysis using the ZenoTOF 7600 system. Their innovative approaches highlight the potential of SWATH DIA to enhance the detection and analysis of chemical exposures and metabolites, paving the way for new insights into environmental health and disease mechanisms.
Posted by
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Share this post with your network