Why you should be concerned about Perfluorinated Compounds?

Many recent news stories have featured perfluorinated compounds, PFOS and PFOA. What exactly are these compounds and why such concern?

Perfluorinated compounds are a group of industrial chemicals that have been used for over 50 years in surface treatments, surfactants, firefighting foams, and many other applications. They are also a critical ingredient in the manufacturing of popular stain prevention products and non-stick pans. PFCs are very stable and persistent compounds which make them very useful in their intended applications, however, these characteristics also make them bio-accumulative should they migrate into the environment.

Recent studies have revealed the presence of these compounds in the blood of arctic polar bears, as well as in the blood of humans in many industrial nations. Additional studies in animals have demonstrated carcinogenic effects. With their wide spread distribution in the environment and an indication of their effect human health effect, there is greater concern over these particular compounds. PFOS (a sulfonated perfluorinated compound) and PFOA (a carboxylated perfluorinated compound) have been highlighted as the compounds having the largest environmental impact.

Analyzing and quantifying these compounds is difficult because of their nearly ubiquitous nature in the laboratory. High background levels have hampered sensitivity and prevented the desired detection limits from being reached. Scientists at Waters Corporation have developed a unique solution to this problem. Using a special instrument configuration with the ACQUITY UPLC® system, the background interference can be removed from the analyzed sample, leading to much lower detection limits than previously demonstrated. Methods have been developed for water and blood samples that capable of detecting PFOA down to 0.5 ppt and PFOS down to 0.4 ppt, both in less than 10 minutes.

Available in an easy to use PFC Analysis Kit, this analytical solution provides a robust solution to this challenging problem. To learn more, please visit us at www.waters.com/environment.