Abstract
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals that are everywhere” due to their long persistence and poor adsorption to most surfaces due to their surfactant nature and non-stick properties. While the film “Dark Waters” and the documentary “The Devil We Know” have highlighted the specific instance of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination in drinking water, there are over four thousand known PFAS, most of which we know little or nothing about in terms of health effects. The advances in liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) have given us tools for a deeper understanding of the ubiquitous compounds.
Please join Dr. Charles Powley of the STRIDE Center for PFAS Solutions and Advanced Materials Technology for a discussion on the pervasive nature of PFAS in our aquatic and agricultural systems. How these compounds, now 70 years in the making have evolved in their use, pose analytical challenges, and how to use the benefits of superficially porous particles and LCMS separations to overcome the challenges they present.