PFAS 101: what are they, where are they, how do we test for them?

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are manmade chemicals used in multiple industries - from paint to food packing - due to their surfactant and non-stick properties. In recent years PFAS have seen increasing attention from regulators as our understanding of their environmental persistence and biological impacts have evolved. And with regulations, come the need to accurately quantify PFAS, often at very low concentrations. Moreover, given the large family of known PFAS (>5,000), researchers and regulators are not only concerned with quantifying PFAS, but also with discovering as yet unknown PFAS.

 

PFAS 101: what are they, where are they, how do we test for them? is designed for people who want to learn about this increasingly important family of chemicals, including where we find them in our day-to-day lives and how to quantify/screen for them using LC-MS.

 

Learning Objectives