PFAS persistence and methods for analysis
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals that since the 1940s have been incorporated into a range of industrial and domestic products such as AFFFs (aqueous film-forming foams), cosmetics, household products, medical devices, food contact materials, inks, pesticides, oil production, textiles, leather, and apparel. PFAS have attracted global scientific, regulatory and community attention due to their environmental persistence and bioaccumulative properties.
A smaller suite of legacy PFAS consists of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), of which the most notorious are perfluoroalkylsulfonic acid (PFOS; C8HF17O3S) and perfluoroalkyloctanoic acid (PFOA; C8HF15O2). Global restrictions on the use of PFOA and PFOS have led to the development of thousands of replacement novel PFAS, most without publicly available information on their production, use, environmental distribution, and/or toxicology.
This webcast will highlight PFAS persistence in the context of the Australian environment, including methods of analysis for targeted measurements with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC–QQQ–MS), and non-target analysis with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC–QTOF–MS), followed by an examination of PFAS in the urban environment, which includes wastewater treatment plants as well as novel sources such as chemical warehouse fires and high-performance motor cars.
Learn:
• Key differences between LC–QQQ and LC–QTOF and how are they used for providing information on PFAS in the environment
• Reliability of techniques for quantifying total PFAS in samples
• Novel sources of PFAS in the urban environment
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This webcast has been produced by Agilent, who retails sole responsibility for content. About this content.
Speaker
Bradley Clarke, Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne
Brad Clarke, Ph.D., is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne (Australia). Brad’s research focuses on assessing the risk to public health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Prior to joining the University of Melbourne, Brad was the Program manager for the Environmental Science degree at RMIT University and has held postdoctoral positions at Imperial College London and the University of Arizona. Brad is the founder and chief investigator at the Australian Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants (ALEC).
Moderator
Sarah Hiddleston, Nature Research Custom Media
Sarah Hiddleston is a freelance journalist who has worked with Nature Research Custom Media since 2015. Previously, Sarah worked for a decade in Madras (Chennai), India, specialising in health, pharmaceutical and environmental stories. Sarah holds an MA in Investigative Journalism from City University London, an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics, and an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Cambridge, UK.
