After hosting dozens of episodes of the Concentrating on Chromatography podcast, one thing is certain: PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are the ultimate technical challenge of our generation. These "forever chemicals" have forced the analytical community to rethink everything from how we source our pipette tips to the very way we define "clean" in a laboratory setting.
Through my conversations with the researchers at the front lines—from PhD students at UPenn to lead chemists at Aqua America—I’ve gathered insights into the high-stakes world of trace analysis. Here is what I’ve learned about the "beast" that is PFAS and the specialized workflows required to tame it.
If there is one thing that keeps a PFAS chemist up at night, it is background noise. Edward Faden of MAC-MOD Analytical shared a striking insight from a study identifying hidden sources of PFAS in "standard" lab setups. We aren't just talking about Teflon-lined caps; his team found detectable levels of PFAS in tissue, tin foil, gloves, and even sticky tape.
One of the most troublesome sources Faden identified originated from the gas line tubing supplying a nitrogen generator with compressed air. This highlights a critical lesson for labs: you cannot assume anything is PFAS-free. Even if a product is marketed as "PFAS-tested," Holly Lee from SCIEX reminds us that vendors might not be screening for the specific ultra-short chain compounds (like TFA) your lab is targeting.
To fight this, the industry is shifting toward the use of delay columns. These small columns are installed before the sample injector to physically separate background PFAS—originating from the LC system itself—from the PFAS in your actual sample.
We often get lost in the chromatograms, but the toxicology behind this work is staggering. Andrea, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, shared how her lab focuses on hormonal regulation. Her work revealed that PFOA can actually inhibit enzymes like AKR1C2, which are responsible for regulating potent androgens like DHT. By preventing these enzymes from "doing their duty," PFOA allows androgen levels to remain dangerously high, leading to conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome or prostate cancer.
Analyzing these effects requires extreme sensitivity. Andrea’s work with DHT presented a unique hurdle: the molecule has no chromophore, making it invisible to standard UV spectroscopy. Her solution was radio-chromatography, a "rediscovered" technique using radioactive labels to detect analytes after they pass through the column. This highlights a growing trend: as we dig deeper into the biological impact of PFAS, we need "creative detection" strategies that go beyond the status quo.
The analytical approach changes drastically depending on your matrix. Alex, an organic chemist at Aqua America, works in the highly regulated world of drinking water. For compliance with EPA Method 537.1, his lab focuses on extreme precision, using nitrogen blowdown to concentrate 7 mL of methanol extract down to exactly 1 mL. This 7:1 concentration ratio is the only way to reliably detect those elusive PPT levels.
In contrast, Bianca Costa (USC) deals with the "mumbo jumbo" of wastewater and soil, where total suspended solids can interfere with everything. She notably nicknamed her high-resolution LC-MS/MS "Elsa" because the instrument has a "personality" that requires constant troubleshooting. Bianca notes that for these complex matrices, EPA Method 1633 is a great starting point, but it requires intensive "iteration and customization" to handle matrix effects from industrial inhibitors.
Sample preparation remains the most labor-intensive part of the workflow. Bianca Costa calls nitrogen blowdown a "game-changer" for lab replicability. Before her lab acquired professional equipment, a DIY setup once "blew away" her samples, causing a minor lab panic.
However, there is still a place for innovation in low-resource settings. Dr. Eamonn Clarke (University of Hawaii at Manoa) shared a fascinating story about building homemade nitrogen evaporators using laser-cut parts and water baths when the budget didn't allow for commercial systems. While these DIY solutions are excellent for "dipping your toe in" or limited-term research, Clark admits that as throughput increases, labs eventually need to invest in the robustness of commercial products to maintain accuracy over thousands of samples.
One of the most useful tips I picked up from Holly Lee was the existence of the NIST PFAS Interference List (PIL). This open-source database allows researchers to see what interferences others have already identified in specific matrices like seafood or eggs, saving labs from falling down "troubleshooting rabbit holes".
We also discussed the rise of ultra-short chain PFAS like trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). These molecules are so polar they often "shoot right off the column" during standard reverse-phase chromatography. Addressing this requires specialized columns, such as the Phenomenex Luna Omega PS C18, and a "less is more" approach to sample handling to minimize the risk of human-introduced contamination.
The goal of the scientific community is slowly shifting from detection to remediation. Dr. David Hanigan at the University of Nevada, Reno, is focusing on thermal destruction, ensuring that incineration of PFAS-laden waste doesn't just release smaller, more volatile "forever chemicals" into the atmosphere.
Perhaps the most hopeful area is biotransformation. While long thought to be invincible, a 2019 study showed that a niche bacterium called Acidimicrobium A6 can actually defluorinate PFOA and PFOS. Bianca Costa points out that while this toolkit is still in its infancy and operates at "PPT-light" speeds, it offers a vision of a future where we can eventually "mineralize" these compounds using energy-efficient biological pathways.
PFAS analysis is not a "plug-and-play" field. It requires a perfect harmony between meticulous sample prep, high-end detection, and constant vigilance against contamination. Whether you are a regulated lab like Aqua America ensuring the safety of public tap water or a researcher like Dr. Clarke exploring the potential of "citizen science", your results are only as good as the preparation that precedes them.
At Organomation, we’ve been part of this lab history since 1959. We are proud to be the most cited nitrogen blowdown brand in U.S. EPA methods. As we look toward 2025 and beyond, we remain committed to helping you turn those "forever chemicals" into "finally analyzed" data.
Is your lab prepared for the next wave of PFAS regulations? Explore our case studies to see how leaders like Waters Corporation and Agilent utilize Organomation to achieve PPT-level precision.