Novel Fluorinated Surfactants Tentatively Identified in Firefighters Using Liquid Chromatography Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Tandem Mass Spectrometry and a Case-Control Approach

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 2434 - 2442
• Main Authors: Rotander, Anna, Kärrman, Anna, Toms, Leisa-Maree L, Kay, Margaret, Mueller, Jochen F, Gómez Ramos, María José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 17-02-2015
• Subjects: Acids; Adult; Alkanesulfonic Acids - blood; Case-Control Studies; Chemicals; Chromatography; Chromatography, Liquid - methods; Contamination; Enviromental Science; Firefighters; Fluorocarbons - blood; Humans; Male; Mass Spectrometry; Miljövetenskap; Occupational Exposure - analysis; Principal Component Analysis; Scientific imaging; Statistical methods; Sulfonic Acids - blood; Surface-Active Agents - analysis; Surfactants; Tandem Mass Spectrometry - methods; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es503653n

Fluorinated surfactant-based aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are made up of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) and are used to extinguish fires involving highly flammable liquids. The use of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and other perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in some AFFF formulations has been linked to substantial environmental contamination. Recent studies have identified a large number of novel and infrequently reported fluorinated surfactants in different AFFF formulations. In this study, a strategy based on a case-control approach using quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (QTOF–MS/MS) and advanced statistical methods has been used to extract and identify known and unknown PFAS in human serum associated with AFFF-exposed firefighters. Two target sulfonic acids [PFOS and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)], three non-target acids [perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS), perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS), and perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS)], and four unknown sulfonic acids (Cl-PFOS, ketone-PFOS, ether-PFHxS, and Cl-PFHxS) were exclusively or significantly more frequently detected at higher levels in firefighters compared to controls. The application of this strategy has allowed for identification of previously unreported fluorinated chemicals in a timely and cost-efficient way.