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PFAS: per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances

PFAS

What are PFAS?

PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, are a group of more than 4,700 chemical compounds known for their water, grease and dirt repellent properties. These properties have made them indispensable in numerous industrial and consumer products for decades - from water-repellent textiles to fire extinguishing foams. But the benefits come at a price: PFAS are often referred to as “eternal chemicals” because they are extremely persistent in the environment. They hardly degrade, accumulate in soil, water and ultimately in living organisms.

Poly- and perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), also known as perfluorinated surfactants (PFTs), can already be released during their production or during the manufacture of products containing PFCs into the environment. The use and disposal of these products disposal of these products, PFCs can also be released be released further down the line.

Characteristics of PFC

Polyfluorinated and perfluorinated compounds are carbon chains of different lengths in which the hydrogen atoms are completely (perfluorinated) or partially (polyfluorinated) are replaced by fluorine atoms. As these bonds are very stable, products in which PFCs are used have have a high thermal and chemical stability and are dirt, color, grease, oil and water repellent. Since 1966 this group of substances has been used in numerous areas (e.g. in inks, paints, lubricants, coatings for leather, paper and leather, paper and textiles, etc.). The American company 3M also launched the first foam extinguishing first foam extinguishing agent on the market, which contains perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) to achieve the water film-forming characteristics.

The dangers of PFCs

PFCs do not occur naturally in nature. Neither bacterial processes nor light, water or air contribute to the degradation of this group of substances. PFCs therefore remain in the environment for a very long time and are spread globally via rivers, oceans and the air. PFCs have even been detected in ice and in organisms in the Arctic.

PFCs can enter wastewater treatment systems through washing processes and accumulate in sewage sludge. If this sewage sludge is used as a soil conditioner in agriculture, plants can absorb the PFCs from the contaminated soil or the substances can enter the groundwater.

Volatile PFCs, for example from impregnation sprays, are dispersed into the atmosphere via air currents. PFCs can adsorb to particles there and thus be transported over long distances in the air. In turn, PFCs enter the soil and surface waters via precipitation events.

Disposal is currently only possible through incineration at high temperatures with subsequent flue gas cleaning.

PFOS was defined as a “PBT substance” (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic) in the Stockholm Convention in 2009 and included in the list of POPs (persistent organic pollutants). PFCs form compounds with proteins in the human body. In animal experiments, they were carcinogenic or carcinogenic, and they are suspected of being toxic to reproduction.

In 2010, 17 PFCs were defined by the OSPAR Commission (responsible for everything that is discharged, dumped or transferred into the North Sea and North Atlantic) as a risk to the aquatic and marine environment, widespread distribution in one or more marine habitats and therefore a risk for entering the food chain.

How can the GBA Group support you?

PFAS analyses are an indispensable step in minimizing environmental and compliance risks. Using technology such as LC-MS/MS, we offer you precise analyses in various matrices (soil, water, extinguishing foams, etc.).

We analyze PFAS according to the prescribed methods with limits of quantification depending on the matrix. We cover a broad spectrum of compounds.

Our scope of services:

  • PFCPerfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
  • Perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
  • Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
  • Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
  • Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
  • Perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
  • Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
  • Perfluorundecanoic acid (PFUnDA)
  • Perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoDA)
  • Perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)
  • Perfluorobutane sulfonic acid (PFBS)
  • Perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
  • Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS)
  • Perfluoroheptane sulfonic acid (PFHpS)
  • Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS)
  • Perfluorononanesulfonic acid (PFNS)
  • Perfluorodecane sulfonic acid (PFDS)
  • Perfluorundecane sulfonic acid (PFUnDS)
  • Perfluorododecane sulfonic acid (PFDoDS)
  • Perfluorotridecane sulfonic acid (PFTrDS)
  • Total PFAS-20
  • Total PFAS-4
  • Perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTA)
  • 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctane sulfonate (6:2-FTS)
  • Perfluorooctane sulfonamide (PFOSA)
  • 2H,2H,3H,3H-Perfluoroundecanoic acid (H4PFUnA)
  • Perfluoro-3,7-dimethyloctanoic acid (PF-3,7-DMOA)
  • 7H-dodecanefluoroheptanoic acid (HPFHpA)
  • 2H,2H-perfluorodecanoic acid (H2PFDA)
  • 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanoic sulfonate (8:2-FTS)
  • 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorohexane sulfonate (FTS-4:2)
  • Capstone A
  • Capstone B
  • 2H,2H-perfluorodecanoic acid (H2PFDA)
  • TFA
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