Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Dark Matter: Role of Total Organofluorine Analysis

Significant effort continues in delineating the extent of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (PFAS) environmental impacts worldwide and recent advances in remedial approaches hold promise. However, the extent of remedial effort required for many of these sites remains unknown due to the presence of unknown or uncharacterized PFAS, which are not included as part of the suite of PFASs routinely monitored. However, these may transform to the monitored compounds or otherwise contribute to the risk burden of a site. The challenge in accounting for this pool of uncharacterized PFAS (the Dark Matter) can be significant as its nature and quantity is generally unknown. The issue may become more critical as jurisdictions consider moving to a ‘P-Sufficient’ or class-based approach to PFAS regulation.i 

Bureau Veritas Laboratories is actively developing technologies to determine the magnitude of total PFAS in environmental matrices such as soil, water and biota, as well as aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) and other industrial and consumer products. In this presentation the available technologies for providing data on total PFAS will be reviewed, and a detailed explanation of Total Organofluorine by Combustion Ion Chromatography and its practical application will be discussed. We will describe achievements to date in developing practical methods for a range of matrices as well as lessons learned and anticipated next steps. The role that this new analysis option is likely to take in the investigation of PFAS sources and remediation will be described.