Determination of Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Soils Using Carbon S SPE by LC/MS/MS

Graphitized carbon black (GCB) has been used widely in sample preparation for efficient removal of pigments and other matrix interferences. However, GCB may cause the loss of some analytes.

Carbon S is an advanced hybrid carbon material with optimized carbon content and pore structure. Compared to GCB, Carbon S provides equivalent or better pigment removal from sample matrices, while significantly improving recovery for some GCB-selective analytes (such as planar pesticides). As a result, Carbon S sorbent provides a better balance between analyte recovery and matrix removal efficiency than traditional GCB sorbent. The Carbon S sorbent is applied in the same SPE cartridge format with the same bed mass as GCB SPE. The Carbon S SPE cartridges can be used as a replacement for the GCB cartridges for applications where SPE methodology is used.

This study investigates the post-extraction matrix cleanup of 59 PFAS from loamy sand, reed sedge peat, and topsoil using the Bond Elut Carbon S 250 mg, 6 mL cartridges followed by LC/MS/MS analysis.

Presenter: Matt Giardina (Applications Chemist, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)

Matthew Giardina is an applications chemist at Agilent Technologies focusing on the development of sample preparation techniques for challenging environmental applications. He has been with Agilent for 10 years and working in the field of analytical chemistry for over 20 years. He received and B.S. in chemistry from the University of Maryland at College Park and Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the Ohio State University.