High Resolution Accurate Mass (HRAM) Orbitrap Technology and Compound Discoverer: A Novel Approach for Comprehensive Profiling of 10,000+ PFAS Compounds

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of persistent chemicals widely used in various industrial and consumer products. Due to their persistence and potential adverse health effects, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the PFAS profile in environmental matrices.

In this session, we will present how High-Resolution Accurate Mass (HRAM) Thermo ScientificTM Orbitrap technology, coupled with Thermo Scientific Compound Discoverer software, which offers a powerful tool for non-targeted analysis of PFAS compounds in water and soil samples. This straightforward approach enables the detection and identification of over 10,000 PFAS compounds in a single analysis by leveraging fine signature fragment and FluoroMatch Suite databases along with other specific libraries, providing a more complete picture of the PFAS profile in a given sample. The HRAM technology allows for precise mass measurements and high-resolution mass spectrometry, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of PFAS compound annotation. The Compound Discoverer software facilitates data processing and analysis, enabling retrospective review of the PFAS profile as new health concerns arise. This combination of HRAM Orbitrap technology and Compound Discoverer software offers a quicker and more efficient approach to screen for PFAS compounds, ultimately contributing to the protection of public health and safety.

Presenter: Toby Astill (Director, Vertical Marketing - Environmental and Food Safety, Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Dr Toby Astill is the Director of Vertical Marketing, Environmental and Food Safety in the Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Division of Thermo Fisher Scientific. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry and has spent the last 14 years working in science, technology and business roles for leading technology companies. Toby is passionate about driving business and collaborations with customers and regulatory organizations; his responsibilities include marketing workflows that provide novel analytical workflows to tackle complex analytical testing challenge market and industry research, new product development, collaboration agreements with customers, application content generation and marketing initiatives.

Presenter: Ed George (Vertical Marketing Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Ed George has a BS in Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame with concentration in Environmental Science. He worked for 15 years in the environmental laboratory industry, holding positions of Lab Technician, Lab Manager, and R&D Manager, responsible for developing novel sample preparation and analytical methods in soil and water on GC/MS/MS and LC/MS/MS platforms. He participated in several collaborative method development projects with the USEPA. In 2014, he joined Thermo Fisher Scientific and is currently a Senior Applications Scientist. He has worked closely with key collaborators on food safety and environmental projects in universities and industry and has recently developed workflow applications for pesticide and veterinary drug residues in food on both LC/MS/MS and high-resolution MS platforms.

Presenter: Richard Cochran (Senior Application Scientist for LSMS, Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Richard Cochran is a Senior Application Scientist for LSMS at Thermo Fisher Scientific, with over 15 years of experience in mass spectrometry, with strong expertise in high resolution mass spectrometry and untargeted analysis. Richard received is PhD in Analytical Chemistry from the University of North Dakota. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher Scientific, Richard was a senior principal investigator within the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment (CAICE, a National Science Foundation Center of Innovation) and served as the director of the Environmental and Complex Analysis Laboratory at the University of California San Diego. Throughout his career he has published more than 20 scientific publications in the area of mass spectrometry, altogether having more than 1,000 citations.