Suspect Screening for PFAS in Groundwater with an Accessible LC-MS Workflow.
Bianca F da Silva1, Kya N Bruckner2, Sonia C N Queiroz3
1Institute of Chemistry, National Institute of Science and Technology of Bioanalytics Lauro Kubota, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Cidade Universitária Zeferino Vaz, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
ACS Omega
|April 13, 2026
Summary
A new suspect screening method detects previously unidentified per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater contaminated by aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). This accessible workflow enhances PFAS detection in environmental samples.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Groundwater contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a significant environmental issue in North America, with over 9500 affected locations.
- Aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) is a primary source of this contamination, particularly at military and airfield sites.
- Many PFAS remain uncharacterized and undetected by traditional targeted analytical methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an accessible suspect screening workflow for identifying a broader range of PFAS in AFFF-impacted groundwater.
- To complement or offer an alternative to classical targeted PFAS analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilized liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS) with data-dependent acquisitions.
- Employed a suspect screening strategy using the NIST PFAS suspect list.
- Processed data with TraceFinder software and FreeStyle MS2 spectral management.
Main Results:
- Identified eleven PFAS compounds in groundwater samples impacted by AFFF.
- Successfully detected six PFAS, including 1H-perfluoropentane, 1H-perfluoroheptane, perfluorobutylsulfonamide (FBSA), perfluorohexanesulfonamide (FHxSA), perfluoropropanesulfonamide (FPrSA), and perfluoropropanesulfonic acid (PFPrS), which were not found using targeted methods.
- Sensitivity limitations due to direct sample injection may have prevented detection of lower-concentration PFAS.
Conclusions:
- The developed suspect screening workflow is simple, requires minimal software investment, and is suitable for widespread adoption by researchers.
- This approach enhances the ability to detect and characterize a wider array of PFAS in environmental matrices.
- Further optimization may be needed to overcome sensitivity limitations for detecting trace-level PFAS concentrations.
