Air Sampler for PFAS

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are groups of synthetic fluorinated chemicals.

They are extensively used in various industrial and consumer products because of their extraordinary thermal stability, chemical stability, surfactant properties, etc..

However, some substances in PFAS are regulated by the Stockholm Convention (POPs Convention).

There are thousands of types of PFAS in the environment, and there is still little data in the ambient air, so it is necessary to urgently clarify the actual situation.

An air sampler called FM4 for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was developed for analyzing PFAS in air. PFAS analysis using FM4 is a groundbreaking approach, which enabled the simultaneous collection and analysis of particulate and gaseous PFAS in air.

In conventional collection methods based on filtration, accurate measurement is often difficult because gaseous PFAS may be adsorbed on particles collected on the filter surface. A gaseous PFAS may change to its non-volatile form during sampling.

To solve these limitations, the FM4 was designed with an impactor that minimizes the contact between particles and gas and three types of adsorbents, which enable simultaneous collection of ionic and neutral/volatile PFAS. - Introduction

The collected PFAS is eluted with organic solvents and quantified by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Conventional activated carbons typically contain complicated pores. They have been used as adsorbents for PFAS; however, the complete elution of adsorbed PFAS is difficult to achieve. Therefore, we developed a new functional activated carbon adsorbent (GAIAC), which was used as the gas-type adsorbent. GAIAC is an innovative sorbent that is composed of synthetic resin fiber with optimized pore and surface activity, which enable the collection and elution of PFAS.

• Comprehensive Sampling Device - Both a particulate substance and a gaseous substance can be simultaneously collected using one compact sampler. Because it is possible to evaluate the collection amount for each material, a comprehensive PFAS evaluation is possible.
• Capable of Collecting Gaseous PFAS (FTOH, etc.) - The collection of gaseous PFAS in the air, which are difficult to collect, is now possible using the newly activated carbon desorption material.
• Excellent Recovery Rate - We achieved recovery rates for various PFAS.
• Compact and Portable - A lightweight and compact air sampler that is easy to carry and does not have a large footprint.