Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are a hot topic in the news cycle due to their negative health impact. PFAS are widely used in different industries (for example: as surfactants for film-forming foams or as impregnating agents for packaging)
Due to their extreme persistence, they are called “forever chemicals”, as longer chain compounds accumulate in the environment and biomagnify.
The negative health impacts have forced governmental and standardisation bodies to take action against the most harmful PFASs, but suitable analytical techniques to trace and regulate these chemicals are needed.
Targeted analysis of PFASs is complex and requires expensive instrumentation. Conversely, determining non-targeted sum parameters is an easier way to screen for PFASs. Adsorbable organically bound fluorine (AOF) is an adequate screening method for PFASs in water.
DIN 38409-59 describes how to use the combination of pyrohydrolytic combustion and ion chromatography (CIC) for AOF analysis – for which Metrohm provides a robust and reliable solution.
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