Method development for the determination of residual fluorotelomer raw materials and perflurooctanoate in fluorotelomer-based products by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry

The methodology for the determination of perfluorooctanoate (C7F15COO–, PFO), fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs: 6-2, 8-2, and 10-2), perfluorooctyl iodide (PFOI), and 8-2-8 fluorotelomer alcohol ester in complex fluorotelomer-based commercial products has been demonstrated and validated. Sample preparation procedures allowing determination of residual levels of these compounds were developed. The analytes were detected either by LC/MS/MS (PFO), LC/MS (FTOHs), or GC/MS (PFOI, 8-2-8 ester). The methods were validated by investigating the recoveries of analytes spiked at multiple levels to authentic sample matrices. The recoveries generally were between 70 and 130%. The limits of detection were in sub-μg/g range and the limits of quantitation were in the μg/g range. The methods were applied to fluorotelomer-based raw materials and fluorotelomer-based surfactants and polymeric products and represent methods useful for the determination of higher carbon chain length homologs as well.