Determination of PFAS in soil and sewage sludge as a sum parameter EOF (Extractable organically bound fluorine)

PFAS are per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances with persistent properties, which have therefore been and still are used in everyday objects (e.g., water-repellent coatings for textiles and paper, cookware). Due to their multiple uses, PFAS are currently found in numerous environmental samples. Besides monitoring of surface water or contaminated soils, control at wastewater treatment plants is of increasing interest. Since PFAS are very resistant to conventional biological treatment in wastewater plants, they can not be removed from wastewater without a special treatment step and are therefore often found in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants or in sewage sludge. In this application note, Analytik Jena shows that the quantification of PFAS in different solid samples as a sum parameter can be carried out very quickly and easily with the described EOF method using the contrAA 800.