There Is Something in the Air! Short-Chain PFAS Detection with SICRIT®
They’re invisible, persistent, and everywhere: PFAS are turning up in more places than ever before, including the air we breathe. If you’re new to PFAS and their environmental impact, this overview article offers a comprehensive introduction. The awareness of the health risks posed by PFAS is steadily growing. Yet detecting these elusive compounds in the atmosphere remains one of the biggest analytical challenges, especially when it comes to the smallest, most mobile types. The good news? A new method centered around SICRIT® Ionization Technology is helping researchers push the boundaries of what’s possible in airborne short-chain PFAS detection.
PFAS and The Detection Gap in Air Monitoring
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of human-made chemicals that have been used for decades in products like non-stick pans, waterproof clothing, or fire-fighting foams. It is their resistance to water, grease, and heat that makes them as popular as they are, but simultaneously it’s the same resilience that makes them extremely persistent in the environment.
Often referred to as „forever chemicals“, PFAS don’t easily break down and can accumulate in air, water, soil, and even in living organisms. Currently, scientists have identified over 10,000 different PFAS compounds, many of which are poorly studied or not regulated. Research increasingly links PFAS exposure to a range of potential health concerns, including hormonal disruptions, immune system effects, reduced fertility, developmental delays in children, and even certain types of cancer. Even more concerning is their widespread presence that makes them a worldwide environmental concern: PFAS have not only been detected in the air we breathe, but also our drinking water, household dust, remote rainwater, and even in human blood samples across the globe.
While today regulations have begun targeting some of the longer-chain legacy PFAS (like PFOA and PFOS), manufacturers have shifted toward short-chain or even ultrashort-chain alternatives, such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). They are less studied but just as environmentally persistent and often even harder to detect. This creates a significant regulatory gap but also a scientific need for effective short-chain PFAS detection methods.
A New Analytical Approach for Short-Chain PFAS Detection in Air
In a recent paper, researchers tackled this major gap in PFAS research: the lack of an effective method to detect the entire range of PFAS compounds in air samples from ultrashort to long-chain species in a single, reliable analysis.
To solve this, the team developed a solvent-free, high-sensitivity method using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with dielectric barrier discharge ionization (DBDI) and high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS). The centerpiece of this setup? The SICRIT® ionization technology.
SICRIT® Helps Close the Gap
Unlike conventional methods, which struggle to account for the diverse volatilities and polarities of PFAS, the SICRIT® ion source technology introduces a fundamentally broader and more adaptable approach. Traditional analytical setups like GC-MS often exhibit low sensitivity for PFAS due to the need for derivatization, and they fall short when it comes to detecting long-chain species. On the other hand, LC-ESI-MS is better suited for medium- to long-chain PFAS, but it struggles with the highly polar and volatile ultrashort-chain compounds such as trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Complicating matters further, in-source fragmentation (ISF) is particularly high for short-chain PFAS due to their lower bond dissociation energies, which compromises both sensitivity and identification reliability.
With SICRIT®, the researchers achieved a full-spectrum ionization of PFAS from the elusive ultra short-chain to long-chain compounds while reducing ISF by over 60%, which improves accuracy and confidence in identification. The Solvent-free sample prep, thanks to the use of SPME, reduces background and allows for exceptional sensitivity, detecting PFAS at concentrations as low as 0.06 pg/m³.
Using this setup, the team successfully analyzed airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples collected across seasons. PFAS were found in all samples which reveals their ubiquitous presence, with ultrashort-chain TFA being the most dominant. Interestingly, higher concentrations were observed during warmer months, suggesting a combination of factors such as enhanced volatilization at higher temperatures, increased agricultural applications, and elevated product usage during warmer periods. Furthermore, correlations between PFAS and other pollutants, such as phthalates (used in plastic production) and flame retardants like OPEs (organophosphate esters). This observation hints at shared emission sources but also similar environmental behaviors like how they partition between air and particles or how they degrade.
This means the new approach not only improves detection but also offers valuable insight into how PFAS move, change, and interact in the air we breathe. SICRIT® enables researchers to track the full spectrum, including short-chain compounds, with a clarity and comprehensiveness that was so far out of reach.
The Future of Environmental Monitoring
This study shows that with SICRIT®, mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for tackling the increasingly complex challenge of airborne PFAS detection. Its ability to cover a full range of PFAS in one run, combined with solvent-free sample collection and improved data quality, marks a step forward in environmental analysis.
Looking ahead, this method as innovation in short-chain PFAS detection can support more accurate air quality monitoring, regulatory decision-making, and deeper insights into PFAS transformation in the atmosphere. As research continues to grow, tools like SICRIT® will play a critical role in making the invisible visible and guiding authorities toward cleaner air and safer ecosystems.