Groupe du prof. Sauvé
Tracing the Sources and Occurrence of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Aquatic Environment
This seminar is related to my Ph.D. project, which is about the screening of perfluoroalkyl and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment. The high chemical and thermal stability of PFAS, with their excellent surfactant properties, have made them desirable for many industrial and consumer products. PFAS can eventually be released into the environment, with high potential negative health effects. These compounds demonstrate persistence to conventional treatment technologies as well. Consumption of tainted drinking water represents a major exposure route for humans. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are the most commonly studied PFAS, but the chemical diversity extends beyond with more than 5000 compounds. Due to the current lack of certified standards, only a limited number of compounds, typically anionic PFAS, are currently monitored by target analysis. Understanding the occurrence and sources of novel PFAS in water matrices is a critical knowledge gap.
In my project, I employed solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) to detect a wider breadth of PFAS in water samples. Tap water samples collected from Canada and other countries were characterized for an expanded targeted list of PFAS, resulting in the identification of 75 different compounds. Linked to this project, I am also evaluating the efficiency of point-of-use (POU) filters in removing PFAS from drinking water. In the next research axis, I will evaluate the presence of PFAS in surface water samples (which may be used as a source of drinking water production) from Quebec province, Canada, using target and non-target screening to facilitate more PFAS discovery.
