A Review of Research Progress on Detection and Screening Techniques for Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals with widespread industrial and commercial applications, ubiquitous in surface water, groundwater, soil, and sediments. PFAS have garnered significant global attention due to their toxicity and bioaccumulative properties, making their precise identification and quantification crucial for pollution prevention and control efforts. This review provides an overview of the latest research advancements in pretreatment steps, detection techniques, and screening methods for PFAS in the environment. It emphasizes the strengths, weaknesses, and applicable conditions of solvent extraction and solid-phase extraction methods for PFAS, and delves into high-efficiency enrichment pretreatment techniques. Chromatography-mass spectrometry, particularly high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS), represent the mainstream detection technology for PFAS analysis, with future developments pointing towards even lower detection limits, now reaching as low as 0.01ng/L. The review summarizes the published quantitative detection standards and their key characteristics from both domestic and international contexts, discusses the merits, demerits, and applicable scenarios of targeted and non-targeted screening, and highlights high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and total PFAS analysis as pivotal directions for future non-targeted screening. It recommends the development of rapid screening tools for total organic fluorine and pretreatment techniques tailored to different sample matrices, offering insights for accurate identification and rapid quantification of PFAS in diverse environmental settings. The BRIEF REPORT is available for this paper at http://www.ykcs.ac.cn/en/article/doi/10.15898/j.ykcs.202408120172.