RJ Lee Group brings mobile analytical capabilities and environmental forensics expertise to airborne PFAS investigations, from ambient air and fencelines to process streams and stack investigations.
High-resolution chemical ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CIMS), including AIM-TOF-MS configurations, enables real-time tracking of fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA).
Iodide reagent ions (I⁻) form molecular adducts with FTOHs and perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids. Peer-reviewed research reports detection limits of 0.19 to 3.1 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) for selected gas-phase PFAS with 3-second averaging.
Published TOFWERK AIM data show:
6:2 FTOH: 1.8 pptv at 1 second
8:2 FTOH: 1.1 pptv at 1 second
TFA: 4 pptv with 1-minute averaging
Superoxide reagent ions (O₂⁻), generated from purified air, offer promising detection of FTOHs and other oxygenated PFAS without a methyl iodide reagent supply. A 2026 study captured real-time 6:2 FTOH emissions from food packaging. Its limited response to perfluorocarboxylic acids makes iodide the better-supported chemistry for TFA-focused work.
Mobile ambient and fenceline plume investigations
Process-emission tracking during operating changes
Stack investigations and treatment-system evaluations
Product off-gassing and PFAS method development
Follow emission changes as they happen. Locate potential sources. Connect measured compounds with process conditions.
Published instrument sensitivity reaches single-digit pptv, and lower for selected compounds. Field reporting limits require validation for the sampling system, humidity, interferences, and dilution, particularly in process and stack matrices.
Contact RJ Lee Group to design a real-time PFAS investigation around your compounds, your process, and your decisions.
Related reading: Unlocking the Secrets of PFAS Testing Methods