%0 journal article
%@ 0045-6535
%A Dreyer, A., Kirchgeorg, T., Weinberg, I., Matthias, V.

%D 2015
%J Chemosphere

%P 142-149 
%R doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.06.069
%T Particle-size distribution of airborne poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances
%U https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.06.069
 
%X Eleven particle-size-segregated samples were taken to investigate the particle-size distribution of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) using two five stage impactors in parallel. Samples were extracted with methanol and detected by HPLC/MS–MS. Investigation yielded reproducible results for the parallel samples over the entire sampling period. Particle-size distribution varied between perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and other perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs), perfluorooctane carboxylate (PFOA) and other perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) and n-methyl-perfluorooctanesulfonamido ethanol (MeFOSE). Whereas PFOA and MeFOSE were predominantly observed in smallest size fraction (<0.14 μm), maximum PFOS mass fractions were observed in the coarser size fractions between 1.38 and 3.81 μm. The reason for this different behaviour remained unclear and indicated a complex atmospheric PFAS processing and sampling which should be further investigated and optimized, respectively.